|
US general
release
(premiere
date may be earlier; see IMDb or AFI)
|
Title
|
Released
by
|
Joan's
character
|
Notes
|
DVD/VHS
availability
|
|
2/23/25
|
Lady
of the Night (silent)
|
MGM
|
[uncredited
double for Norma Shearer]
|
See
this site's 1925
Photos
page for 2 shots of Joan with Norma.
|
DVD
|
|
4/27/25
|
Proud
Flesh (silent)
|
MGM
|
[uncredited
extra in party scene]
|
Directed
by King Vidor.
|
NA
|
|
8/23/25
|
A
Slave of Fashion (silent)
|
MGM
|
[uncredited
mannequin]
|
Stars
Norma Shearer, Lew Cody, William Haines.
|
NA
|
|
8/26/25
|
The
Merry Widow (silent)
|
MGM
|
[uncredited
ballroom dancer]
|
Directed
by Erich von Stroheim; starring Mae Murray and John Gilbert.
|
DVD
|
|
9/6/25
|
Pretty
Ladies (silent)
|
MGM
|
Bobby,
showgirl
|
Billed
for the first and only time by her real name, "Lucille
LeSueur."
|
DVD
(Amazon offers what looks like a bootleg version, minutes unlisted)
|
|
9/22/25
|
The
Circle
(silent)
|
MGM
|
Young
Lady Catherine
|
Joan
appears in the first few minutes in a "prequel" to the
subsequent main story.
|
DVD
|
|
10/4/25
|
The
Midshipman (silent)
|
MGM
|
[extra]
|
A
Ramon Novarro vehicle.
|
NA
|
|
11/9/25
|
Old
Clothes (silent)
|
MGM
|
Mary
Riley, poor girl who befriends kid
|
A Jackie
Coogan vehicle.
|
NA
|
|
11/22/25
|
The
Only Thing (silent)
|
MGM
|
[extra,
appearing in several crowd scenes]
|
Story
by Elinor Glyn.
|
NA
|
|
12/13/25
|
Time,
the Comedian (silent)
|
MGM
|
[extra,
as art student; IMDb cast list gives her a credit as "Lucille
LeSueur"]
|
Directed
by Robert Z. Leonard; starring Mae Busch and Lew Cody.
|
NA,
but AFI says film is "extant." IMDb says: " A complete print is in the MGM collection held at The Eastman Museum in Rochester, N.Y."
|
|
12/27/25
|
Sally,
Irene, and Mary (silent)
|
MGM
|
Irene,
showgirl
|
Constance
Bennett, Sally O'Neil co-star. (Joan billed 2nd after Bennett.)
|
NA
(but the George
Eastman Museum
premiered the restored film in 2019 and has a 2-minute trailer
on its site; and YouTube sometimes offers the entire film).
|
|
3/21/26
|
Tramp,
Tramp, Tramp (silent)
|
First
National
|
Betty,
daughter of shoe mogul
|
A Harry
Langdon vehicle.
|
VHS;
DVD (as part of 3-film Harry Langdon set)
|
|
5/17/26
|
The
Boob (silent)
|
MGM
|
Jane,
prohibition agent
|
A Gertrude
Olmstead / George
K. Arthur vehicle, directed by pre-Wings William Wellman.
|
DVD;
Blu-ray (double-feature with Why Be Good?)
|
|
5/24/26
|
Paris
(silent)
|
MGM
|
The
Girl, cabaret girl
|
Charles
Ray, Douglas Gilmore co-star.
|
NA
|
|
9/30/26
|
Bardelys
the Magnificent (silent)
|
MGM
|
[uncredited
Court Gossip]
|
Starring
John Gilbert, directed by King Vidor.
|
DVD
|
|
1/15/27
|
Winners
of the Wilderness (silent)
|
MGM
|
Rene
Contrecoeur, general's daughter
|
A Tim
McCoy vehicle; set in 18th century.
|
NA.
But silentera.com
says: "Print exists [16mm reduction positive]"
|
|
2/5/27
|
The
Taxi Dancer (silent)
|
MGM
|
Joselyn
Poe, taxi dancer
|
Joan's
first top billing.
|
NA.
