Joan Crawford The Essential Biography Author:Lawrence J. Quirk, William Schoell Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography explores the life and career of one of Hollywoods great dames. She was a leading film personality for more than fifty years, from her beginnings as a dancer in silent films of the 1920s, to her portrayals of working-class shop girls in the Depression thirties, to her Oscar-winning performances in clas... more »sic films such as Mildred Pierce. Crawfords legacy has become somewhat tarnished in the wake of her daughter Christinas unkind memoir, Mommie Dearest, which turned her into a national joke. Today, many picture Crawford only as a wire hanger-wielding shrew rather than the personification of Hollywood glamour. This new biography of Crawford sets the record straight, going beyond the gossip to find the truth about the legendary actress. The authors knew Crawford well and conducted scores of interviews with her and many of her friends and co-stars, including Frank Capra, George Cukor, Nicholas Ray, and Sidney Greenstreet. Far from a whitewashCrawford was indeed a colorful and difficult characterJoan Crawford corrects the many misconceptions and myths that abound and tells the story of one of Hollywoods most influential stars, complete with on-set anecdotes and other movie lore. Through extensive interviews, in-depth analysis, and evaluation of her films and performancesboth successes and failuresLawrence J. Quirk and William Schoell present Crawfords story as both an appreciation and a reevaluation of her extraordinary life and career.« less