Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	William Gargan
birth date	July 17, 1905
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
death date	February 17, 1979
death place	}}

William Gargan, born William Dennis Gargan July 17, 1905 in Brooklyn, New York, USA and died February 17, 1979 aged 73 on a flight between New York and San Diego.

He was an American motion picture, television and radio actor. Gargan played character roles in many Hollywood productions, including two appearances as detective Ellery Queen, but was best known for his role as Detective Martin Kane in the 1949-51 radio-television series, ''Martin Kane, Private Eye'', sponsored by U.S. Tobacco. He also appeared as a private detective in the NBC radio show ''Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator'', which ran from 1951 to 1955.

On leaving school, Gargan became a salesman of bootleg whiskey to New York speakeasies and then joined a detective agency. While visiting his brother on a musical comedy stage, he was offered a stage job which he accepted. He began his stage career in ''Aloma of the South Seas'' and later his film career in Misleading Lady.

He was cast in a number of stereotypical Irish parts in films playing policemen, priests, reporters, and blustering adventurers.

Gargan's career came to an end in 1958 when he developed throat cancer, and doctors were forced to remove his larynx. Speaking through an artificial voice box, Gargan became an activist and spokesman for the American Cancer Society, often warning about the dangers of smoking.

Gargan was the younger brother of actor Edward Gargan.

Selected filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
	''Lucky Boy''		(uncredited)
		gangster
rowspan=2	''His Woman''	(uncredited)
rowspan=4	''The Animal Kingdom''	'Red' Regan, Tom's Butler
''The Sport Parade''	Johnny Baker
	Sgt. O'Hara
''Misleading Lady''	Fitzpatrick
rowspan=7	''Headline Shooter''	Bill Allen
''Aggie Appleby Maker of Men''	Red Branahan
	Brazilian pilot
	Steve Brennan
''The Story of Temple Drake''	Stephen Benbow
''Sweepings''	Gene Pardway
''Lucky Devils''	Bob Hughes
rowspan=3	''Strictly Dynamite''	Georgie Ross
	Bob Curtis
''Four Frightened People''	Stewart Corder
		Slim Johnson
		Father Dolan
		Johnny Martin
		Joe	Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
rowspan=2	''Cheers for Miss Bishop''	Sam Peters
''Keep 'Em Flying''	Craig Morrison
	''Miss Annie Rooney''	Tim Rooney
rowspan=2	''Midnight Manhunt''	Pete Willis
''The Bells of St. Mary's''	Joe Gallagher

References

External links

Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:1905 births Category:1979 deaths Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction

de:William Gargan fr:William Gargan it:William Gargan pl:William Gargan

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Joan Crawford
birth date	March 23, 1905
birth place	San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
death date	May 10, 1977
death place	New York City, New York, U.S.
birth name	Lucille Fay LeSueur
occupation	Actress
years active	1925–1972
spouse	Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.(1929–1933)Franchot Tone(1935–1939)Phillip Terry(1942–1946)Alfred Steele(1955–1959)
children	Christina, born on June 11, 1939Christopher (1943–2006)Cynthia (1947–2007)Cathy, born on January 13, 1947
relatives	Thomas E. LeSueur (father, 1868–1938)Anna Bell Johnson (mother, 1884–1958)Hal LeSueur (brother, 1901–1963)
signature	Joan Crawford Signature.svg }}

Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905 – May 10, 1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre.

Starting as a dancer in travelling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivalled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s she was labelled "box office poison", along with other such other actors as Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn and Fred Astaire.

After an absence of nearly two years from the screen, Crawford staged a comeback by starring in ''Mildred Pierce'' (1945), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1955, she became involved with the Pepsi-Cola Company through her marriage to company Chairman Alfred Steele. After his death in 1959, Crawford was elected to fill his vacancy on the board of directors but was forcibly retired in 1973. She continued acting in film and television regularly through the 1960s, when her performances became fewer; after the release of the British horror film ''Trog'' in 1970, Crawford retired from the screen. Following a public appearance in 1974, after which unflattering photographs were published, Crawford withdrew from public life and became more and more reclusive until her death in 1977.

Crawford married four times. Her first three marriages ended in divorce; the last ended with the death of husband Al Steele. She adopted five children, one of whom was reclaimed by his birth mother. Crawford's relationships with her two older children, Christina and Christopher, were acrimonious. Crawford disinherited the two and, after Crawford's death, Christina wrote a "tell-all" memoir, ''Mommie Dearest'', in which she alleged a lifelong pattern of physical and emotional abuse perpetrated by Crawford.

Crawford was voted the tenth greatest female star in the history of American cinema by the American Film Institute.

Early life

Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas, the third child of Tennessee-born Thomas E. LeSueur (1868–1938), a laundry laborer of French Huguenot and English ancestry, and Anna Bell Johnson (1884–1958), who was of Swedish and Irish descent. Her older siblings were Daisy LeSueur, who died very young, and Hal LeSueur. Thomas LeSueur abandoned the family a few months before Crawford's birth. He reappeared in Abilene, Texas in 1930 as a 62-year-old construction laborer on the George R. Davis House, built in Prairie School architecture.

Crawford's mother subsequently married Henry J. Cassin. The family lived in Lawton, Oklahoma, where Cassin ran a movie theater. Crawford was unaware that Cassin was not her birth father until her brother Hal told her. The 1910 federal census for Comanche County, Oklahoma, enumerated on April 20, showed Henry and Anna living at 910 "D" Street in Lawton. Crawford was listed as five years old, thus showing 1905 as her likely year of birth. However, the state of Texas did not require the filing of birth certificates until 1908, allowing Crawford to claim she was born in 1908.

