Joan Crawford
Biography
Joan Crawford was an American actress born on March 23, 1906. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. She gained fame in the 1930s, often playing hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well received by Depression-era audiences. Crawford's career spanned multiple decades, with her fame rivalling that of her MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. She died on May 10, 1977, at the age of 71.
Career overview
Joan Crawford began her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. She was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford launched a publicity campaign and built an image as a nationally known flapper by the end of the 1920s.
By the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled that of her MGM colleagues. She often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well received by Depression-era audiences. Crawford's acting career spanned several decades, during which she established herself as one of the most prominent film stars of her time.
Crawford's acting credits include a significant number of films, with a total of 188 known credits. Her career was marked by a consistent presence in the film industry, with a notable presence in Hollywood during the 1930s to 1960s.
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Full filmography
- Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025) as Self (archive footage)
- The Green Fog (2018)
- Bette and Joan (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- Johnny Guitar: A Western Like No Other (2016) as Self (archive footage)
- Johnny Guitar: A Feminist Western? (2016) as Self (archive footage)
- Tell Us She Was One of You: The Hollywood Blacklist and 'Johnny Guitar' (2016) as Self (archive footage)
- Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- The Shirley Eder Tapes (2012) as Self
- Possessed (2011) as (archive footage)
- Flappers, Speakeasies, and the Birth of Modern Culture (2010)
- Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France (2009)
- 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008) as Various Roles (archive footage)
- Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007) as Self (archive)
- Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema (2007) as Self (archive footage)
- Tim Conway: Timeless Comedy (2007) as Self (archive footage)
- Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006) as Self (archive footage) (voice)
- 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage (2006) as Self (archive footage)
- Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition (2006) as Self (archive footage)
- The Damned Don't Cry: The Crawford Formula - Real and Reel (2005) as Self (archive)
- Checking Out: Grand Hotel (2004) as Self / Flaemmchen (archive footage)
- Complicated Women (2003) as Self (archive footage)
- Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star (2002) as Self (archive footage)
- Battle-Axe: the Making of 'Strait-Jacket' (2002) as Self (archive footage)
- Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000) as Self (archive footage / uncredited)
- Joan Crawford: Always the Star (1996) as Self (archive footage)
- The Casting Couch (1995)
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies (1995) as Self (archive footage)
- Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell (1995) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) as (archive footage)
- Gay! Gay! Hollywood (1994)
- Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill (1994) as Self (archive footage)
- Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre (1989) as Self
- Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984) as (archive footage)
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) as (in "Humoresque") (archive footage)
- Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! (1982) as Self (archive footage)
- Showbiz Ballyhoo (1982) as Self (archive footage)
- Bob Hope's World of Comedy (1976) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment, Part II (1976) as (archive footage)
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1975) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! (1974) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Sixth Sense (1972) as Joan Fairchild
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972) as Self (archive footage)
- Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death (1972) as Joan Fairchild
- Great Performances (1971) as Self
- Journey to Murder (1971) as Host
- Trog (1970) as Dr. Brockton
- Night Gallery (1969) as Miss Menlo
- The Big Rock Candy Mountain (1969) as Self
- Garbo, by Joan Crawford (1969) as Self - Host / Narrator (voice)
- Journey to the Unknown (1969) as Self - Host
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Committee Member (uncredited)
- This was the MARY (1968) as Self/Narrator
- The Karate Killers (1967) as Amanda True
- Berserk! (1967) as Monica Rivers
- The Oscar (1966) as Joan Crawford
- I Saw What You Did (1965) as Amy Nelson
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Amanda True
- Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) as Miriam Deering in Car (uncredited)
- The Big Parade of Comedy (1964) as Bobby (archive footage)
- Strait-Jacket (1964) as Lucy Harbin
- Della (1964) as Della Chappell
- Della (1964) Producer
- How to Plan a Movie Murder (1964) as Self
- The Caretakers (1963) as Lucretia Terry
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- The Virginian (1962) as Stephanie White
- The Lucy Show (1962) as Joan Crawford
- What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) as Blanche Hudson
- Lykke og krone (1962)
- Hollywood: The Selznick Years (1961) as Self - Janie Barlow (archive footage) (uncredited)
- One Must Die (1961)
- Route 66 (1960) as Morgan Harper
