Joan Crawford: Essential Films

Today she is remembered as the dastardly Mommie Dearest, an abusive mother with extreme OCD but Joan Crawford was also one of Hollywood's biggest stars. With a career spanning from the roaring '20s to the swinging '60s, Crawford remained relevant and adaptable to the changing times.

She began her career as the fun flapper girl of the '20s in films such as Our Dancing Daughters; the '30s saw her embrace her working girl persona in Grand Hotel, long before Melanie Griffith strutted on the scene; the '40s ushered in Joan's most iconic persona, the wronged woman. The '40s were indeed the peak of Crawford's career, resulting in her only Oscar win for Mildred Pierce in 1945. By this time Crawford was a Hollywood veteran, following her win with memorable performances in The Damned Don't Cry and Possessed.

Crawford in a promotional photo for Queen Bee (1955)

The '50s saw her often as the experienced 'been there and done that' pro, her projects differing more at this time as she worked outside the studio system. Going independent she gave some memorable performances in Queen Bee (1955) and the cult western Johnny Guitar (1954); but the '60s saw a radical change as she established herself as one of the first Scream Queens of horror starring opposite her long standing rival Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) which resulted in a short resurgence in her career, with horror roles in Berserk! and Trog.

The latter sadly proved to be Joan's final movie performance, a sad note in a long and memorable career. Crawford herself became a victim of ageism, thrown to the wolves by the very institution she helped build. A not uncommon story for many women; Crawford retired from public life after seeing an unflattering photo of herself in a newspaper.

Despite this Crawford left behind a legacy in cinema, her talent often overlooked by her star persona by critics for many years. Yet there were indeed a few standout films that proved she had the acting chops to hold her own. Here are - in my opinion anyway - 5 movies everyone should see in order to truly appreciate Joan Crawford as an actress.

1. Mildred Pierce - Of course Mildred Pierce is here! It is Crawford's most iconic role after all. But it is also a unique movie within the noir genre for it embodies what film noir is all about: obsession. Double Indemnity and The Maltese Falcon are prime examples that set the bar high in storytelling but the domestic setting isolates Mildred Pierce, about a woman who's love for her daughter borders on obsessive; Mildred claws up from poverty and a broken marriage to become an astute businesswoman in order to give her daughter the best of everything. Unfortunately the one thing Mildred really desires is her daughter's love but Veda never reciprocates any real feeling towards her mother, instead her behaviour borders on sociopathic in her need for money and self satisfaction, even sleeping with her mother's new hubby just because she can. In the end, just as with Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity, Mildred's love for Veda is the key to her downfall.

It is a rare movie within the noir genre and at the time no actress would touch the role, not even the great Bette Davis. Crawford on the other hand saw the potential and fought tooth and nail for it, even auditioning before director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca); a feat that paid off as Curtiz was blown away despitethe fact he didn't want her at all. The role even led to Joan's first oscar nomination in the history of her career, despite working in Hollywood for 20 years. It was the first of three nominations she would receive and her only win. It was also one of the few times the academy got it right.

2. A Woman's Face - This was one of Joan's later projects while still at MGM. It was a remake of the Swedish film starring Ingrid Bergman. Of course it is a melodrama yet it is a great understated performance from Joan as Anna Holm. Crawford herself was well known for her beauty so it was a surprise at the time when she vied for the role of a disfigured criminal.

The film begins with Crawford's character being led into a courtroom where she faces a charge of murder in the first degree. The story then proceeds to play out in flashback through the testimonies of all the witnesses, including Anna herself, where we learn of the events that led Anna to murder her lover, played by Conrad Veidt, Hollywood's go-to villain. All actors involved are really well cast but Crawford really shines through as she goes from a bitter and bullied criminal to being acknowledged as a beautiful and loved woman. As she speaks her peace to the judge you can't help but be mesmerized by her performance.