Crawford preferred the nickname "Billie" as a child and she loved watching vaudeville acts perform on the stage of her stepfather's theater. The instability of her family life affected her education and her level of schooling never really progressed beyond the fourth grade. Her ambition was to be a dancer. However, in an attempt to escape piano lessons to run and play with friends, she leaped from the front porch of her home and cut her foot deeply on a broken milk bottle. Crawford had three operations and was unable to attend elementary school for a year and a half. She eventually fully recovered and returned to dancing.

Around 1916, Crawford's family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Cassin was first listed in the City Directory in 1917, living at 403 East Ninth Street. While still in elementary school, Crawford was placed in St. Agnes Academy, a Catholic school in Kansas City. Later, after her mother and stepfather broke up, she stayed on at St. Agnes as a work student. She then went to Rockingham Academy, also as a work student. She later claimed the headmaster's wife there beat her and forged her grades to hide the fact that young Lucille spent far more time working, primarily cooking and cleaning, rather than being able to study academically. While attending Rockingham she began dating and had her first serious relationship, with a trumpet player named Ray Sterling. It was Sterling who reportedly inspired her to begin challenging herself academically. In 1922, she registered at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, giving her year of birth as 1906. Crawford attended Stephens for only four months before withdrawing after she realized she was not prepared for college.

Career

Early career

Under the name Lucille LeSueur, Crawford began dancing in the choruses of traveling revues and was spotted dancing in Detroit by producer Jacob J. Shubert. Shubert put her in the chorus line for his 1924 show, ''Innocent Eyes'', at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in New York City. While appearing in ''Innocent Eyes'' Crawford met a saxophone player named James Welton. The two were allegedly married in 1924 and lived together for several months, although this supposed marriage was never mentioned in later life by Crawford. She wanted additional work and approached Loews Theaters publicist Nils Granlund. Granlund secured a position for her with producer Harry Richmond's act and arranged for her to do a screen test which he sent to producer Harry Rapf in Hollywood. Stories have persisted that Crawford further supplemented her income by appearing in one or more stag, or soft-core pornographic, films, although this has been disputed. Rapf notified Granlund on December 24, 1924 that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had offered Crawford a contract at $75 a week. Granlund immediately wired the 19 year old LeSueur – who had returned to her mother's home in Kansas City – with the news; she borrowed $400 for travel expenses. The night after Christmas she left Kansas City and arrived in Culver City, California on January 1, 1925.

As Lucille LeSueur, her first film was ''Pretty Ladies'' in 1925, which starred ZaSu Pitts. Also in 1925 she appeared in small roles in the films ''The Only Thing'' and ''Old Clothes''. MGM publicity head Pete Smith recognized her ability but felt that her name sounded fake; it also, he told studio head Louis B. Mayer, sounded like "Le Sewer". Smith organized a contest in conjunction with the fan magazine ''Movie Weekly'' to allow readers to select her new name. Initially the name "Joan Arden" was selected but, when another actress was found to have prior claim to that name, the alternate name "Crawford" became the choice. Crawford initially wanted her new first name to be pronounced "Jo-anne". She hated the name Crawford, saying it sounded like "crawfish". Her friend, actor William Haines, quipped, "They might have called you 'Cranberry' and served you every Thanksgiving with the turkey!" Crawford continued to dislike the name throughout her life but, she said, she "liked the security that went with it".

Self-promotion and early successes

Growing increasingly frustrated over the size and quality of the parts she was given, Crawford embarked on a campaign of self-promotion. As MGM screenwriter Frederica Sagor Maas recalled, "No one decided to make Joan Crawford a star. Joan Crawford became a star because Joan Crawford decided to become a star." She began attending dances in the afternoons and evenings at hotels around Hollywood, where she often won dance competitions with her performances of the Charleston and the Black Bottom. Her strategy worked, and MGM cast her in the film where she first made an impression on audiences, Edmund Goulding's ''Sally, Irene and Mary'' (1925). She played Irene, a struggling chorus girl. In the same year, Crawford worked on ''Lady of the Night'', starring Norma Shearer. Crawford was made up and used as a double for Shearer and her face is briefly seen. Crawford coveted the roles that Shearer played but knew that Shearer's husband, producer Irving Thalberg, guaranteed Shearer first choice of roles in any MGM property. "How can I compete with Norma?" Crawford was quoted as saying. "She sleeps with the boss."

The following year, Crawford was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars, along with Mary Astor, Mary Brian, Dolores Costello, Dolores del Río, Janet Gaynor and Fay Wray. For the next two years, Crawford appeared in increasingly important films. In 1926, she made ''Paris'', where she was able to show her sex appeal. She became the romantic interest for some of MGM's leading male stars, among them Ramón Novarro, William Haines, John Gilbert and Tim McCoy. Crawford appeared in ''The Unknown'' (1927), starring Lon Chaney, Sr. who played a carnival knife thrower with no arms. Crawford played his skimpily clad young carnival assistant whom he hopes to marry. She stated that she learned more about acting from watching Chaney work than from anything else in her career. "It was then", she said, "I became aware for the first time of the difference between standing in front of a camera, and acting."

