| The Best of Everything: A Joan Crawford Encyclopedia |
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Welcome
to
The
Best of Everything
which
debuted online
March
23, 2004
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To find information:
• Browse one of the main categories to the right of the picture above. • Click on a letter or the index link below to find a particular entry in the Encyclopedia. • Use the handy Google box below to search the entire site by key word. • See the Latest Site Updates and Joan Crawford Events sections below. |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
All original Encyclopedia text, from A to Z, is copyright © 2004 - 2010 by Stephanie Jones
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[last 3 months + August '09 Donald Spoto letter]
FILMS: Added a new reader review for This Woman Is Dangerous by Michael Lia. And a new photo to accompany Maureen Morrison's Harriet Craig reader review.
PHOTOS: 1963 -- A candid on the stairs of a TWA flight. A shot from TV's "Route 66." 1964 -- With some cute kids. (Thanks to Mateja.)
1/30/10
COLLECTIBLES: Added a New Year's Eve '37 menu from NYC's The Colony, signed by Joan, Franchot, and Franchot's mom. FILMS: Added a German poster for Pretty Ladies. LETTERS: 1972 to "Lillian" and 1974 to "Jess."
1/29/10
1960 -- Publicity for CBS's "One Must Die." Dancing in Buenos Aires. Candid in Kansas.
1961 -- Cooking at home with the Twins. (Thanks to Oliver.)
1962 -- With Bette on the Baby Jane set. (Thanks to Oliver.) Color candid in car. (Thanks to Oliver.) With a Twin and Pepsi one and two. (Thanks to Oliver.) At the Fairmont Hotel. (Thanks to Mateja.)
REVIEWER PHOTOS: Thanks to Tasha and Norman for sending in photos to accompany their movie reviews. If you've written a review for this site, please send in your photo, too!
PHOTOS: Thanks to Norman for sending in this color shot of Joan on the set of Mildred Pierce. In the picture, she's wearing an outfit that he actually owns! (See this Collectibles page for shots of the dress on exhibit.)
FILMS: Added 11 new movie posters. Spring Fever (Sweden) The Story of Esther Costello (France, Italy) Sudden Fear (Italy) Susan and God (Italy) They All Kissed the Bride (Argentina, Italy) Today We Live (Belgium) Torch Song (Argentina) Twelve Miles Out (France) When Ladies Meet (Spain)
And while you're on some of the above FILMS pages, check out the thumbnail photos of reviewers Michael Lia and...me! Bryan Johnson also sent in a photo for his review of The Caretakers! (As I mentioned in the 1/22 entry below: If you've written a review of a Joan film for this site, I'd like to start adding a small picture of you to accompany your review. Please send yours in!)
1/22/10
FILMS: Added 13 new movie posters. Across to Singapore (Belgium) Dance, Fools, Dance (France) Dancing Lady (Austria) Dream of Love (Belgium) Gorgeous Hussy (Sweden) Love on the Run (France) Montana Moon (Sweden) Our Modern Maidens (Sweden) Paid (Sweden) Possessed '31 (Belgium) Reunion in France (Sweden) Sadie McKee (Belgium) Shining Hour (France)
FILMS: If you've written a review, or reviews, of Joan films for this site, here's an idea: I'd like to start including a small photo of each reviewer to accompany his/her review. What do you think? If you like the idea, please send in your photo.
NEWS: If you're in the NYC area, the Chelsea Cinema is showing The Women on January 28 at 7pm and 9:30pm, the earlier show hosted by Hedda Lettuce. Time for a meet-up?!
Added 10 new magazine covers, and updated the style/links for these magazine pages. (Thanks to Mateja for the new covers for Western Family and El Cine.)
Cinevie (France) -- March '46. El Cine (Spain) -- July '32 and February '33. Kulisa (Yugoslavia) -- April '31. Nedelja (Yugoslavia) -- March '33. Nedeljne Ilustracije (Yugoslavia) -- September '33, April '40, June '40. Szinhaz (Hungary) -- June '39. Western Family (US) -- October '41.
1/17/10 Thanks to Mike O'Hanlon for the below info.
