She wasn’t just a femme fatale. She was a poisonous, toxic star that everyone had a bad word to say about her, but also to express their admiration for her raw talent. THE Joan Crawforda great leading lady, who came out victorious in the difficult transition of cinema from the silent era to the talkie era, marked a great path in cinema.

Joan Crawford has lived an indulgently tumultuous life of mythic proportions, in and out of the studios and because of her character forged in very wild times, she will repay the just and the wrong alike. She will respond with the same ferocity to the appalling attitudes she encountered in Hollywood when she arrived there as an aspiring dancer from San Antonio, Texas. She has been through everything, seen and experienced everything, married four times, the first to the legendary Douglas Fairbanks J., felt deep disappointments, triumphs, won Oscars and left monumental performances in her wake, but never lost the title of “most toxic woman’ in the film industry. In fact, when Crawford died, not a few were relieved to agree with the words of her eternal enemy, the diva Bette Davis, that her death “was the only good thing she did in her life…”.

But the star with the wonderfully large and expressive eyes, the sharp corners of her face, the well-shaped mouth, which dripped venom and the delicate body, was also a wonderful actress, who accepted all the medicine for her career and her rise at the top of Hollywood, with that inimitable Bette Davis saying again, that Crawford “has slept with everyone at MGM, except Lassie”!

Marking 110 years since her birth (March 23, 1904), although even that is in doubt, it’s an opportunity to shine a light on some of the legendary aspects of her life, her best film moments and of course her undying feuds with the world of Hollywood .

Abused child

Born as Lucille Faye Lessure, of San Antonio, Texas, the youngest and third child of Anna Bell and Thomas Lessure, who will leave them shortly before Crawford comes to light. Her mother will marry Henry Cousins ​​and they will immigrate to Oklahoma. Cousin, an impresario and head of the Ramsay Opera House, began sexually abusing little Joan when she was 11 years old, which continued until she went to a Roman Catholic school. Her stepfather’s abusive relationship and family problems affected her childhood psyche, resulting in her never finishing high school.

The dancer’s dream

However, because of her stepfather’s profession, from childhood Crawford had a dream of becoming a dancer. Which she will accomplish, even though she will seriously injure her leg. Her stepfather will be accused of embezzlement and will get a divorce from Crawford’s mother. Little Joan then finds herself, inexplicably, at Rockingham Academy, Missouri, as a working student, while having her first serious relationship with trumpeter Ray Sterling. In 1922, he enrolled at Stephens College in Missouri, but quickly dropped out as he realized he was having no luck with studies.

Opposite Greda Garbo

Crawford had to do many difficult jobs to make a living, with the most lucrative being that of a dancer. She will tour many cities in the United States as a dancer, until she makes the decision to move to Hollywood, where in 1925 she will sign her first contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer, taking roles in some films. Success would not be long in coming and in 1928 with “Our Dancing Daughters”, she would become one of Metro’s biggest stars, competing even with Greta Garbo.

Crawford

The descent of glory

Embodying hard-working young women who find happiness in love, she will also manage to win over the female audience, become one of the most popular and highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, and because of her wonderful voice, she will not be lost in the transition, like many of her colleagues of cinema from silent to talking films, On the contrary, its position will become even stronger. There, near 1940, the commerciality of her films will begin to fall, but, without losing her courage, she will fight and in 1945 she will allow fiercer with Michael Curtiz’s film noir “Storm in a Mother’s Heart” to win the Oscar for Best Actress. Of course, evil tongues said then that she herself had begun to feed the yellow press with poisonous gossip and dark aspects of her life. This is the time when Crawford’s personal downfall begins, as a lot begins to gather about her behavior on and off the film set. She is charged with ephemeral relationships with the biggest stars of the time, powerful actors of the big studios, but also with bad behavior towards her colleagues or even journalists.

Fiery Nightmare

Along with the mythology surrounding her life, there is also the cinema, in which she excelled. She would receive Oscar nominations with the films “The Ransoms of Pain” (1947) and “Fiery Nightmare”, while working with the leading directors and colleagues of her time. Some of her most successful films were the film noirs “Harriet Craig” (1950), “Flamingo Road” (1949), “The Damned Don’t Cry” (1950), “Daisy Kenyon” (1947).

With her body

With Nicholas Ray’s iconic western, “Johnny Guitar” (1954) as a fearless saloon owner who “won with her body,” as she heartbreakingly says in one scene, will give the performance of her life. Sterling Hayden, in the eponymous lead role, really looks a little short in front of her. Her dominance will cover every point of the big screen, there is no room for anyone else. Unbelievable. Of course, after the movie, Hayden declared that even for all the money in the world he wouldn’t play with Crawford again…

The deadly feud with Davis

But there is also the famous thriller by Robert Aldrich “What Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962), in which she delivers yet another sensational performance, but this time with another acting beast, her mortal enemy, Bette Davis. Many believe that their conflict is due to their coexistence in this film, where a lot happened and extremely dangerous. But it all started much earlier. Already, from the mid-thirties, their feud had begun, which was due to their unbridled competition for roles, awards and men. In 1935, Bette Davis stars in the film “Dangerous” with Francois Toun, with whom she falls in love. However, Crawford also claims Toone, who will invite him to her house and welcome him, as it was said, naked. Before Thawne knows what is happening to him, he finds himself married to Crawford. From then on, many episodes of an endless feud will follow, which will take place either at the Oscars, or behind the scenes, or by exchanging deadly vices, with Davis’s most characteristic one again: “What is Joan Crawford? The first historically recorded case of syphilis in Hollywood.” Crawford fired back saying Davis as an actress “is a bluff…”

The daughter’s knife

But Crawford had other enemies, such as Olivia de Havilland, but the final blow would be dealt to her by her adopted daughter Christina (one of the five children she adopted in total), a year after her death. With the autobiographical book “Mommie Dearest”, he will really send her to the barn. He will accuse her of being a sadistic personality, of abusive behavior, with a lot of wood, verbal violence, terrifying outbursts, under the influence of alcohol and as a man who could love nothing more than her image.

Crawford goes with everything…

Crawford was married four times. The first three with actors, which ended in divorce, while her last marriage lasted until her husband’s death. It was the Alfred Steelepresident of Pepsi Cola, who was even succeeded on the company’s board by Crawford, until the early 70s, when the serious health problems from drinking began.

Joan Crawford will take her last breath on May 10, 1977. Surprisingly, the reason for her death will be a heart attack. Refuting all those who believed that in the place of the heart he had a toxic can of hate…