In 1928, Crawford starred opposite Ramón Novarro in ''Across to Singapore'', but it was her role as Diana Medford in ''Our Dancing Daughters'' (1928) that catapulted her to stardom. The role established her as a symbol of modern 1920s-style femininity that rivaled the image of her friend Clara Bow, the original IT girl, who was Hollywood's foremost flapper. A stream of hits followed ''Our Dancing Daughters'', including two more flapper-themed movies, in which Crawford embodied for her legion of fans (many of whom were women) an idealized vision of the free-spirited, all-American girl. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of her:

On June 3, 1929, Crawford married Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. at Saint Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in New York City, although neither apparently was Catholic. Fairbanks was the son of Douglas Fairbanks and the stepson of Mary Pickford, who were considered Hollywood royalty. Fairbanks Sr. and Pickford were opposed to the marriage and did not invite the couple to their home, Pickfair, for eight months after the marriage. The relationship between Crawford and Fairbanks, Sr. eventually warmed; she called him "Uncle Doug" and he called her "Billie". Following that first invitation, Crawford and Fairbanks, Jr. became more frequent guests, which was hard on Crawford. While the Fairbanks men played golf together, Crawford was left either with Pickford or alone.

To rid herself of her Southwestern accent, Crawford tirelessly practiced diction and elocution. She said:

Her first talkie was ''Untamed'' (1929), opposite Robert Montgomery, which was a box office success. Crawford made an effective transition to sound movies. One critic wrote, "Miss Crawford sings appealingly and dances thrillingly as usual; her voice is alluring and her dramatic efforts in the difficult role she portrays are at all times convincing."

From Queen of the Movies to box office poison

thumb|Crawford in ''[[Rain (1932 film)|Rain'' (1932)]] With the early sound film, ''Our Blushing Brides'' (1930), another financial success, MGM began to develop a more sophisticated image of Crawford, rather than continuing to promote her flapper girl persona of the silent era. In 1931, she starred opposite Clark Gable in ''Possessed''. They began an affair during the production, resulting in an ultimatum from studio chief Louis B. Mayer to Gable that the affair end. Gable complied, although for many years their affair resumed sporadically and secretly. Upon release, ''Possessed'' was an enormous hit.

The studio then cast her in ''Grand Hotel'', which starred the most famous actors of the 1930s and was MGM's most prestigious movie of 1932. Crawford later achieved continued success with ''Letty Lynton'' (1932). Soon after its release, a plagiarism suit forced MGM to withdraw it. It has never been shown on television or made available on home video, and is therefore considered the "lost" Crawford film. The film is mostly remembered because of the "Letty Lynton dress", designed by Adrian: a white cotton organdy gown with large ruffled sleeves, puffed at the shoulder. It was with this gown that Crawford's broad shoulders began to be accentuated by costume. Macy's copied the dress in 1932, and it sold over 500,000 replicas in the United States. In May 1933, Crawford divorced Fairbanks. Crawford cited "grievous mental cruelty"; "a jealous and suspicious attitude" toward her friends and "loud arguments about the most trivial subjects" lasting "far into the night". Following ''Possessed'', Crawford starred opposite Gable in the hit ''Dancing Lady'' (1933), in which she received top billing. Crawford's next movies, ''Sadie McKee'', ''Chained'' and ''Forsaking All Others'' (all 1934), were among the top money makers of the mid-1930s.

In 1935, Crawford married her second husband, Franchot Tone, a stage actor from New York who planned to use his film salary to finance his theatre group. Tone and Crawford appeared together in ''Today We Live'' (1933) and were immediately drawn to each other, although Crawford was hesitant about entering into another romance so soon after her split from Fairbanks. The couple built a small theatre at Crawford's Brentwood home and put on productions of classic plays for select groups of friends. Before and during their marriage, Crawford worked to promote Tone's Hollywood career but Tone was ultimately not interested in being a movie star and Crawford eventually wearied of the effort. Tone began drinking and physically abusing Crawford and she filed for divorce, which was granted in 1939. Crawford and Tone eventually reconciled their friendship and Tone even proposed in 1964 that they remarry. When Tone died in 1968, Crawford arranged for him to be cremated and his ashes scattered at Muskoka Lakes, Canada.

The ''Motion Picture Herald'' placed Crawford on its list of the top-ten moneymaking stars from 1932, the first year of the poll, through 1936 and ''Life'' magazine proclaimed her "First Queen of the Movies" in 1937. Later in 1937 she dropped out of the top ten for the first time. In 1938 the ''Independent Film Journal'' named her and several other stars as "box office poison" based on their supposed lack of popular appeal. However, Crawford made a comeback with her role as home-wrecker Crystal Allen in director George Cukor's ''The Women'' in 1939. She broke from formula by taking the unglamorous role of Julie in ''Strange Cargo'' (1940), her eighth and final film with Gable. Crawford then starred as a facially disfigured blackmailer in ''A Woman's Face'' (1941), a remake of a European film which had starred Ingrid Bergman in the lead role three years earlier. While the film was only a moderate box office success, her performance was hailed by many critics.

Crawford adopted her first child, a daughter, in 1940. Because she was single, California law prevented her from adopting within the state so she arranged the adoption through an agency in Las Vegas. The child was temporarily called Joan until Crawford changed her name to Christina. She married actor Phillip Terry on July 21, 1942 after a six-month courtship. Together the couple adopted a son whom they named Christopher, but his birth mother reclaimed the child. They adopted another boy, whom they named Phillip Terry, Jr. After the marriage ended in 1946, Crawford changed the child's name to Christopher Crawford. After 18 years, Crawford's contract with MGM was terminated by mutual consent on June 29, 1943. In lieu of one more movie owed under her contract, MGM bought her out for $100,000. During World War II she was a member of American Women's Voluntary Services.