This is also due to director George Cukor, famously known as a woman's director he filmed many of Hollywood's leading ladies at their best. Prime examples of his work include Joan again, with Norma Shearer in The Women (1939) and Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story (1940). But he was also known for being a hard task master, often making them act the same scene, take after take, until he was satisfied they were no longer "acting" but instead inhabiting the character. It was a tactic that paid off for in the courtroom scenes with no hint of melodrama in Joan's performance, she is a woman worn down by her experiences and finds it tiring to tell her story anymore.

3. Possessed - Joan received her second Oscar nomination for her performance here and she deserved it. Joan worked hard to capture her character's mental break down, visiting hospitals and sanitariums in order to do justice to the role.

Her character here is a nurse who has a passionate affair with architect David (Van Heflin), who then throws her aside without a second thought. So she moves on with her life only to fall apart when he comes back, offering marriage to her new step-daughter, pushing the woman over the edge.

While it can be entertaining watching someone go over the edge, it is also scary. She attempts to reach out but it doesn't succeed in time to save her from hurting the person she has come to see as the source of her pain. You know she's becoming mentally unhinged and it is a terrific feat on Joan's part because you feel so sorry for her. Crawford worked hard to do justice to the role, researching her character's condition by visiting mental hospitals and speaking with medical professionals and patients in order to bring as much realism as possible.

4. Rain - This is one of Crawford's riskiest projects. Released in 1932 before the Hayes Code really cracked down on morality it follows Joan's character, Sadie Thompson, a prostitute from San Francisco who is trapped in a cheap motel on a tropical island during a storm. While there she entertains the local soldiers and the motel owner, proving popular for her snappy one liners and flapper girl attitude.

But for all her admirers there are plenty who condemn her sinful ways, including the maniacal preacher played by the great Walter Huston. They finally come to blows in a superb scene where Sadie calls him out on his hypocrisy while he recites the Lord's prayer, all the while the rain beats down around them like the beat of a drum.

Sadie breaks, succumbing to the words of the preacher, reciting the prayer along with him. It leads to her shocking transformation as she is brainwashed into believing that she must return to San Francisco to atone for her sins. But in the end it is the Preacher who proves the real sinner, becoming exactly like all the other men who abused Sadie in the past.

It is a terrific performance, but it was not well received at the time of its release and the negative response from her fans left Joan convinced it was one of her worst performances. But I have to disagree. Joan's Sadie is a damaged soul and it not only comes across through the dialogue but through her actions, and especially through her eyes. She conveys sheer desperation and heartache in a profound way that you can't help but see her as the wronged party.

5. The Women - From the title it is obvious that this was a film for the ladies. But it is such a fun one, with memorable performances from the ensemble cast which included a young Joan Fontaine and Rosalind Russell as comedic counterparts to the two rivals of the screen Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer, the undoubted queen of MGM.

This film was a huge deal at the time for it was only the second film that featured both Joan and Shearer whose disdain for one another was legendary throughout Hollywood. But while Shearer is the official star of the picture Crawford manages to steal the film as waspish man eater Crystal Allen. With her clever one liners it becomes clear that Joan is in her element, relishing the role of the bitch.

Even when the two stars finally come face to face it is Crawford you can't take your eyes off. And when she's not on screen the film feels like it drags a little. Joan comes across as someone not to be messed with and portrays the villainous vamp with delicious perfection, again playing a role that no other actress would dare touch, paying off as she showed her mettle with the MGM bosses as well as with the critics who had deemed her box office poison along with Hepburn and Dietrich.

So there you have it, my five movies to watch to really see Joan shine as the talented actress she was. Of course this list is opinion based for there are so many movies to see so check out her IMDB page for a complete filmography.

Mildred Pierce: The Femme Noir

The criterion collection is a relatively new selection of films in the UK. In February 2017 they released the classic Mildred Pierce starring Joan Crawford. The package is terrific, with an iconic scene as the cover art, and a terrific transfer of the original film that is beautiful to watch. I personally love Mildred Pierce. To me it is Joan Crawford's finest hour, or two hours if you want to get technical.

