Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography explores the life and career of
one of Hollywood's great dames. She was a leading film personality for
more than fifty years, from her beginnings as a dancer in silent films
of the 1920s, to her portrayals of working-class shop girls in the
Depression thirties, to her Oscar-winning performances in classic films
such as Mildred Pierce. Crawford's legacy, however, has become
somewhat tarnished in the wake of her daughter Christina's memoir,
Mommie Dearest, which turned her into a national joke. Today, many
picture Crawford only as a wire-hanger-wielding shrew rather than the
personification of Hollywood glamour.
This new biography of Crawford sets the record straight, going beyond
the gossip to find the truth about the legendary actress. The authors
knew Crawford well and conducted scores of interviews with her and many
of her friends and co-stars, including Frank Capra, George Cukor,
Nicholas Ray, and Sidney Greenstreet. Far from a whitewash -- Crawford
was indeed a colorful and difficult character -- Joan Crawford
corrects many lies and tells the story of one of Hollywood's most
influential stars, complete with on-set anecdotes and other movie lore.
Through extensive interviews, in-depth analysis, and evaluation of her
films and performances -- both successes and failures -- Lawrence J.
Quirk and William Schoell present Crawford's story as both an
appreciation and a reevaluation of her extraordinary life and career.
This fascinating book tells the behind-the-scenes story of one of
Hollywood's great dames.