Move to Warner Bros.

For $500,000, Crawford signed with Warner Bros. for a three movie deal and was placed on the payroll on July 1, 1943. She also made a cameo with many other stars in the G.I. morale-booster ''Hollywood Canteen'' (1944). Crawford said one of the main reasons she signed with Warner Bros. was because she wanted to play the character "Mattie" in a proposed 1944 film version of Edith Wharton's novel ''Ethan Frome'' (1911). However, Bette Davis wanted to play Mattie and reportedly told Jack Warner, "Joan's far too old, and besides, she can't act" – although Davis was only three years younger.

Crawford wanted to play the title role in ''Mildred Pierce'' (1945), but Davis was the studio's first choice. However, Davis turned the role down. Director Michael Curtiz did not want Crawford and told Jack Warner, "She comes over here with her high-hat airs and her goddamn shoulder pads... why should I waste my time directing a has-been?" Curtiz demanded Crawford prove her suitability by taking a screen test. After the test, Curtiz agreed to Crawford's casting. Crawford starred opposite Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth and Butterfly McQueen. ''Mildred Pierce'' was a commercial success. It epitomized the lush visual style and the hard-boiled film noir sensibility that defined Warner Bros. movies of the later 1940s, earning Crawford the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

From 1945 to 1952, Crawford reigned as a top star and respected actress, appearing in such roles as Helen Wright in ''Humoresque'' (1946), Louise Howell Graham in ''Possessed'' (1947, for which she was nominated for a second Oscar for Best Actress) and the title role in ''Daisy Kenyon'' (also 1947). She did a critically well received sendup of her screen image in a cameo in the Doris Day-Jack Carson musical, ''It's a Great Feeling'' (1949). Other movie roles of the era include Lane Bellamy in ''Flamingo Road'' (1949), a dual role in the film noir ''The Damned Don't Cry'' (1950), and the title role of ''Harriet Craig'' (1950) at Columbia Pictures. After filming ''This Woman Is Dangerous'' (1952), Crawford asked to be released from her Warner Bros. contract. As she had done before, Crawford triumphed as Myra Hudson in ''Sudden Fear'' (1952) at RKO, which was the movie that introduced her co-star, Jack Palance, to the screen and earned Crawford a third and final Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Crawford adopted two more children in 1947, fraternal twins whom she named Cindy and Cathy.

Radio and television

Crawford worked in the radio series ''The Screen Guild Theater'' on January 8, 1939; ''Good News''; ''Baby'', broadcast March 2, 1940 on Arch Oboler's ''Lights Out''; ''The Word'' on ''Everyman's Theater'' (1941); ''Chained'' on the ''Lux Radio Theater'' and Norman Corwin's ''Document A/777'' (1948). She appeared in episodes of anthology television series in the 1950s and, in 1959, made a pilot for her series, ''The Joan Crawford Show'', but the show was never picked up by a network.

Al Steele and Pepsi Cola Company

Crawford married her final husband, Alfred Steele, at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas on May 10, 1955. Crawford and Steele met at a party in 1950 when Steele was an executive with Coca-Cola. They renewed their acquaintance at a New Year's Eve party in 1954. Steele by that time had become the President of Pepsi Cola. Alfred Steele would later be named Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Pepsi Cola. Crawford traveled extensively on behalf of Pepsi following the marriage. She estimated that she traveled over 100,000 miles for the company. Steele died of a heart attack in April 1959. Crawford was initially advised that her services were no longer required. After she told the story to Louella Parsons, Pepsi reversed its position and Crawford was elected to fill the vacant seat on the board of directors. Crawford, left near-penniless following Steele's death, accepted a supporting role in the film ''The Best of Everything'' (1959). It was her first non-starring role in her later career.

Crawford received the sixth annual "Pally Award", which was in the shape of a bronze Pepsi bottle. It was awarded to the employee making the most significant contribution to company sales. In 1973, Crawford was forcibly retired from the company at the behest of company executive Don Kendall, whom Crawford had referred to for years as "Fang."

Later career

After her triumph in RKO's ''Sudden Fear'', Crawford appeared in films ranging from the camp western film ''Johnny Guitar'' (1954) to the drama ''Autumn Leaves'' (1956), opposite a young Cliff Robertson. By the early 1960s, however, Crawford's status in motion pictures had diminished.

Crawford starred as Blanche Hudson, a wheelchair bound former A-list movie star in conflict with her psychotic sister in the highly successful thriller ''What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?'' (1962). Despite the actresses' earlier tensions, Crawford suggested Bette Davis for the role of Jane. The two stars maintained publicly that there was no feud between them. However, Crawford accused Davis of kicking her during the filming of a scene in which Jane attacks Blanche, and reportedly retaliated by wearing weights under her clothes in a scene in which Davis had to carry her. The director, Robert Aldrich, explained that Davis and Crawford were each aware of how important the film was to their respective careers and commented, "It's proper to say that they really detested each other, but they behaved absolutely perfectly." After filming was completed, their public comments against each other allowed the tension to develop into a lifelong feud. The film became a huge success, recouping its costs in 11 days of nationwide release and temporarily reviving Crawford's career. Davis was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Jane Hudson. Crawford secretly contacted the other Oscar nominees in the category (Katharine Hepburn, Geraldine Page and Anne Bancroft, all East Coast-based actresses), to let them know if they could not attend the ceremony, she would be happy to accept the Oscar on their behalf; all agreed. Both Davis and Crawford were backstage when the absent Anne Bancroft was announced as the winner, and Crawford accepted the award on her behalf. Davis claimed for the rest of her life that Crawford campaigned against her, a charge Crawford denied. That same year, Crawford starred as Lucy Harbin in William Castle's horror mystery ''Strait-Jacket'' (1964).