- Startime (1959) as Self
- Zwischen Glück und Krone (1959)
- The Best of Everything (1959) as Amanda Farrow
- Woman on the Run (1959) as Susan Conrad
- Woman on the Run (1959) Producer
- Strange Witness (1958) as Ruth Marshall
- The Story of Esther Costello (1957) as Margaret Landi
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Stella Faring
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Sarah / Melanie Davidson Hobbs
- Autumn Leaves (1956) as Millicent Wetherby
- Female on the Beach (1955) as Lynn Markham
- Queen Bee (1955) as Eva Phillips
- The Secret Storm (1954) as Joan Borman Kane
- The Road to Edinburgh (1954) as Mary Andrews
- Johnny Guitar (1954) as Vienna
- A Star Is Born World Premiere (1954) as Self
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Ann Howard
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Ruth Marshall
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Mary Andrews
- At Home with Joan Crawford (1953) as Self
- Torch Song (1953) as Jenny Stewart
- Sudden Fear (1952) as Myra Hudson Blaine
- This Woman Is Dangerous (1952) as Elizabeth Austin
- Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) as Agatha Reed
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- The Damned Don't Cry (1950) as Ethel Whitehead
- The Damned Don't Cry (1950) Costume Consultant
- The Damned Don't Cry (1950) Additional Writing
- Harriet Craig (1950) as Harriet Craig
- It's a Great Feeling (1949) as Joan Crawford (uncredited)
- Flamingo Road (1949) as Lane Bellamy
- Humoresque (1947) as Helen Wright
- Daisy Kenyon (1947) as Daisy Kenyon
- Possessed (1947) as Louise Howell
- Through Many Windows (1947) as Self - Narrator
- Blow-Ups of 1946 (1946) as Self
- Mildred Pierce (1945) as Mildred Pierce
- Hollywood Canteen (1944) as Self
- Above Suspicion (1943) as Frances Myles
- They All Kissed the Bride (1942) as Margaret Johanna 'M.J.' Drew
- Reunion in France (1942) as Michele de la Becque
- Joan Crawford's Home Movies (1942) as Self
- Joan Crawford's Home Movies (1942) Director
- Joan Crawford's Home Movies (1942) Cinematography
- A Woman's Face (1941) as Anna Holm
- When Ladies Meet (1941) as Mary 'Minnie' Howard
- Strange Cargo (1940) as Julie
- Susan and God (1940) as Susan Trexel
- A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound (1940) as Self
- Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940) as Self
- The Women (1939) as Crystal Allen
- The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939) as Mary McKay
- From the Ends of the Earth (1939) as Self
- Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 (1939) as Joan Crawford
- The Shining Hour (1938) as Olivia Riley Linden
- Mannequin (1938) as Jessie Cassidy
- Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 6 (1938) as Self
- The Romance of Celluloid (1937) as Self (archive footage)
- The Bride Wore Red (1937) as Anni Pavlovitch
- The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) as Mrs. Fay Cheyney
- Screen Snapshots: Series 16, No. 12 (1937) as Self (uncredited)
- The Gorgeous Hussy (1936) as Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal
- Love on the Run (1936) as Sally Parker
- No More Ladies (1935) as Marcia Townsend Warren
- I Live My Life (1935) as Kay Bentley
- Forsaking All Others (1934) as Mary Clay
- Chained (1934) as Diane Lovering
- Sadie McKee (1934) as Sadie
- Dancing Lady (1933) as Janie Barlow
- Today We Live (1933) as Diana 'Ann' Boyce-Smith
- Fast Workers (1933) as Ivy Stevens (Archive Footage) (Uncredited)
- Grand Hotel (1932) as Flämmchen
- Rain (1932) as Sadie Thompson
- Letty Lynton (1932) as Letty Lynton
- Possessed (1931) as Marian Martin aka 'Mrs. Moreland'
- Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) as Bonnie Jordan
- The Stolen Jools (1931) as Joan Crawford
- Laughing Sinners (1931) as Ivy 'Bunny' Stevens
- We’re Switching to Hollywood (1931) as Self
- This Modern Age (1931) as Valentine 'Val' Winters
- Our Blushing Brides (1930) as Geraldine 'Gerry' March
- Paid (1930) as Mary Turner
- Montana Moon (1930) as Joan
- Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 1 (1930) as Self
- Our Modern Maidens (1929) as Billie Brown
- The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929) as Self
- Untamed (1929) as Alice "Bingo" Dowling
- The Duke Steps Out (1929) as Susie
- The Law of the Range (1928) as Betty Dallas
- Our Dancing Daughters (1928) as Diana 'Di' Medford
- Across to Singapore (1928) as Priscilla Crowninshield
- Rose-Marie (1928) as Rose-Marie
- West Point (1928) as Betty Channing
- Four Walls (1928) as Frieda
- Dream of Love (1928) as Adrienne Lecouvreur
- The Unknown (1927) as Nanon Zanzi
- Twelve Miles Out (1927) as Jane
- The Understanding Heart (1927) as Monica Dale
- Spring Fever (1927) as Allie Monte
- The Taxi Dancer (1927) as Joselyn Poe
- Winners Of The Wilderness (1927) as René Contrecoeur
- Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1926) as Betty Burton
- The Boob (1926) as Jane
- The Merry Widow (1926) as Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)
- Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) as Court Gossip (uncredited)
- Paris (1926) as The Girl
- Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
- The Midshipman (1925) as Extra - Driver of Police Car (uncredited)
- Sally, Irene and Mary (1925) as Irene O'Dare
- Lady of the Night (1925) as Body Double for Norma Shearer
- A Slave of Fashion (1925) as Mannequin (uncredited)
- Time, the Comedian (1925) as Art Student (as Lucille LeSueur)
- The Circle (1925) as Young Lady Catherine
- Pretty Ladies (1925) as Bobby
- Proud Flesh (1925) as Party Guest (uncredited)
- 1925 Studio Tour (1925) as Self
- The Only Thing (1925) as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Old Clothes (1925) as Mary Riley
- And One Was Loyal as Ann Howard
- Rebel Range as Stella Faring