But silentera.com
says a print exists in MGM/UA film archive.
|
|
5/10/27
|
The
Understanding Heart (silent)
|
MGM
|
Monica
Dale, forest ranger
|
Another
top billing for Joan; Francis X. Bushman, Jr., co-stars.
|
NA
|
|
6/4/27
|
The
Unknown (silent)
|
MGM
|
Nanon,
carney girl
|
Lon
Chaney stars, Tod Browning directs. Joan said Chaney's concentration
made her take acting seriously for first time.
|
DVD (2003, part of
TCM Lon Chaney set)
DVD/Blu-ray (2023, part of Criterion
"Tod Browning's Sideshow Shockers" set)
|
|
7/9/27
|
Twelve
Miles Out (silent)
|
MGM
|
Jane,
kidnapped by rum-runner
|
John
Gilbert stars.
|
NA.
But silentera.com
says a print exists in MGM/UA film archive.
|
|
10/22/27
|
Spring
Fever (silent)
|
MGM
|
Allie
Monte, country-club girl
|
A William
Haines vehicle.
|
DVD
|
|
1/7/28
|
West
Point (silent)
|
MGM
|
Betty
Channing, hotel-owner's daughter
|
A William
Haines vehicle.
|
DVD
|
|
1/21/28
|
The
Law of the Range (silent)
|
MGM
|
Betty
Dallas, Texas Ranger's girlfriend
|
A Tim
McCoy vehicle.
|
NA
|
|
2/11/28
|
Rose-Marie
(silent)
|
MGM
|
Rose-Marie,
wild mountain girl
|
Joan
has top billing; originated onstage as a comic operetta.
|
NA
|
|
4/7/28
|
Across
to Singapore (silent)
|
MGM
|
Priscilla
Crowninshield, neighbor and love interest of seafaring brothers
|
Ramon
Novarro stars.
|
DVD
|
|
8/11/28
|
Four
Walls (silent)
|
MGM
|
Frieda,
gangster's moll
|
Joan's
second and last appearance with John Gilbert.
|
NA
|
|
9/1/28
|
Our
Dancing Daughters (silent)
|
MGM
|
Diana
Medford, socialite party girl
|
This
one made Joan a star and had huge box-office.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
12/1/28
|
Dream
of Love (silent)
|
MGM
|
Adrienne,
gypsy girl
|
Co-stars
Nils Asther, their 2nd of 3 films together.
|
NA
|
|
3/16/29
|
The
Duke Steps Out (silent)
|
MGM
|
Susie
the co-ed
|
Joan's
third appearance with William Haines; she's billed second.
|
NA
|
|
9/8/29
|
Our
Modern Maidens (silent)
|
MGM
|
Billie
Brown, socialite party girl
|
Joan's
last silent; her only film appearance with husband Doug Fairbanks,
Jr. One of first films, if not the first, to feature
deco style.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
11/23/29
|
Hollywood
Revue of 1929
|
MGM
|
appears
as herself
|
MGM's
talking picture debut, showcasing most of its stable of stars; Joan
sings and dances.
|
DVD
|
|
11/23/29
|
Untamed
|
MGM
|
Bingo,
jungle girl and oil heiress
|
Joan's
talkie acting debut; her first of 6 films with Robert Montgomery.
|
DVD
|
|
3/20/30
|
Montana
Moon
|
MGM
|
Joan
Prescott, rich rancher's daughter
|
TCM
says this might be the first "singing cowboy" film.
|
DVD
|
|
7/19/30
|
Our
Blushing Brides
|
MGM
|
Jerry,
shopgirl
|
Joan's
second film with Robert Montgomery.
|
DVD
|
|
12/30/30
|
Paid
|
MGM
|
Mary
Turner, ex-con
|
Joan's
first major dramatic role.
|
DVD
|
|
Not
Released
|
Great
Day!
|
MGM
|
Unknown
|
8
weeks of filming began in Sept. 1930. After seeing rushes, Joan
begged studio head LB Mayer to scrap film, which he did.
|
NA
|
|
3/20/31
|
Dance,
Fools, Dance
|
MGM
|
Bonnie
Jordan, ex-socialite cub reporter
|
Joan's
first of 8 films with Clark Gable.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
5/30/31
|
Laughing
Sinners
|
MGM
|
Ivy
Stevens, cafe entertainer
|
Second
film with Gable, who replaced Johnny Mack Brown after MGM execs
noted the Crawford/Gable chemistry in their first film.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
8/29/31
|
This
Modern Age
|
MGM
|
Valentine
Winters, socialite daughter
|
Noted
stage actress Pauline Frederick co-stars as Joan's mother.
|
DVD
|
|
11/21/31
|
Possessed
|
MGM
|
Marian/Mrs.
