25 Amazing Facts About Joan Crawford

In 1968 Crawford stepped into her daughter’s role on the television show “The Secret Storm”. Her daughter Christina was recovering from surgery at the time. Crawford refused to accept any payment.

During her time on the show, ratings soared. She sated she accepted the part because she didn’t want them to give the part to someone else.

The iconic Marilyn Monroe is believed to have hooked up with Crawford sometime in her early career. Evidence has emerged from audiotapes recorded during Monroe’s psychiatrist sessions. “I told her straight out I didn’t much enjoy doing it with a woman,” said Monroe.

Crawford’s dreams of stardom were almost crippled along with her foot. It was during her childhood when her foot needed to be operated on due to an accident. Doctors said she wouldn’t be able to dance again.

Luckily with hard work and determination, she was able to prove them wrong. Crawford became known for her dancing abilities in her early teen years.

Crawford never went anywhere without her full face of makeup and beautiful wardrobe to match. She wanted people to see her as the glamorous movie star she was at all times.

“I never go outside unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star,” said Crawford.

Crawford was known to be a prideful women. She decided to keep her stomach cancer a secret from most people in her life. She wished to pass with dignity and without sympathy from the people around her.

“I would like to be like an old wolf, or an old gorilla. I have heard that when they know they have reached their last days, they go away to be alone and just disappear. As far as I’m concerned, they have the right idea,” said Crawford.

Towards the end of Crawfords life she was very lonely. She even went as far as to invite film critics of the New York Daily News over for drinks.

When the film critics arrived to her apartment they were extremely disappointed. Crawford looked very ill and served frozen quiche on a paper plate. “It hurt us to see someone we had admired for so long be so desperately lonely,” says one of the film critics.

While her on scene persona was larger than life her physical statue was only 5’3″. Crawford had bright blue eyes and fiery red hair. It was not until 1953 when she starred in ‘Torch Song’ where her audience was able see her acting in color.

Crawford was originally raised as a Catholic. It wasn’t until the release of her sci-fi movie ‘Trog’ in 1970 when she changed her religion. Crawford devoted herself to the Christian Science, a spirituality and health movement founded by Mary Baker Eddy.

“If I weren’t a Christian Scientist and I saw ‘Trog’ advertised on a marquee across the street, I think I’d contemplate suicide,” said Crawford.

It was known that Crawford and Bette Davis had a Hollywood rivalry. It was believed that their on and off the stage resentments against each other created their ‘frenemies’ relationship.

However, they did respect each other’s career. Their conflicted relationship ended up helping the promotion of their movie “What Happened to Baby Jane?”.

Crawford was very humble and didn’t like discussing her charitable donations. She always kept silent when asked about her contributions to her community.

It is believed that Crawford paid for hundreds of surgeries for patients. Crawford even donated her $300,000 salary to The American Red Cross.

In 1929, Crawford married actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr, her first husband. It ended in 1934 and she never felt good enough for the Fairbanks family.

Her second marriage was in 1925 to Franchot Tone, another actor. They divorced almost four years later.

Crawford’s third marriage was in 1942 to Phillip Terry. The marriage lasted only two years due to physical and emotional abuse.

The last marriage for Crawford would be in 1955 to Alfred Steele, chairman of Peps-Cola. This marriage ended four years later when Steele passed away from a heart attack.

She always wanted to put on a show for her admirers. During her Friday evening commute home, she asked for the lights in her limousine to be turned on.

She wanted her fans to be able to see her waving goodbye. Crawford made sure she always look glamours. She wanted to portray her movie star persona at all times.

Crawford’s early childhood was filled with struggles and hardship. She was molested by one of her stepfathers and was often beaten. In school, she was bullied by classmates.

“I yearned to be famous, just to make the kids who had laughed at me feel foolish,” said Crawford.

Crawford was not able to have children naturally so she decided to adopt. She adopted her first child, Christina, in 1940. She adopted a son, Christopher, in 1942. Interestingly, she then adopted another boy name Christopher in 1943. Her last adoption would be twin girls, Catherine and Cynthia, in 1947.

Crawford won her first Oscar in 1946 for her role in Mildred Pierce. It took her nearly two years to choose the right script. She wanted to be more selective in deciding which films to star in. “I decided that if I got the Oscar, I would feel goddamn sure that I deserved it,” said Crawford.

Crawford married Al Steele, the chairman of Pepsi-Cola in May of 1955. Her dedication to her husband and his company was immense.

Crawford made sure Pepsi-Cola products were seen on film sets and in her photoshoots. Even after her husband’s death, she was still seen as a brand ambassador for the company.

According to Chandler’s biography of Crawford, the day before she died, she invited one of her faithful fans to a sleepover at her house.

She was said to be in very poor health, weak and in pain. However, she still made sure her guest was well taken care and even went as far as to help cook their breakfast.

Crawford loved her fans. She felt she owed her success to them. She would spend hours each day writing back to her admirers. Her very last day on earth was even spent with one of her fans.

Mamacita kept Crawford’s homes immaculate, just the way Crawford liked it. Yet having an exceptionally clean house wasn’t enough, so she took her cleanliness to the next level.

Crawford had all her furniture wrapped in plastic slipcovers. “Look they keep the upholstery clean, with all this crap in the air nothing stays clean that isn’t covered,” said Crawford.

Mamacita is a Spanish term often used as a babe. However, Crawford admits to calling her German maid “Mamacita” not because she wished to reference her as a babe.

It wasn’t  because she wanted to call her maid “babe, ” it was because she had just returned from Rio de Janerio and that was all she heard.

“I don’t know what I’d do without Mamacita. No new situation ever flusters her. And new situations turn up every day,” says Crawford.

Crawford always had a passion for dancing. In her teenage years, she started competing in dance competitions. That steered her to dancing in local nightclubs.

Shortly after that, she was discovered by a stage manager for the Shuberts. That gig led Crawford to find her career in acting. “Funny, but I never had any ambition whatsoever to becoming an actress,” says Crawford.

Crawford worked odd jobs in order to attend St. Agnes’ Academy. She worked as a waitress at Stephens College and as a maid.

“I always knew, whether I was in school or working in some damned dime store, that I’d make it,” says Crawford.

There is no known birth certificate for LeSueur (Crawford). While most people consider her birthday as March 23rd.

The year of her birth is more widely speculated. It is thought to be between the years of 1904 and 1908.

Crawford was originally born Lucille Fay LeSueur. However, when she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, they decided her last name sounded too much like “sewer.”

A contest was held in a local magazine to help decide on her new identity. By popular demand, Joan Crawford became her chosen name.

Crawford had a passion for dance since early childhood. With practice and determination, she boogied her way from being a nightclub dancer to a movie star.

In 1928, she made her Hollywood debut. Crawford stared in the silent movie called Our Dancing Daughters.