Joan Crawford filmography

The Joan Crawford filmography lists the film appearances of American actress Joan Crawford, who starred in numerous feature films throughout a lengthy career that spanned nearly five decades.

Crawford in The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937)
Crawford in The Women (1939)
Crawford in Mildred Pierce (1945)
L-R: Crawford, Steve Cochran, Richard Egan, and David Brian in The Damned Don't Cry (1950)
Crawford and Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

She made her film debut in Lady of the Night (1925), as a body double for film star Norma Shearer. She appeared in several other films, before she made her major breakthrough playing Lon Chaney's love interest in the 1927 horror film The Unknown. Her major success in Our Dancing Daughters (1928) made her a popular flapper of the late 1920s. Her first sound film, Untamed (1929), was a critical and box office success.

Crawford would become a highly popular actress throughout the 1930s, as a leading lady for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She starred in a series of "rags-to-riches" films that were extremely popular during the Depression-era, most especially with women. Her popularity rivaled fellow MGM actresses, including Greta Garbo, Norma Shearer, and Jean Harlow. She appeared in eight movies with Clark Gable, including romantic drama Possessed (1931), musical film Dancing Lady (1933), romantic comedy Love on the Run (1936), and romantic drama Strange Cargo (1940), among others. In 1937, she was proclaimed the first "Queen of the Movies" by Life magazine, but her popularity soon waned. After her films The Bride Wore Red (1937) and Mannequin (1938) proved to be expensive failures, in May 1938, Crawford – along with Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Francis, and many others – was labeled "box office poison"; an actor whose "box office draw is nil".

Crawford managed to make a comeback in the comedy The Women (1939), opposite an all-star female-only cast. On July 1, 1943, Crawford was released from Louis B. Mayer, due to creative differences, and signed an exclusive contract with Warner Brothers, where she became a rival of Bette Davis. After a slow start with the studio, she received critical and commercial acclaim for her performance in the drama Mildred Pierce (1945). The film earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. From 1946 to 1952, Crawford appeared in a series of critical and box office successes, including the musical drama Humoresque (1946), film noirs Possessed (1947, for which she received a second Academy Award nomination) and Flamingo Road (1949), drama The Damned Don't Cry (1950), and romantic comedy Goodbye, My Fancy (1951), among others. She received a third – and final – Academy Award nomination for her performance in the thriller Sudden Fear (1952).

In 1953, Crawford starred in the musical Torch Song, her final film role for MGM. Her next film, Johnny Guitar (1954), although not originally a hit, has become considered a classic. During the latter half of the 1950s, Crawford starred in a series of B-movies, including romantic dramas Female on the Beach (1955) and Autumn Leaves (1956). In 1962, Crawford was teamed with Bette Davis, in a film adaptation of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). The thriller film was a box office hit, and briefly revived Crawford's career. Her final film performance was in the British science fiction film, Trog (1970).

Filmography

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Feature films

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Silent films
Year Title Role Director Studio
1925 Lady of the Night Double for Norma Shearer[1] Monta Bell Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Proud Flesh Party Guest[1] King Vidor
A Slave of Fashion Mannequin[1] Hobart Henley
The Merry Widow Ballroom Dancer[1] Erich von Stroheim
Pretty Ladies Bobby, a Showgirl[2] Monta Bell
The Circle Young Lady Catherine[1] Frank Borzage
The Midshipman Extra[1] Christy Cabanne
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Chariot Race Spectator[1] Fred Niblo
Old Clothes Mary Riley[2] Edward F. Cline
The Only Thing Party Guest[1] Jack Conway
Sally, Irene and Mary Irene Edmund Goulding
1926 Tramp, Tramp, Tramp Betty Burton Harry Edwards First National
The Boob Jane William A. Wellman Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Paris The Girl Edmund Goulding
1927 Winners of the Wilderness René Contrecoeur W. S. Van Dyke
The Taxi Dancer Joslyn Poe Harry F. Millarde
The Understanding Heart Monica Dale Jack Conway
The Unknown Estrellita or Nanon Tod Browning
Twelve Miles Out Jane Jack Conway
Spring Fever Allie Monte Edward Sedgwick
1928 West Point Betty Channing Edward Sedgwick
The Law of the Range Betty Dallas William Nigh
Rose-Marie Rose-Marie Lucien Hubbard
Across to Singapore Priscilla Crowninshield William Nigh
Four Walls Frieda
Our Dancing Daughters Diana Medford Harry Beaumont
Dream of Love Adrienne Lecouvreur Fred Niblo
1929 The Duke Steps Out Susie James Cruze
Our Modern Maidens Billie Brown Jack Conway

