born march american film television actress started dancer stage american_film_institute ranked tenth list greatest female stars classic hollywood cinema beginning career dancer travelling theatrical companies debuting chorus girl broadway signed motion picture contract metro mayer 1930s fame later mgm colleagues played hard working young women find romance success stories received depression era audiences popular women hollywood prominent movie stars highest paid women united_states films began losing money end 1930s labelled box office poison career gradually improved early 1940s major comeback starring won academy award best actress receive best actress nominations possessed sudden fear involved marriage company chairman death elected fill vacancy board directors forcibly retired continued acting film television regularly 1960s performances fewer release british horror film retired screen following public appearance photographs published withdrew public life increasingly death married times marriages ended divorce ended death husband adopted children reclaimed birth mother relationships older children christopher death wrote tell memoir titled early life born san_antonio texas march year disputed likely estimates cited varying sources child died january laundry died august years birth established english swedish irish ancestry elder siblings abandoned family months birth reappeared texas reportedly year old construction death january age given mother subsequently married died october marriage listed census records mother marriage calling question legally family lived oklahoma minor ran despite relatively minor status managed diverse noted performers career young reportedly unaware called daddy biological father brother told preferred nickname child loved watching acts perform stage stepfather theatre instability family life affected education schooling formally progressed elementary school ambition dancer day attempt escape piano lessons play friends porch home cut foot deeply broken milk bottle operations unable attend elementary school months eventually fully recovered returned dancing accused acquitted court family moved kansas_city missouri listed living east ninth street catholic placed kansas_city mother stepfather broke stayed work student spent far time working primarily cooking cleaning studying later went work student attending began dating relationship trumpet player named reportedly inspired begin challenging academically registered columbia missouri giving year birth attended months withdrawing realized prepared college career early career began dancing choruses traveling spotted dancing detroit producer chorus line winter garden theatre broadway new_york_city appearing innocent eyes met saxophone player named allegedly married lived months supposed marriage mentioned later life wanted additional work approached publicist secured position producer act arranged screen test sent producer hollywood stories persisted supplemented income appearing soft core pornographic films disputed notified december metro mayer mgm short offered contract week immediately wired returned mother home kansas_city news borrowed travel expenses departed kansas_city december arrived california january credited film lady night body double mgm popular female star appeared starring comedian soon followed equally small roles successes thing mgm publicity head recognized ability major star felt sounded fake told studio head reminded sewer smith organized contest called star allow readers select new stage initial choice joan actress found prior claim alternate surname choice later said wanted pronounced anne hated sounded like fish admitted liked security went self promotion early successes growing increasingly frustrated size quality parts given embarked campaign self promotion mgm screenwriter recalled decided star star decided star began attending dances evenings hotels hollywood won dance competitions performances charleston black strategy worked mgm cast film impression audiences mary beginning career considered studio popular actress professional nemesis married production choice scripts control stars films quoted said compete sleeps boss named baby stars del year starred paris starring years romantic female lead mgm male stars including appeared unknown starring played carnival knife arms played clad young carnival assistant hopes marry stated learned acting watching work career said aware time difference standing camera acting appeared alongside close friend movies duo starred opposite singapore role dancing daughters stardom role established symbol modern 1920s style original girl hollywood foremost stream hits followed dancing daughters including themed movies embodied legion fans women vision free spirited american girl wrote best example girl smart night clubs apex glasses remote bitter expression dancing laughing great deal wide hurt eyes young things talent living june married roman_catholic_church known actors chapel proximity broadway theatres manhattan catholic son considered hollywood royalty opposed marriage invite couple home months marriage relationship eventually warmed called uncle called old childhood nickname following invitation frequent guests hard men played golf left rid southwestern accent practiced said speak lines good idea thought read aloud listen carefully voice quality try learn manner lock room read newspapers magazines books aloud elbow kept dictionary came word know looked repeated correctly times transition sound continued success release major hollywood movie synchronized sound sound films