Moreland, kept woman
|
Third
film with Gable.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
5/14/32
|
Letty
Lynton
|
MGM
|
Letty
Lynton, stalked socialite
|
Third
film with Robert Montgomery, third and last with Nils Asther. A plagiarism lawsuit won against MGM
prevents this from being shown or sold today.
|
NA,
except bootleg
|
|
9/11/32
|
Grand
Hotel
|
MGM
|
Flaemmchen,
a little stenographer
|
All-star
cast (Garbo, Barrymores, Beery), Oscar winner for Best Picture.
This one firmly established Joan as a superstar.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
10/12/32
|
Rain
|
United
Artists
|
Sadie
Thompson, prostitute
|
Joan
reprises the role made famous by Jeanne Eagels on Broadway in
1922. Critical and public response to Joan was poor at time,
though her performance much more lauded today.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
4/14/33
|
Today
We Live
|
MGM
|
Diana
Boyce-Smith, rich Englishwoman pursued by 2 men during WWI
|
Directed
by Howard Hawks; story by William Faulkner; Joan co-stars with Gary
Cooper for only time; her first of 7 appearances with husband Franchot
Tone, whom she met on set. And her first of 4 films with Robert
Young.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
11/24/33
|
Dancing
Lady
|
MGM
|
Janie
Barlow, aspiring showgirl
|
Joan's
fourth appearance with Gable, second with Tone; Fred Astaire's film
debut; Three Stooges on hand. First of 2 films with director Robert
Z. Leonard.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
5/9/34
|
Sadie
McKee
|
MGM
|
Sadie
McKee, servant-turned-club entertainer-turned rich wife
|
Third
film with Tone.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
8/31/34
|
Chained
|
MGM
|
Diane
Lovering, kept woman
|
Fifth
film with Gable.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
12/23/34
|
Forsaking
All Others
|
MGM
|
Mary,
socialite pursued by 2 men
|
Sixth
film with Gable, fourth with Montgomery. From 1933 play starring
Tallulah Bankhead.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
6/14/35
|
No
More Ladies
|
MGM
|
Marcia,
socialite with philandering husband
|
Fifth
film with Montgomery, fourth with Tone. First film with director
George Cukor.
|
DVD
|
|
10/4/35
|
I
Live My Life
|
MGM
|
Kay,
socialite in love with archaeologist
|
Co-stars
Brian Aherne.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
8/28/36
|
The
Gorgeous Hussy
|
MGM
|
Peggy
O'Neal, innkeeper's daughter who hobnobs with President Andrew Jackson
|
Unsuccessful
period piece set in 1830s based loosely on true story; fifth film
with Tone; first film with Robert Taylor, Melvyn Douglas, James
Stewart.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
11/20/36
|
Love
on the Run
|
MGM
|
Sally
Parker, socialite pursued by 2 men
|
Seventh
film with Gable, sixth with Tone.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
2/19/37
|
The
Last of Mrs. Cheyney
|
MGM
|
Fay
Cheyney, jewel thief
|
First
a 1925 play, then a 1929 Norma Shearer film. Joan co-stars with
William Powell for only time.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
10/8/37
|
The
Bride Wore Red
|
MGM
|
Anni,
cabaret singer and society wannabe
|
Seventh
and last film with Franchot Tone. Second film with Robert Young.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
1/21/38
|
Mannequin
|
MGM
|
Jessica
Cassidy, working girl pursued by 2 men
|
Joan
co-stars with Spencer Tracy for only time.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
11/18/38
|
The
Shining Hour
|
MGM
|
Olivia
Riley, club performer-turned-rich wife
|
Originated
on Broadway. Joan's third film with Robert Young and second with
Melvyn Douglas.
Co-stars Margaret Sullavan.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
3/10/39
|
The
Ice Follies of 1939
|
MGM
|
Mary
McKay, skating wife-turned-movie star
|
Extreme
fluff made to promote MGM's new find, The International Ice
Follies. Joan's second and last film with James Stewart.
|
DVD
|
|
9/1/39
|
The
Women
|
MGM
|
Crystal
Allen, shopgirl-on-the-make
|
Joan's
first villainous role, her second film with director Cukor. Based on the long-running play by Clare Boothe
that opened in 1936. Co-starred Joan's longtime MGM rival Norma
Shearer.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
3/1/40
|
Strange
Cargo
|
MGM
|
Julie,
on-the-lam nightclub entertainer
|
Joan's
eighth and last film with Clark Gable. (She was still top-billed,
despite his having just appeared in Gone With the Wind.)