‡ denotes lost film

Sound films
Year Title Role Director Studio
1929 The Hollywood Revue of 1929[3] Herself (performer) Charles Reisner Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Untamed Alice "Bingo" Dowling Jack Conway
1930 Montana Moon Joan "Montana" Prescott Malcolm St. Clair
Our Blushing Brides Gerry Marsh Harry Beaumont
Paid Mary Turner Sam Wood
1931 Dance, Fools, Dance Bonnie Jordan Harry Beaumont
Laughing Sinners Ivy Stevens
This Modern Age Val Winters Nick Grinde
Possessed Marian Martin Clarence Brown
1932 Grand Hotel Flaemmchen Edmund Goulding
Letty Lynton Letty Lynton Clarence Brown
Rain Sadie Thompson Lewis Milestone United Artists
1933 Today We Live Diana "Ann" Boyce-Smith Howard Hawks Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Dancing Lady Janie "Duchess" Barlow Robert Z. Leonard
1934 Sadie McKee Sadie McKee Brennan Clarence Brown
Chained Diane "Dinah" Lovering
Forsaking All Others Mary Clay W. S. Van Dyke
1935 No More Ladies Marcia Townsend Edward H. Griffith
I Live My Life Kay Bentley W. S. Van Dyke
1936 The Gorgeous Hussy Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal Clarence Brown
Love on the Run Sally Parker W. S. Van Dyke
1937 The Last of Mrs. Cheyney Fay Cheyney Richard Boleslawski
The Bride Wore Red Anni Pavlovitch Dorothy Arzner
Mannequin Jessica Cassidy Frank Borzage
1938 The Shining Hour Olivia Riley
1939 The Ice Follies of 1939 Mary McKay Reinhold Schünzel
The Women Crystal Allen George Cukor
1940 Strange Cargo Julie Frank Borzage
Susan and God Susan Trexel George Cukor
1941 A Woman's Face Anna Holm
When Ladies Meet Mary Howard Robert Z. Leonard
1942 They All Kissed the Bride Margaret Drew Alexander Hall Columbia
Reunion in France Michele de la Becque Jules Dassin Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1943 Above Suspicion Frances Myles Richard Thorpe
1944 Hollywood Canteen Herself (cameo role) Delmer Daves Warner Bros.
1945 Mildred Pierce Mildred Pierce Michael Curtiz
1946 Humoresque Helen Wright Jean Negulesco
1947 Possessed Louise Howell Curtis Bernhardt
Daisy Kenyon Daisy Kenyon Otto Preminger 20th Century Fox
1949 Flamingo Road Lane Bellamy Michael Curtiz Warner Bros.
1949 It's a Great Feeling Herself (cameo role) David Butler
1950 The Damned Don't Cry Ethel Whitehead Vincent Sherman
Harriet Craig Harriet Craig Columbia
1951 Goodbye, My Fancy Agatha Reed Warner Bros.
1952 This Woman Is Dangerous Beth Austin Felix E. Feist
Sudden Fear Myra Hudson David Miller RKO
1953 Torch Song Jenny Stewart Charles Walters Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1954 Johnny Guitar Vienna Nicholas Ray Republic
1955 Female on the Beach Lynn Markham Joseph Pevney Universal
Queen Bee Eva Phillips Ranald MacDougall Columbia
1956 Autumn Leaves Millicent "Milly" Wetherby Robert Aldrich
1957 The Story of Esther Costello Margaret Landi David Miller
1959 The Best of Everything Amanda Farrow Jean Negulesco 20th Century Fox
1962 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Blanche Hudson Robert Aldrich Seven Arts
1963 The Caretakers Lucretia Terry Hall Bartlett United Artists
1964 Strait-Jacket Lucy Harbin William Castle Columbia
1965 I Saw What You Did Amy Nelson Universal
1967 The Karate Killers[4] Amanda True Barry Shear Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Berserk! Monica Rivers Jim O'Connolly Columbia
1970 Trog Dr. Brockton Freddie Francis Warner Bros.

Short subjects

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Year Title Role Director Studio
1925 MGM Studio Tour Herself[2] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1925 Miss MGM Miss MGM[1]
1930 Hollywood Snapshots #11 Herself Ralph Staub Columbia
1931 The Slippery Pearls Herself William C. McGann Paramount
1932 Screen Snapshots Herself Ralph Staub Columbia
1947 The Jimmy Fund Herself
1958 Hollywood Mothers and Fathers Herself
1972 A Very Special Child Narrator American Cancer Society

Box Office Ranking

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See also: Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll

  • 1929 - 15th
  • 1930 - 1st
  • 1931 - 3rd
  • 1932 - 3rd
  • 1933 - 10th
  • 1934 - 6th
  • 1935 - 5th
  • 1936 - 7th
  • 1937 - 16th
  • 1947 - 21st