Director Robert Aldrich cast Crawford and Davis in ''Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte'' (1964). After a campaign of harassment by Davis while the film was on location in Louisiana, Crawford returned to Hollywood and entered a hospital. After a prolonged absence in which Crawford was accused of feigning illness, Aldrich was forced to replace her with Olivia de Havilland. Crawford was devastated. "I heard the news of my replacement over the radio, lying in my hospital bed", Crawford said. "I wept for 39 hours." Crawford nursed grudges against Davis and Aldrich for the rest of her life, saying of Aldrich, "He is a man who loves evil, horrendous, vile things." (to which Aldrich replied, "If the shoe fits, wear it, and I am very fond of Miss Crawford.")

Upon her release from the hospital Crawford played the role of Amy Nelson in ''I Saw What You Did'' (1965), another William Castle vehicle. She starred as Monica Rivers in Herman Cohen's horror thriller film ''Berserk!'' (1967). After the film's release, Crawford guest-starred as herself on ''The Lucy Show''. The episode, "Lucy and the Lost Star", first aired on February 26, 1968. Crawford struggled during rehearsals and drank heavily on-set, leading series star Lucille Ball to suggest replacing her with Gloria Swanson. Crawford was letter-perfect the day of the show and received two standing ovations from the studio audience.

In October 1968, Crawford's 29-year-old daughter, Christina (who was then acting in New York on the CBS TV soap opera ''The Secret Storm''), needed immediate medical attention for a ruptured ovarian tumor. Until Christina was well enough to return, Crawford offered to play her role, to which producer Gloria Monty readily agreed. Although Crawford did well in rehearsal, she lost her composure while taping and the director and producer were left to struggle to piece together the necessary footage.

Crawford's appearance in the 1969 TV film ''Night Gallery'' (which served as pilot to the series that followed), marked one of Steven Spielberg's earliest directing jobs. She starred on the big screen one final time, playing Dr. Brockton in Herman Cohen's science fiction horror film ''Trog'' (1970), rounding out a career spanning 45 years and over 80 motion pictures. Crawford made three more TV appearances, as Stephanie White in an episode of ''The Virginian'' (1970), entitled "The Nightmare"; as Allison Hayes in the made-for-TV movie ''Beyond the Water's Edge'' (1972); and as Joan Fairchild (her final performance) on an episode of the television series, ''The Sixth Sense'', entitled, "Dear Joan: We're Going To Scare You To Death" (1972).

Final years and death

In 1970, Crawford was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Award by John Wayne at the Golden Globes, which was telecast from the Coconut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. She also spoke at her alma mater, Stephens College, from which she never graduated.

Crawford published her autobiography, ''A Portrait of Joan'' – written with Jane Kesner Ardmore – in 1962 through Doubleday. Crawford's next book, ''My Way of Life'', was published in 1971 by Simon and Schuster. Those expecting a racy tell-all were disappointed, although Crawford's meticulous ways were revealed in her advice on grooming, wardrobe, exercise, and even food storage.

In September 1973, Crawford moved from apartment 22-G to the smaller apartment 22-H in the Imperial House. Her last public appearance was September 23, 1974, at a party honoring her old friend Rosalind Russell at New York's Rainbow Room. Russell was suffering from breast cancer and arthritis at the time, and died two years later in 1976, aged 69. When Crawford saw the unflattering photos of both stars that appeared in the papers the next day, she said, "If that's how I look, then they won't see me anymore." Crawford cancelled all public appearances, began declining interviews and left her apartment less and less. Her dental-related issues, including surgery which left her in need of round the clock nursing care, also plagued her from 1972 until the middle of 1975. While on antibiotics for this problem in October 1974, Crawford's drinking caused her to black out, slip and strike her face. This incident scared her enough to give up drinking and smoking, although in public she insisted it was due to her return to Christian Science. The whole incident is recorded in a series of letters sent to her insurance company held at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, as well as being documented by her friend, Carl Johnnes, in his book.

On May 8, 1977, Crawford gave away her beloved Shih Tzu "Princess Lotus Blossom", which she was too weak to care for properly. Crawford died two days later at her New York apartment from a heart attack, while also ill with pancreatic cancer. A funeral was held at Campbell Funeral Home, New York, on May 13, 1977. In her will, which was signed October 28, 1976, Crawford bequeathed to her two youngest children, Cindy and Cathy, $77,500 each from her $2,000,000 estate. She explicitly disinherited the two eldest, Christina and Christopher, writing "It is my intention to make no provision herein for my son Christopher or my daughter Christina for reasons which are well known to them."

A memorial service was held for Crawford at All Souls' Unitarian Church on Lexington Avenue in New York on May 16, 1977, and was attended by, among others, her old Hollywood friend Myrna Loy. Another memorial service, organized by George Cukor, was held on June 24 in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California. Crawford was cremated and her ashes placed in a crypt with her last husband, Alfred Steele, in Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York.