What stands out in this release is its special features. Previous criterion releases have features centred on the directors and their auteur approach. This is the first to focus on its leading lady, with a feature documentary telling the story of Joan Crawford and her rise through the ranks of Hollywood. It is clear that Mildred Pierce is the pinnacle of Joan's career, winning her the Best Actress Oscar in 1946. That year also saw some stiff competition from Ingrid Bergman for The Bells of St. Mary's and Gene Tierney in the phenomenal Leave Her To Heaven. But Joan went home with the coveted award. Well, it was actually delivered to her home as she was ill that evening.

Joan Crawford and Anne Blyth

The film itself is in a league of its own within the noir genre. Based on the James M. Cain novel of the same name the film takes the initial story of abandoned housewife with spoiled child and turns it into a mystery filled noir picture: essentially a femme noir. Directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) the film explores the complex relationship between mother and daughter, here a sadomasochistic relationship with Veda pushing her mother's love to the limit. But like any unhealthy relationship Mildred just can't let go. She's a good mother, perhaps too indulgent but everything she does is for Veda. But it's never enough.

The film then veers away from the book. In 1940s Hollywood, morality was very important. This was the time of the Hayes code where there were certain rules that all films had to adhere to. One of those was that a bad person is punished for their wrong doing. So, the screenplay completely differed from the book in that Veda eventually gets her comeuppance, and Mildred is punished too, left without her daughter and without the business she worked so hard for. But she's free from her daughter's influence.

Watching it today it is still a fantastic film which revived the career of Joan Crawford who had become sidelined by MGM for younger talent. When Crawford switched to Warner Brothers she didn't work for a couple of years, waiting for the right part rather than taking what she could get. The wait paid off, but she had to prove herself worthy of the role. Curtiz had no desire to cast Crawford in the film, believing her to be inferior to the likes of Ingrid Bergman or Bette Davis. So Joan did something unusual for a star of her caliber: she took a screen test. And Curtiz was forced to apologize for his wrong judgement. The role was hers.

And it still is. Joan Crawford is Mildred Pierce. The role was almost tailor made for Crawford and her abilities to affect the audience. Joan's career went through some interesting phases - she had been working in Hollywood since the mid-1920s - and her persona had altered with each decade. The 20s saw her as a flapper, the party girl; the 30s saw her as the working girl, relatable to a post-depression era audience; the 40s saw that come full circle with the strong willed woman fighting for her place in the world. Each persona in a way described how Joan's own journey developed over the years in Hollywood. And here in Mildred Pierce she peaks as the titular character. She is Mildred and vice versa. So much so that it is near impossible to picture anyone else in the role. Even the terrific Kate Winslet couldn't compete with Crawford in HBO's adaptation in 2011. If you've seen the original it is hard not to compare Kate with Joan in that particular role, it has become so iconic over the years.

Crawford with her Academy Award in 1946

And that makes this Blu ray set great. It celebrates not only a great film but the star that made the role so iconic. The documentary is approximately an hour and a half long, featuring interviews with various admirers and people who worked with her in her long career, shedding light on her humble origins and her hard graft to become Hollywood Royalty. There is also a feature interviewing Veda herself. Anne Blyth's interview is also interesting, discussing her career and what the role of Veda did for her as well as her working alongside Joan Crawford. This is then finished off with an essay discussing the themes of the film and the sacrificial labour of women, from Mildred working in the kitchen to the cleaning ladies on their knees at the end of the film.

The HD only adds to an already great film that gets better with each viewing. Joan Crawford is at her best in this noir role, on par with the likes of Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. A great noir actress with performances in Possessed, Sudden Fear and The Damned Don't Cry she doesn't get the credit she deserves for the strength and vulnerability she brings to these roles, and here it is elevated with great supporting players such as Anne Blyth as Veda, a phenomenal performance of a vindictive femme fatale; and Eve Arden and Jack Carson as Mildred's support system.

The blu ray release takes the movie to another level, with fascinating documentaries discussing the film itself and Joan Crawford's career. This is certainly a must have item for any film buff or Joan Crawford fan for this is the ultimate tribute to Hollywood's ultimate movie star.