nicknamed rage transition silent sound panicked involved film industry silent film stars found undesirable voices hard understand accents simply refusal transition studios stars avoided making transition long possible especially mgm studio switch sound studio sound films attempt showcase stars ability transition silent sound dozen mgm stars included movie sang song got feeling film act successful transition starring role sound feature length film starring despite success film box office received mixed reviews critics noted nervous making transition sound noted popular actresses world montana moon uneasy mix western clichés music teamed film problems major success time release starring final installment called dancing daughters franchise greater success critically financially previous personal favorites movie paid paired success early sound era mgm began place sophisticated roles continuing promote inspired persona silent era mgm cast films teamed opposite studio biggest male star dance dance released february pairing second movie released directed starred possessed film released october directed films immensely popular audiences generally received critics position mgm female stars decade notable film modern age released august despite unfavorable reviews moderate success mgm cast film directed studio star production starred opposite john receiving billing played middle class controlling general director later admitted nervous filming movie working big stars disappointed scenes divine released april critical commercial success highest grossing movie year won academy award best picture achieved continued success soon movie release suit forced mgm withdraw years shown television available home video considered lost film gown large designed adrian wore movie popular style year copied loan played prostitute rain film version play actress played role stage originated screen film version performance panned film success despite failure rain publishing money making stars poll placed popularity box office remained list years appearing divorced cited mental cruelty claiming jealous suspicious attitude friends loud arguments trivial subjects lasting far night following divorce teamed hit dancing lady received billing played title role opposite tone paired fifth time sixth time films era popular highest grossing films mid-1930s married tone stage actor new_york planned use film earnings finance theatre group couple built small theatre home productions classic plays select groups friends tone appeared today live hesitant entering romance soon split marriage worked promote tone hollywood career tone ultimately interested movie star eventually effort tone reportedly began drinking physically abusive filed divorce granted tone later friendship tone proposed died arranged cremated ashes scattered canada continued reign popular movie actress mid-1930s ladies starred husband success long pleaded mgm head cast dramatic roles reluctant cast sophisticated comedy drama live life directed received critics larger profit studio expected starred gorgeous opposite tone critical box office success biggest hits decade love run romantic comedy directed seventh film starring time release called lot happy nonsense critics financial success nonetheless box office poison remained respected mgm actress films earned profits popularity declined late 1930s proclaimed queen movies life magazine unexpectedly slipped seventh sixteenth place box office year public popularity began comedy drama teamed opposite sole screen pairing film box office success onset box office poison period starred opposite tone seventh final time bride wore red film generally reviewed majority critics critic calling story making years ran financial loss mgm biggest failures year new_york_times stated restore throne queen working girls reviews positive film managed generate minor profit popularity del dubbed box office poison open letter list submitted president stated stars dramatic abilities high salaries reflect ticket sales hurting movie involved follow movie shining hour starring received critics box office flop comeback role home women opposite professional nemesis year later played type playing role eighth final film later starred woman face remake swedish film starred lead role years earlier film moderate box office success performance hailed critics adopted child daughter single california law prevented adopting state arranged adoption agency las_vegas child temporarily called joan changed married actor july month courtship couple adopted son named christopher birth mother reclaimed child couple adopted boy named marriage ended changed child eighteen years contract mgm terminated mutual consent june lieu film remaining contract mgm bought world war member signed movie deal placed payroll july film studio star morale film teamed movie stars time said main reasons signed wanted play character proposed film version novel wanted play title role studio choice davis turned role director want play instead lobbied casting went cast film entire production movie criticized quoted having told comes high hat airs shoulder pads waste time directing demanded prove taking screen test test agreed casting critical commercial success lush visual style hard boiled film noir sensibility defined movies late earning leading role success revived movie career years starred called series rate film starring romantic drama love affair older woman younger man starred alongside van possessed received second academy_award nomination win appeared opposite road played carnival dancer opposite cameo