Crawford's hand and footprints are immortalized in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1750 Vine Street. In 1999, ''Playboy'' listed Crawford as one of the "100 Sexiest Women of the 20th century", ranking her #84.

''Mommie Dearest''

In November 1978, a year and a half after Crawford's death, Christina published ''Mommie Dearest'', which contained allegations that Crawford was emotionally and physically abusive to Christina and her brother Christopher. Many of Crawford's friends and co-workers, including Van Johnson, Ann Blyth, Marlene Dietrich, Myrna Loy, Cesar Romero, and Crawford's other daughters, Cathy and Cindy, denounced the book, categorically denying any abuse. But others, including Betty Hutton, Helen Hayes, James MacArthur, June Allyson, Liz Smith, and Rex Reed witnessed abuse. Bette Davis supported Christina's version, saying that Christina could not have made it up (Davis, while still alive, would ironically later become the target of her own daughter B. D. Hyman's tell-all in 1985, ''My Mother's Keeper''). ''Mommie Dearest'' became a bestseller and was made into the 1981 film ''Mommie Dearest'', starring Faye Dunaway as Crawford. Dunaway would later express regret for her portrayal of Crawford in her autobiography, ''Looking for Gatsby'', believing that her career had been damaged by the portrayal and at the hands of Crawford's friends.

Filmography

Notes

References

Bret, David (2006). '' Joan Crawford: Hollywood Martyr''. Robson. ISBN 1861059310.

Considine, Shaun (1989). ''Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud''. New York, E. P. Dutton, a division of Penguin Books. ISBN 052524770X.

Granlund, Nils T. (1957). ''Blondes, Brunettes, and Bullets''. New York, David McKay Company.

Hoefling, Larry J. (2008). ''Nils Thor Granlund: The Swedish Showman Who Invented American Entertainment''. Inlandia Press. ISBN 098223130X.

LaSalle, Mick (2000). ''Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood''. New York, Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0312252072.

Leese, Elizabeth (1991). ''Costume Design in the Movies''. Dover Books. ISBN 048626548X.

Newquist, Roy, with introduction by John Springer (1980). ''Conversations with Joan Crawford''. New Jersey, Citadel Press, a division of Lyle Stuart, Inc. ISBN 0806507209.

Skal, David J. (1993). ''The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror''. Penguin Books. ISBN 0140240020.

Thomas, Bob (1978). ''Joan Crawford: A Biography''. New York, Bantam Books. ISBN 0553129422.

Dunaway, Faye (1998). ''Looking For Gatsby''. Pocket. ISBN 0671675265.

Further reading

''Just Joan: A Joan Crawford Appreciation'' by Donna Marie Nowak. Albany, BearManor Media 2010. ISBN 978-1-59393-542-9.

External links

The Best of Everything: A Joan Crawford Encyclopedia

Excerpt of 2008 biography from ''Vanity Fair''

Category:1905 births Category:1977 deaths Category:Actors from Oklahoma Category:Actors from Texas Category:American Christian Scientists Category:American film actors Category:American people of English descent Category:American radio personalities Category:American radio actors Category:American silent film actors Category:American television actors Category:American women in business Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Converts to Christian Science Category:Cancer deaths in New York Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer Category:People from San Antonio, Texas Category:People of Huguenot descent Category:20th-century actors Category:Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery

ar:جوان كراوفورد an:Joan Crawford zh-min-nan:Joan Crawford bg:Джоан Крофорд ca:Joan Crawford da:Joan Crawford de:Joan Crawford el:Τζόαν Κρόφορντ es:Joan Crawford eu:Joan Crawford fa:جوآن کراوفورد fr:Joan Crawford gl:Joan Crawford hr:Joan Crawford id:Joan Crawford it:Joan Crawford he:ג'ואן קרופורד ka:ჯოან კროუფორდი la:Joan Crawford lv:Džoana Kroforda mk:Џоан Крафорд nl:Joan Crawford ja:ジョーン・クロフォード no:Joan Crawford pl:Joan Crawford pt:Joan Crawford ro:Joan Crawford ru:Джоан Кроуфорд sr:Џоун Крафорд sh:Joan Crawford fi:Joan Crawford sv:Joan Crawford tl:Joan Crawford tg:Ҷоан Крауфорд tr:Joan Crawford uk:Джоан Кроуфорд vi:Joan Crawford yo:Joan Crawford zh:瓊·克勞馥

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Walter Huston
birth name	Walter Thomas Huston
birth date	April 05, 1883
birth place	York County, Ontario,Canada
death date	April 07, 1950
death place	Hollywood, California,United States
spouse	Rhea Gore(1904-1912)Bayonne Whipple(1915-1924)Ninetta Sunderland(1931-1950)
children	John Huston (1906-1987)
years active	1924–50
occupation	Actor }}

Walter Thomas Huston (; April 5, 1883 – April 7, 1950) was a Canadian-born American actor. He was the father of actor and director John Huston and the grandfather of actress Anjelica Huston and actor Danny Huston.

Life and career

Huston was born in York County, Ontario, the son of Elizabeth (née McGibbon) and Robert Moore Huston, a provincial farmer who founded a construction company. He was of Scottish and Irish descent. Huston began his Broadway career in 1924. Once talkies began in Hollywood, he achieved fame in character roles. His first major role was in 1929's ''The Virginian'' with Gary Cooper. He appeared in the Broadway theatrical adaptation of Sinclair Lewis's novel ''Dodsworth'' in 1934 and the play's film version two years later.