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
6/7/40
|
Susan
and God
|
MGM
|
Susan,
flighty socialite who's found God and neglects family
|
Originated
on Broadway; Joan's only appearance with Fredric March and 3rd film
directed by Cukor. Role turned
down by Norma Shearer, who didn't want to play a mother. Rita Hayworth
has small role.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
5/15/41
|
A
Woman's Face
|
MGM
|
Anna
Holm, facially disfigured criminal
|
Based
on 1938 Swedish film starring Ingrid Bergman. Last of 4 films with
director Cukor. Third film with Melvyn
Douglas. Co-stars Conrad Veidt.
|
VHS;
DVD (part of 2008 Joan Crawford Collection 2 set; 2017 Warner
Archive single)
|
|
8/29/41
|
When
Ladies Meet
|
MGM
|
Mary
Howard, novelist pursued by 2 men
|
With
Robert Taylor for second time; co-stars Greer Garson. Last of 2
films with director Robert Z. Leonard.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
6/11/42
|
They
All Kissed the Bride
|
Columbia
|
Margaret
J. Drew, businesswoman
|
With
Melvyn Douglas for fourth and last time.
|
VHS
(DVD still only Region 2 from Spain)
|
|
12/25/42
|
Reunion
in France
|
MGM
|
Michele
de la Becque, rich Frenchwoman during WWII
|
Joan
and John Wayne co-star for only time.
|
VHS;
DVD
|
|
8/5/43
|
Above
Suspicion
|
MGM
|
Frances
Myles, newlywed anti-Nazi spy
|
Joan's
last contract picture for MGM. Co-stars Fred MacMurray and Conrad
Veidt.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
12/31/44
|
Hollywood
Canteen
|
Warners
|
Appears
as herself
|
First
film for new studio Warners; cameo appearance in all-star (including
Bette Davis) "support-the-troops"
effort.
|
VHS;
DVD (as part of 3-disc "Homefront Collection")
|
|
10/20/45
|
Mildred
Pierce
|
Warners
|
Mildred
Pierce: mother, lover, businesswoman
|
First of two films with director Michael
Curtiz. Major
comeback for Joan after leaving MGM. Oscar winner for Best Actress (Joan's only Oscar),
nominated for Best Picture.
Library
of Congress essay.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
1/25/47
|
Humoresque
|
Warners
|
Helen
Wright, dilettante
|
Joan
at height of SEXY. Co-stars John Garfield.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
7/26/47
|
Possessed
|
Warners
|
Louise
Howell, obsessive spurned lover
|
2nd
Oscar
nomination for Best Actress. Co-stars Van Heflin.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
12/25/47
|
Daisy
Kenyon
|
20th
Century-Fox
|
Daisy
Kenyon, graphic artist pursued by 2 men
|
Directed
by Otto Preminger. Co-stars Dana Andrews and Henry Fonda.
|
DVD,
Blu-ray
|
|
4/30/49
|
Flamingo
Road
|
Warners
|
Lane
Bellamy, carney girl, er, woman
|
Second and last Joan film directed
by Mildred Pierce's Michael Curtiz. Co-stars Sydney Greenstreet,
Zachary Scott, and David Brian (Brian's first credited film).
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
8/1/49
|
It's
a Great Feeling
|
Warners
|
Appears
as herself
|
Cameo
in this Dennis Morgan/Jack Carson/Doris Day vehicle.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
5/13/50
|
The
Damned Don't Cry
|
Warners
|
Ethel
Whitehead/Lorna Hansen Forbes, small-town wife turned gangster's
moll
|
Joan's
first of 3 pictures directed by Vincent Sherman. Co-stars David
Brian for the 2nd time.
|
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
11/2/50
|
Harriet
Craig
|
Columbia
|
Harriet
Craig, obsessive wife
|
Originated
as 1925 play, then as 2 films, including 1936's Craig's Wife, starring Rosalind
Russell. Joan's 2nd picture with director Sherman.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
5/19/51
|
Goodbye
My Fancy
|
Warners
|
Agatha
Reed, congresswoman who returns to alma mater
|
Joan's
third and last film directed by Sherman; fourth and last film with Robert
Young.