Archival footage

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Year Title Role Director Studio
1964 Four Days in November Herself Mel Stuart United Artists
MGM's Big Parade of Comedy[5] Herself[6] Robert Youngson Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1974 That's Entertainment! Janie Barlow (Dancing Lady)[6] Jack Haley, Jr.
1984 Terror in the Aisles Blanche Hudson (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?)[6] Andrew J. Kuehn Universal
1985 That's Dancing! Herself[6] Jack Haley, Jr. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1994 That's Entertainment! III Jenny Stewart (Torch Song)[6] Bud Friedgen, Michael J. Sheridan

Uncompleted films

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Year Title Role Director Studio
1929 Tide of Empire Josephita (replaced by Renée Adorée) Allan Dwan Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1930 Great Day Susie Totheridge Harry Beaumont
The March of Time Herself Charles Reisner
1964 Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte Miriam Deering (replaced by Olivia de Havilland due to illness) Robert Aldrich 20th Century Fox

Television

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Year Title Role Director Episodes and notes
1953 The Revlon Mirror Theater Margaret Hughes Rod Amateau "Because I Love Him"
1954 General Electric Theater Mary Andrews Rod Amateau "The Road to Edinburgh"
1958 General Electric Theater Ruth Marshall Herschel Daugherty "Strange Witness"
1959 The Joan Crawford Show[7] Susan Conrad Dick Powell "Woman on the Run" (pilot)
General Electric Theater Ann Howard Herschel Daugherty "And One Was Loyal"
Zane Grey Theatre Stella Faring Don Medford "Rebel Range"
1961 Zane Grey Theatre Sarah and Melanie Hobbes Lewis Allen "One Must Die"
The DuPont Show of the Week Hostess James Elson "The Ziegfeld Touch"
1963 Route 66 Morgan Matheson Harper Philip Leacock "Same Picture, Different Frame"
1964 Della[8] Della Chappell Robert Gist TV movie
1967 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Amanda True Barry Shear "The Five Daughters Affair: Part 1"[9]
Easter Island Narrator (voice) José Gómez-Sicre TV documentary
1968 The Lucy Show Herself (guest star) Jack Donohue "Lucy and the Lost Star"
The Secret Storm Joan Borman Kane #2[10] Gloria Monty Daytime serial (5 episodes)
1969 Garbo Hostess / Narrator Fred Burnley TV documentary
Night Gallery[11] Claudia Menlo Steven Spielberg TV movie (segment: "Eyes")
1970 The Virginian Stephanie White Robert Gist "Nightmare"
The Tim Conway Show Herself (cameo) Alan Rafkin "To Cuba with Love"
The Tim Conway Comedy Hour Herself (guest star) Bill Hobin "Episode #1.3"
1972 The Sixth Sense Joan Fairchild John Newland "Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death"
1973 Journey to the Unknown[12] Herself (hostess) Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Don Chaffey TV movie

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Title / Honor Result
1945 National Board of Review Awards Best Actress Mildred Pierce Won
1946 Academy Awards Won
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Nominated
1948 Academy Awards Possessed Nominated
1953 Sudden Fear Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Drama Nominated
Laurel Awards Best Dramatic Performance, Female Won
1954 Top Female Musical Performance Torch Song Won
1960 Hollywood Walk of Fame Star of Motion Picture Star at 1752 Vine Street Honored
1963 BAFTA Film Awards Best Foreign Actress What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Nominated
1970 Golden Globe Awards Cecil B. DeMille Award Outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment Honored

Philanthropic Awards

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Year[13] Award Reason/Recognition
1952 Shoe and Leg Brace Continued support the Texas Theatres Crippled Children's Fund
1959 Hebrew-English Bible Humanitarian efforts involving the Jewish people
1963 City of Hope Award Donation of time and funds to the City of Hope Hospital
1964 Honoray Hoosier Award Devotion to humanitarian, arts, and business causes
1965 USO Award of the Year Accomplishments as an actress, executive, and humanitarian

First female USO Award of The Year winner

1965 Heart of the World Award Continued support of the City of Hope Hospital

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Uncredited
  2. ^ a b c Credited as Lucille LeSueur
  3. ^ With sound. In color. Singing, dancing, and part of an all-star cast performing the song "Got a Feeling for You".
  4. ^ Feature film culled from 2-part episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
  5. ^ a.k.a. The Big Parade of Comedy
  6. ^ a b c d e Archival footage
  7. ^ TV pilot for unsold series
  8. ^ TV movie pilot for Royal Bay unsold series, released theatrically
  9. ^ Different scenes were shot and turned into the theatrically released feature film The Karate Killers.
  10. ^ Temporary replacement for Christina Crawford
  11. ^ TV movie pilot for Night Gallery series
  12. ^ TV movie culled from the series Journey to the Unknown
  13. ^ "Community Awards". www.brandeis.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
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