Huston stayed busy throughout the 1930s and 1940s, both on stage and screen (becoming one of America's most distinguished actors); he performed "September Song" in the original Broadway production of ''Knickerbocker Holiday'' in 1938. Among his films are ''Rain'' (1932), ''The Devil and Daniel Webster'' (1941) and ''Mission to Moscow'' (1943), a pro-Soviet World War II propaganda film as Ambassador Joseph E. Davies. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1948 for his role in ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'', which was directed by his son, John Huston. His last film was ''The Furies'' in 1950 with Barbara Stanwyck.

Along with Anthony Veiller, he narrated the ''Why We Fight'' series of World War II documentaries directed by Frank Capra.

He died in Hollywood from an aortic aneurysm, two days after his 66th birthday.

Huston has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6626 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography (with co-stars)

''The Lady Lies'' (1929) with Claudette Colbert

''The Virginian'' (1929) with Gary Cooper

''The Virtuous Sin'' (1930) with Kay Francis

''The Bad Man'' (1930)

''Abraham Lincoln'' (1930)

''The Beast of the City'' (1932) with Jean Harlow and Jean Hersholt

''Night Court'' (1932) with Lewis Stone and W S Van Dyke

''American Madness'' (1932) with Pat O'Brien

''Rain'' (1932) with Joan Crawford

''Kongo'' (1932) with Lupe Velez and Virginia Bruce

"Gabriel Over the White House" (1933) with Franchot Tone, C. Henry Gordon, and David Landau

''Ann Vickers'' (1933) with Irene Dunne''

''Dodsworth'' (1936) with Ruth Chatterton, Mary Astor, and David Niven

''Rhodes of Africa'' (1936)

''The Devil and Daniel Webster'' (1941) with James Craig, Edward Arnold, and Anne Shirley

''Swamp Water'' (1941) with Walter Brennan and Anne Baxter

''The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) with Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet

''The Shanghai Gesture'' (1942) with Gene Tierney

''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' (1942) with James Cagney

''The Outlaw'' (1943) with Thomas Mitchell and Jane Russell

''Edge of Darkness'' (1943) with Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan

''Mission to Moscow'' (1943)

''And Then There Were None'' (1945) with Barry Fitzgerald and June Duprez

''Dragonwyck'' (1946) with Gene Tierney and Vincent Price

''Duel in the Sun'' (1946) with Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, and Jennifer Jones

''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' (1948) with Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt

''The Furies'' (1950) with Wendell Corey and Barbara Stanwyck

Academy Awards and nominations

1937 - Nominated Best Actor in a Leading Role - ''Dodsworth''

1942 - Nominated Best Actor in a Leading Role - ''The Devil and Daniel Webster''

1943 - Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role - ''Yankee Doodle Dandy''

1949 - Won Best Actor in a Supporting Role - ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre''

In popular culture

Huston was mentioned in the 1994 western-comedy ''City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold'' and the "Walter Huston dance" after finding the buried gold.

See also

Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood

Further reading

John Weld. September Song. An intimate biography of Walter Huston. The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1998.

References

External links

, with an incorrect year of birth on the plaque.

Category:1883 births Category:1950 deaths Category:American film actors Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Category:Canadian expatriate actors in the United States Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian people of Irish descent Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent Category:Canadian stage actors Category:Deaths from aortic aneurysm Category:People from Toronto Category:Vaudeville performers

an:Walter Huston ca:Walter Huston da:Walter Huston de:Walter Huston es:Walter Huston fr:Walter Huston it:Walter Huston hu:Walter Huston ja:ウォルター・ヒューストン no:Walter Huston pl:Walter Huston pt:Walter Huston ru:Хьюстон, Уолтер sr:Волтер Хјустон sh:Walter Huston fi:Walter Huston sv:Walter Huston yo:Walter Huston

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Beulah Bondi
birth name	Beulah Bondy
birth date	May 03, 1888
birth place	Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
death date
death place	Los Angeles, California, United States
occupation	Actress
years active	1895–1976 }}

Beulah Bondi (May 3, 1888 – January 11, 1981) was an American actress.

Bondi began her acting career as a young child in theater, and after establishing herself as a stage actress, she reprised her role in ''Street Scene'' for the 1931 film version. She played supporting roles in several films during the 1930s, and was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She played the mother of James Stewart in four films, including ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939) and ''It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946).

She continued acting into her old age, and won an Emmy Award for an appearance in the television series ''The Waltons'' in 1976.

Theater and films

Bondi was born as Beulah Bondy in Valparaiso, Indiana, the daughter of Eva (née Marble) and Adolphe Bondy. Bondi began her acting career on the stage at age seven, playing the title role in the play ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' in a production at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, Indiana. She graduated from the Frances Shimer Academy (later Shimer College) in 1907, and gained her Bachelors and Masters degrees in oratory at Valparaiso University in 1916 and 1918, and moved to film in the 1930s. Her debut movie role was as "Emma Jones" in Elmer Rice's ''Street Scene'' (1931), which starred Sylvia Sidney, and in which Bondi reprised her stage role, followed by "Mrs. Davidson" in ''Rain'' (1932), which starred Joan Crawford and Walter Huston.