|
DVD
|
|
2/9/52
|
This
Woman Is Dangerous
|
Warners
|
Beth
Austin, criminal
|
Joan's
last contract picture with Warners. Co-stars Dennis Morgan and David
Brian (last of 3 films together).
|
DVD
|
|
8/7/52
|
Sudden
Fear
|
RKO
|
Myra
Hudson, playwright and menaced wife
|
Joan's
first independent film, which she co-produced. 3rd and final Oscar nomination
for Best Actress. Co-starring Jack Palance.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
10/23/53
|
Torch
Song
|
MGM
|
Jenny
Stewart, musical star
|
Joan
back at MGM after 10 years, and in Technicolor for the first time.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
5/26/54
|
Johnny
Guitar
|
Republic
|
Vienna,
saloon owner
|
Directed
by Nicholas Ray, co-starring Mercedes McCambridge and Sterling Hayden.
Cult fave.
Library
of Congress essay.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
8/19/55
|
Female
on the Beach
|
Universal-
International
|
Lynn
Markham, lonely rich woman pursued by playboy
|
Co-stars
Jeff Chandler.
|
DVD,
Blu-ray
|
|
11/22/55
|
Queen
Bee
|
Columbia
|
Eva
Phillips, mean Southern matriarch
|
Written
and directed by Ranald MacDougall, who wrote Mildred Pierce screenplay.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
8/1/56
|
Autumn
Leaves
|
Columbia
|
Millicent
Wetherby, lonely woman who marries younger mentally disturbed man
|
Co-stars
Cliff Robertson. First of two directed by Robert Aldrich.
|
VHS,
DVD (TCM "Joan Crawford in the 1950s" collection)
|
|
11/6/57
|
The
Story of Esther Costello
|
Columbia
|
Margaret
Landi, rich woman who adopts deaf/dumb/blind Irish girl and must
fend off lecherous ex.
|
Filmed
in England, co-stars Rossano Brazzi. Joan an uncredited co-producer.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
10/9/59
|
The
Best of Everything
|
20th
Century-Fox
|
Amanda
Farrow, shrewish editor
|
Joan
in small role; first film after husband Steele's death.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
10/31/62
|
What
Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
|
Warners
|
Blanche
Hudson, crippled ex-movie star sister
|
Joan
and Bette Davis's only co-starring film. A huge hit, Davis Oscar-nominated.
Second of two directed by Robert Aldrich.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
8/21/63
|
The
Caretakers
|
United
Artists
|
Lucretia
Terry, mean head nurse in psych ward
|
Joan
in small role; Robert Stack top-billed.
|
VHS,
DVD
|
|
1/8/64
|
Strait-Jacket
|
Columbia
|
Lucy
Harbin, ax murderess returned home
|
First
of two William Castle films. Diane Baker co-stars.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
5/15/65
|
I
Saw What You Did
|
Universal
|
Amy
Nelson, jealous lover
|
2nd
and last Castle film. Joan in small role, but top billing.
|
VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
|
|
4/7/1967
|
The
Karate Killers
|
MGM/Arena
|
Amanda
True, widow
|
Originally
a 2-part episode of the US TV series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,"
it was released theatrically both in Europe and in the US. Joan had brief
cameo.
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VHS;
Region 1 and 2 DVD (as part of U.N.C.L.E. set)
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1/11/68
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Berserk!
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Columbia
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Monica
Rivers, ringmistress
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A
low-budget Herman Cohen production shot in England. Co-starred
Ty Hardin, Diana Dors.
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VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray (as part of "Psycho Biddy Double Feature"
with Strait-Jacket)
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9/18/70
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Trog
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Warners
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Dr.
Brockton, scientist and Trog befriender
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Joan's
last film, another cheapie by Cohen shot in England.
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VHS,
DVD, Blu-ray
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Joan's
Most Frequent Co-Stars
 Clark
Gable. 8 films (Dance, Fools,
Dance, 1931; Laughing Sinners, '31; Possessed, '31; Dancing Lady, '33; Chained,
'34;
Forsaking All Others, '34; Love on the Run, '36; Strange Cargo, '40)
Franchot
Tone. 7 films (Today We
Live, 1933; Dancing Lady, '33; Sadie McKee, '34; No More Ladies, '35; The Gorgeous
Hussy, '36; Love on the Run, '36; The Bride Wore Red, '37)
Robert
Montgomery.
6 films (Untamed, 1929; Our Blushing Brides, '30; Letty Lynton, '32; Forsaking
All Others, '34; No More Ladies, '35; The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, '37)
William
Haines.