FILMS: Box Office -- Added data for The Shining Hour, including cost, domestic/foreign/total gross, and profit (or loss, in this case). Film Trivia -- Added info for two of Joan's Most Frequent Co-Stars: William Haines and -- surprise! -- Bess Flowers.
TV: Updated the Joan US TV schedule for February, March, and April.
1/16/10
1942 -- A publicity portrait, and shots one and two with new husband Phillip Terry.
1946 -- Publicity shots one and two (thanks to Oliver), and with Oscar and director Mike Curtiz.
1947 -- On the set of Daisy Kenyon with Christina and Christopher. (In Mommie Dearest, Christina mis-labels this shot as being on the Mildred set.)
1950 -- Candid with Christina and Christopher.
1953 -- With Mercedes McCambridge at the Torch Song premiere party. (The two were filming Johnny G at the time.)
1/12/10
PHOTOS: Added 9 new photos. 1959 -- 4 shots by Eve Arnold: see Joan's butt; and Life magazine party one, two, and three. (Thanks to Susanne for all of these.) 1962 -- Color shots from Baby Jane, one and two. (Thanks to Matt.) 1964 -- Color at the Oscars, with Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn. 1968 -- From the Jerry Lewis telethon, one and two.
1/09/10
FILMS: Added reviews for Susan and God (1940) and They All Kissed the Bride (1942) by Michael Lia.
1/06/10
PHOTOS: Added 6 new photos. 1946 -- At-home-with-Oscar one and two. Humoresque: Publicity and with John Garfield one and two. 1971 -- Thanks to James Bruce for this photo of Joan and Lassie at Toots Shor's in NYC.
"It took an entire industry to create Joan Crawford... And one woman to destroy her."
Playwright Topher Payne's Christina Darling opens in Atlanta on April 15, 2010. Says Payne:
I really wanted to honor just how complex the relationship between Anna [Joan's mother], Joan, and Christina really was. Three generations of incredibly driven women, who took what they needed from life and unfortunately tended to do better with strangers than they did with the people around them.
See the EVENTS section below for complete info.
ART: Thanks to Dave Borgesen of Winnipeg for contributing his pencil sketch of Joan. (You can contact Dave at his website: 13thhourtattoo.com.)
FILMS: Thanks to Michael Lia for his new review of 1941's When Ladies Meet.
LINKS: Added the Joan page of the eMoviePoster.com site to the "Images" section of LINKS. Bruce Hershenson sells vintage movie posters and lobby cards on the site, but he also maintains this huge poster image archive, where you can view 100s of already-sold Joan posters/lobby cards for free! (Thanks to Mike O. for the link!)
FILMS (reviews): Thanks to Michael Lia for his new review of 1942's Reunion In France. (He really hates it!)
FILMS (posters): Added 15 new movie posters for the following film pages: 1925's Sally, Irene, and Mary (US) 1928's Dream of Love (US) 1931's Possessed (France) 1933's Dancing Lady (Spain) 1934's Chained (Sweden, Spain) 1938's Shining Hour (Belgium) 1941's Woman's Face (US, Spain) 1942's Reunion in France (US, Italy) 1945's Mildred Pierce (Spain) 1947's Possessed (Spain) 1947's Daisy Kenyon (Spain, France)
1/01/10 Happy New Year! Many thanks to everyone for their support and readership!
FILMS: Thanks to Michael Lia for his new review of 1947's Possessed. He gives it 4 of 5 stars.
Toby has a new blog-tribute to Joan -- The Joan Crawford Deluxe Suite -- where he's been pondering "What Would Joan Do?" since September.
And, for members of the Joan message board: Justin just added an incredible 100 international Joan movie posters to the Photos gallery! (On the main page of the board, click "Photos" then the "Movie Posters" thumbnail.) I'll be adding the posters to this site in coming months, but if you want to see them all right away, please join the message board to take a look!
12/20/09
LINKS: Here are 4 links to sites that you might like to explore:
I also just cleaned up the LINKS page; a whopping 19 of the links were out of date! (Yikes.) And I added links to Joan pages on the Turner Classic Movies, Warner Bros. Archives, and YouTube sites. (Under "Film Info" and "For Sale" and the newly created "Social Networking," respectively.)