She was one of the first five women to be nominated for an Academy Award in the newly-created category of "Best Supporting Actress" for her work in ''The Gorgeous Hussy'', although she lost the award to Gale Sondergaard. Two years later, she was nominated again for ''Of Human Hearts'', and lost again, but her reputation as a character actress kept her employed.

She would most often be seen in the role of the mother of the star of the film for the rest of her career, with the exception of ''Make Way for Tomorrow'' (1937) as the abandoned Depression-era 'Ma' Cooper.

She often played mature roles in her early film career even though she was only in her early 40s. Bondi played James Stewart’s mother in four films: ''It's a Wonderful Life'', ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'', ''Of Human Hearts'' and ''Vivacious Lady''.

Television

Her television credits include ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' and Howard Richardson's ''Ark of Safety'' on the ''Goodyear Television Playhouse''.

She made her final appearances as Martha Corinne Walton on ''The Waltons'' in the episodes "The Conflict" (9/74) and "The Pony Cart" (12/76). She received an Emmy award for her performance in the latter episode. When her name was called, it first appeared that she was not present, but she was given a standing ovation as she walked slowly to the podium, where she thanked everyone for honoring her while she was still alive.

Despite the fact that she was known for playing mother figures, Bondi never married in real life. She died from pulmonary complications due to broken ribs suffered when she tripped over her cat on January 11, 1981, aged 92.

Partial filmography

''Street Scene'' (1931)

''Rain'' (1932)

''Finishing School'' (1934)

''The Invisible Ray'' (1936)

''The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (1936)

''Hearts Divided'' (1936)

''The Gorgeous Hussy'' (1936)

''Maid of Salem'' (1937)

''Make Way for Tomorrow'' (1937)

''The Sisters'' (1938)

''The Buccaneer'' (1938)

''Of Human Hearts'' (1938)

''Vivacious Lady'' (1938)

''On Borrowed Time'' (1939)

''The Under-Pup'' (1939)

''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939)

''Remember the Night'' (1940)

''Our Town'' (1940)

''Penny Serenade'' (1941)

''The Shepherd of the Hills'' (1941)

''One Foot in Heaven'' (1941)

''Watch on the Rhine'' (1943)

''Tonight We Raid Calais'' (1943)

''The Very Thought of You'' (1944)

''The Southerner'' (1945)

''Back to Bataan'' (1945)

''Sister Kenny'' (1946)

''It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946)

''The Sainted Sisters'' (1948)

''The Snake Pit'' (1948)

''So Dear to My Heart'' (1948)

''Mr. Soft Touch'' (1949)

''Reign of Terror'' (1949)

''The Baron of Arizona'' (1950)

''The Furies'' (1950)

''Lone Star'' (1952)

''Latin Lovers'' (1953)

''Track of the Cat'' (1954)

''Back from Eternity'' (1956)

''The Unholy Wife'' (1957)

''A Summer Place'' (1959)

References

External links

Great Character Actors

What-A-Character

Category:1888 births Category:1981 deaths Category:Actors from Chicago, Illinois Category:American film actors Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Valparaiso University alumni Category:Shimer College alumni Category:Accidental deaths in California

de:Beulah Bondi es:Beulah Bondi fr:Beulah Bondi it:Beulah Bondi pl:Beulah Bondi pt:Beulah Bondi ru:Бонди, Бела sr:Бјула Бонди fi:Beulah Bondi

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
bgcolour	silver
name	Janis Carter
birth name	Janis Dremann
birth date	October 10, 1913
birth place	Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
death date	July 30, 1994
death place	Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
yearsactive	1941-1956
spouse	Carl Prager (1942-1951) (divorced)Julius Stulman (1956-1994) her death }}

Janis Carter (October 10, 1913 — July 30, 1994) was a film and television actress working in the 1940s and 1950s.

After attending Mather College in Cleveland, Ohio, Carter headed to New York in an attempt to start an opera career. Although unsuccessful in opera, she was working on Broadway where she was spotted on stage by Darryl F. Zanuck who signed her to a movie deal.

Carter, after moving to Hollywood, appeared in over 30 films beginning in 1941 for 20th Century Fox, MGM, Columbia, and RKO. She appeared in the films ''Night Editor'' (1946) and ''Framed'' (1947) with Glenn Ford and the ''Flying Leathernecks'' (1951) with John Wayne.

After leaving Los Angeles, Carter returned to New York and found work in television in comedies, dramas, and as hostess for the quiz show ''Feather Your Nest'', opposite Bud Collyer.

Personal life

She was married to Carl Prager from 1942–51, but the couple divorced. In 1956, she quit show business after marrying Julius Stulman, New York lumber and shipping tycoon, in 1956. They remained together until her death.

Death

She died from a heart attack, on July 30, 1994, aged 80, in Durham, North Carolina.

Partial filmography

''Secret Agent of Japan'' (1942)

''I Married an Angel'' (1942)

''Girl Trouble'' (1942)

''Thunder Birds'' (1942)

''Lady of Burlesque'' (1943)

''Night Editor'' (1946)

''Framed'' (1947)

''I Love Trouble'' (1948)

''Miss Grant Takes Richmond'' (1949)

''I Married a Communist'' (1949)

''Santa Fe'' (1951)

''Flying Leathernecks'' (1951)

References

External links

Category:1913 births Category:1994 deaths Category:Actors from Ohio Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American stage actors Category:American television personalities Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in North Carolina Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio Category:People from Durham, North Carolina

fr:Janis Carter ru:Картер, Дженис