5 films (Sally,
Irene and Mary,
'25; Spring
Fever,
'27; West
Point,
'27; The
Duke Steps Out,
'29; Hollywood
Revue of 1929)
While the above
leading men might come to mind first when thinking of Joan's
co-stars, in fact, a couple of ladies actually appeared with her
more frequently:
Gwen
Lee.
This early MGM player appeared
with Joan in 9
films: Pretty Ladies,
1925; Lady of the Night,
1925; Twelve Miles Out,
1927; Untamed,
1929; The Duke Steps Out,
1929; Hollywood Revue of 1929;
Our Blushing Brides,
1930; Paid,
1930; Mannequin,
1938.
Bess
Flowers.
This
perennial bit player appeared with Joan in 12 films: Untamed,
Possessed
('31), Gorgeous
Hussy,
Shining
Hour,
Hollywood
Canteen,
Mildred Pierce,
Humoresque,
It's a Great Feeling,
Damned
Don't Cry,
Sudden
Fear,
Torch
Song,
and Autumn
Leaves.
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 Most
Frequent Directors
5
films:
Clarence Brown, Jack
Conway.
4
films:
Harry Beaumont, Frank Borzage, George Cukor,
W.S. Van Dyke.
3
films:
Edmund Goulding, William Nigh,
Vincent Sherman.
2
films:
Robert Aldrich, Dorothy Arzner
(aside from the credited Bride Wore Red, she also finished up Mrs.
Cheyney after director Richard Boleslawski unexpectedly died),
Monta
Bell
(uncredited Joan in Lady
of the Night
and credited Lucille LeSueur in Pretty
Ladies), William Castle,
Michael Curtiz, Robert
Z. Leonard, David Miller, Jean
Negulesco, Edward Sedgwick.
Among the prominent one-timers were Tod Browning, Jules Dassin, Howard Hawks, Lewis Milestone, Otto Preminger,
Nicholas Ray, William Wellman, and Sam Wood. (Not to mention Steven Spielberg
making his 1969 directorial debut on television with Joan's Night Gallery episode,
"Eyes.")
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The
Shopgirl Myth
 Joan's
roles of the 1930s are frequently referred to in film literature as being of the "shopgirl
makes good" variety. In fact, of her 25 films made during the '30s, only
twice---in 1930's Our
Blushing Brides
and 1939's The
Women---does
she actually play a shopgirl. (And in the latter, she hardly "makes good"
at the end.) By far the most frequently recurring character-type
for Joan in the '30s
is that of a rich girl---one already born to money, not working her way
up to it or marrying into it.
She
plays a society girl in 8 films of the 1930s: Montana
Moon
('30), This
Modern Age
('31), Letty
Lynton
('32), Today
We Live
('33), Forsaking
All Others
('34), No
More Ladies
('35), I
Live My Life
('35), and Love
on the Run
('36). (Two other films that might fit into a "privileged" subcategory:
In 1931's Dance,
Fools, Dance,
she starts out a socialite, but winds up a reporter after the market crash.
In '36's The
Gorgeous Hussy,
she's an innkeeper's daughter, but one who mingles societally and intellectually with the prominent
politicians of the day, including President Jackson.)
Joan
does start poor but meet or marry rich in 4 films of the '30s: Possessed
('31, factory girl and rich politician), Sadie
McKee
('34, maid turned night-club entertainer and rich, drunken sugar daddy followed
by a
younger rich nice guy), Mannequin
('38, factory worker/chorus girl/model and rich industrialist),
and
The
Shining Hour
('38, night-club dancer and rich country gentleman).
But
just as frequently, she plays an entertainer of some sort who might meet
"nice," but not necessarily "rich": Laughing
Sinners
('31, cabaret singer and Salvation Army officer), Dancing
Lady
('33, showgirl and rough-edged show producer), The
Bride Wore Red
('37, cabaret singer and gentle postman), Ice
Follies of 1939
(ice-skater/actress and struggling skater hubby).
In
3 films, she plays a criminal: Paid
('30, ex-con, then blackmailer), Rain
('32, prostitute), The
Last of Mrs. Cheyney
('37, jewel thief).
And
in the two films of the 25 that are not quite categorizable: In '32's Grand
Hotel,
Joan's a stenographer of questionable reputation who winds up with a dying pensioner; in '34's Chained,
she's at first "kept" by a rich older man, but winds up with true
love, rancher
Gable.
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