If you have a Joan-related link that should be added to this page, please e-mail me.
12/12/09 (part 2)
PHOTO AND CORRECTION: Thanks to James Bruce for this October 6, 1970, shot of Joan with Maurice Chevalier at his book signing.
I'd had 3 other photos of Joan with Chevalier up on the "1971" page -- wrong year! I just moved the photos to the right page -- 1970 -- thanks to James's info.
PHOTOS: Added 13 new photos. (Thanks to Bryan for all but the Hush photo, which Matt sent in.)
1962 -- Screen shot from "What's My Line." 1963 -- On the set of Caretakers with jujitsu master Bruce Tegnor. 1964 -- Glorious Strait-Jacket shots, ONE and TWO. A wider Hush Hush shot of photo already posted. 1965 -- With two unknown girls on the set of I Saw What You Did. 1967 -- Color shot at a Pepsi plant opening. 1968 -- On set with a Berserk elephant. 1969 -- With Edith Head at Head's one-woman show. At the Governor's Ball following the Academy Awards, ONE and TWO. 1970 -- Candid on the set of Trog.
12/10/09
NYC NEWS: James wrote to tell me that he just saw Joan's Bride Wore Red dress by Adrian in person! It's currently on display at the museum of NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology (7th Ave and W. 27th), one of 75 dresses and 31 designers in their "American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion" exhibit that runs through January 9. The exhibit is free -- don't miss!
FILMS: Added a review by Jack Boyd for Berserk! (4 of 5 stars).
If you've got your own review of Berserk! or any other Joan film, please send it in!
PHOTOS: Added 9 new photos. 1947 -- A sultry Daisy Kenyon publicity shot with Henry Fonda. Film still from Possessed with Van Heflin. Misc. publicity shot by Bert Six. 1949 -- Iconic publicity shot by Yousuf Karsh. Publicity shot by Bert Six. 1950 -- A Damned Don't Cry huge publicity shot with Steve Cochran and film still with David Brian.
DVD NEWS: Warner Archives just released Hollywood Revue of 1929 on DVD. Order.
ENCYCLOPEDIA - K: Added three paintings by Margaret Keane that Joan had hanging in her Imperial House apartments. (Thanks to Bryan Johnson.)
PHOTOS: Added 8 new photos (all courtesy of Bryan Johnson). 1966 -- In Great Britain. 1968 -- Candid shot. 1971 -- With Maurice Chevalier at his book signing, and at her own LA book signing. 1972 -- A shot from "The Sixth Sense." 1974 -- 3 small newspaper photos from Joan's last public appearance, at NYC's Rainbow Room.
FILMS: Added Belgian movie posters for Rose-Marie, Dancing Lady, Chained, and Mannequin. (Belgian movie art is some of the most vibrant; I really enjoyed these.)
LETTERS: Added a lengthy letter from 1942 to fan Pearl Pezoldt.
FILMS: Mildred Pierce -- Added 2 new movie posters (from Italy and unknown; row 3). A magazine ad (row 2). Promo art (row 3).
PHOTOS: 1944 -- Added 5 new photos. Solo candid. Color candid with husband Philip Terry. Publicity shots one, two, and three. 1945 -- Added 7 new Mildred Pierce photos. Candid in beach outfit one, two, and with director Mike Curtiz. On set with unknown. Publicity still with Ann Blyth. Film stills with Blyth / Carson and with Zachary Scott.
11/20/09 (A big thanks to Susanne for everything below, except the March / Ellen photos.)
FILMS: Added a copy of a Mildred Pierce "Daily Production & Progress Report" from 12/13/44.
PHOTOS: Added 7 new photos. 1953 -- On the set of Torch Song; candid with Fredric March; candid with Vera Ellen. 1963 -- In Italy. 1968 -- With Roman Polanski and Mia Farrow on the set of Rosemary's Baby: one and two. 1969 -- With Edith Head at Head's one-woman show.