appearance great feeling fun screen image starred film noir damned don cry starred completion woman dangerous film called worst asked released contract time felt losing interest decided time later year received final academy_award nomination appeared final film mgm movie received favorable reviews moderate success box office adopted children identical twins named radio television worked radio series january good news baby broadcast march lights word theater document appeared episodes anthology television series 1950s pilot series joan married fourth final husband las_vegas met party executive renewed acquaintance new year eve party time president later named chairman board chief executive officer traveled extensively behalf following marriage estimated traveled miles company died heart attack april initially advised services longer required told story reversed position elected fill vacant seat board directors received sixth annual award shape bronze bottle awarded employee making significant contribution company sales forced retire company behest company executive referred years later career academy award nominated performance sudden fear continued work steadily rest decade starred camp western film starring starred female beach alongside following year starred opposite young autumn leaves filmed leading role story starring left near following death accepted small role best star film received positive reviews later role personal favorites early 1960s status motion pictures declined considerably starred old wheelchair bound list movie star conflict sister highly successful psychological thriller happened despite actresses earlier tensions reportedly suggested role jane stars maintained publicly feud director explained davis aware important film respective careers commented proper behaved absolutely perfectly filming completed public comments propelled animosity lifelong feud film huge success costs days nationwide release temporarily revived career davis nominated academy_award performance secretly contacted oscar nominees category east_coast based actresses let know attend ceremony happy accept oscar behalf agreed davis backstage absent announced winner accepted award behalf davis claimed rest life campaigned charge denied year starred horror mystery cast davis purported campaign harassment davis location louisiana returned hollywood entered hospital prolonged absence accused illness forced replace claimed devastated saying heard news replacement radio lying hospital bed cried hours davis rest life saying man loves evil things replied shoe fits wear fond played saw vehicle starred horror thriller film film release guest starred episode lost star aired february struggled rehearsals drank heavily set leading series star suggest replacing letter perfect day included dancing charleston received standing studio audience october year old daughter acting new_york cbs soap opera secret storm needed immediate medical attention despite fact character year old offered play role return producer readily agreed rehearsal lost taping director producer left struggle piece necessary footage appearance television film served pilot series followed marked steven_spielberg earliest directing jobs cameo appearance episode situation comedy tim conway aired january starred big screen final time playing science fiction horror film rounding career spanning years eighty motion pictures television appearances episode nightmare final performance episode dear joan going scare death sixth sense final years presented cecil award golden telecast ambassador hotel los_angeles spoke attended months published autobiography portrait joan written book published expecting tell disappointed meticulous ways revealed advice wardrobe exercise food storage death found apartment photographs reportedly voted presidential election september moved apartment smaller apartment door public appearance september party honoring old friend new_york rainbow room russell suffering breast cancer time saw photos appeared papers day said look won anymore cancelled public appearances began declining interviews left apartment dental related issues including surgery left needing round clock nursing care plagued problem october drinking caused pass slip strike face incident scared drinking insisted return incident recorded series letters sent insurance company held stack files 3rd floor documented biography actress years death legacy gave away beloved princess weak care died days later new_york apartment heart attack funeral held new_york signed october bequeathed youngest children estate explicitly eldest christopher writing intention provision son christopher daughter reasons known bequeathed niece born child estranged brother left money favorite charities new_york memorial service held souls church lexington avenue new_york attended old hollywood friend memorial service organized held june beverly_hills cremated ashes placed fourth final husband new_york hollywood boulevard hollywood star vine street playboy listed sexiest women 20th century voted tenth greatest female star classic american cinema american_film_institute november published contained allegations late adoptive mother emotionally physically abusive brother christopher cared career instead mother friends workers including joan secretary nearly years husband younger daughters denounced book denying abuse including son stated witnessed form abusive behavior secretary confirmed account bestseller biography film starring filmography radio appearances portrait joan autobiography isbn way life simon isbn
Joan Crawford