11/15/09
FILMS: Added a review for Chained by Jon Denson (3-1/2 stars). MEMORIES: Added an account by artist Russ Elliott of his time with Joan during her last years.
11/09/09
LETTERS (thanks to Susanne): 1960 -- to "Joan, Ken, and Bobby Ken" with thanks for holiday wishes and their friendship 1966 -- to friend Frances Spingold re travel plans with Mamacita to Palm Beach 1967 -- to Irene Dolphin with thanks for "get well" wishes 1968 -- to Irene Dolphin with thanks for Thanksgiving wishes 1970 -- a telegram and a letter to Dotty Goetz (friend and wife of Canadian Pepsi exec Al Goetz)
11/07/09
FILMS: Added a review for 1949's Flamingo Road by Michael Lia (4 stars).
NOTE: The below book news and letter from author Donald Spoto were initially posted in August 2009; I wanted to keep the info up here on the "Updates" page longer than usual because (1) Spoto's letter was so nice; and (2) There's a 2011 Joan book to look forward to!
BOOK NEWS: Acclaimed author Donald Spoto's biography of Joan will be released January 22, 2011. Pre-order Spoto bio from Amazon. (Note: This pre-order link is for the Canadian HarperCollins edition of the book. See below for U.S. information, not yet listed on Amazon.)
Just today, I received this nice e-mail from Mr. Spoto, detailing the project: Dear Stephanie Jones, As my publisher can confirm, I am under contract to William Morrow and Co. to write my 26th published book--a full-scale biography of Joan Crawford. Because you are one of the most important people in America regarding all things Crawford, I write to you first--as a courtesy--to tell you about the project. We expect the book to appear late next year. My own interest in the life and work of Joan Crawford dates back to the summer of 1952, when, as an eleven-year-old schoolboy in the suburbs of New York, I saw SUDDEN FEAR and was moved (not to say frankly scared). I was a bold kid, and in those days I thought nothing of writing to Walt Disney, Loretta Young and Joan Crawford. So I posted a letter to Miss Crawford and received a handwritten reply--I don't think she had too many letters from moviegoers my age. That was the start. As you may know, I have published biographies of Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Tennessee Williams, Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and, among so many others (to appear this autumn), my great friend Grace Kelly, who wrote the Foreword to my first book in 1976. I intend to make my life of Joan Crawford a worthy successor to those volumes. I've been deeply impressed by the Website you've created, and I turn to it often to confirm facts and to read your incisive comments on her life and films. I don't live in the USA any longer--I'm a resident of Denmark--but I hope we can meet in person some day, so I can detail the fine points of my admiration for your dedication and scholarship. If you have a moment, please do acknowledge that you received this--sometimes gremlins get into the Internet and things go madly astray. In collegial friendship, Donald Spoto |
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If
your city, group, or self is presenting a Joan Crawford-related
event in the
"It took an entire industry to create Joan Crawford... And one woman to destroy her."
Says Payne:
We're in workshops on the script right now -- the actress playing Lucille LeSueur has been working with the choreographer, learning the Black Bottom and the Charleston, everyone's learning to knit... good times all around. I really wanted to honor just how complex the relationship between Anna, Joan, and Christina really was. Three generations of incredibly driven women, who took what they needed from life and unfortunately tended to do better with strangers than they did with the people around them. I also really wanted people to see the young Joan -- the flapper, the energetic dancing youth, so people would appreciate the willful transformation when she decided to rebrand her own image. Press info: "Christina Darling" tells the story of Christina Crawford, daughter of Joan Crawford and author of the infamous memoir "Mommie Dearest." Set on the eve of the release of the film version of her book, Christina suffers a stroke. Her grandmother arrives to help her cross over, but Christina rebels. If she's going to survive, she has to face her competing personal histories: the ones created by her mother, a movie studio, herself... and somewhere within, the truth of what actually happened.
LATEST AND UPCOMING RELEASES
January 22, 2011. Donald Spoto's Joan Crawford: The Biography.
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Visitors to this page since March 23, 2004:
Ed Guinea's 
12/02/09
