Joan Crawford’s Lifetime of Reinvention Explored in New Book by Robert Dance

By Leila Javitch

Longtime Norfolk resident Robert Dance has written a new book which, even before its publication release, has sold out its first printing. “Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford’s March to Stardom” provides not only a biography of the professional life of the actress Joan Crawford but also an interesting glimpse into the early history of the motion picture industry.

Crawford’s hugely successful career spanned more than 45 years. She began to act in the silent film era of the late 1920s and continued into the late 1960s, finally appearing, not often to her advantage, on television variety and talk shows.

Throughout her career she created an aura of glitter that her fans loved: fashionable clothes, affairs with thrilling male stars including Clark Gable, four husbands and a sumptuous lifestyle. But it was her discipline and her strategic attention to the smallest detail, Dance writes, that made her the star that she became. He charts her rise as shrewdly calculated, achieved through talent, savvy and determination.

Crawford’s first leap forward was the unlikely offer of an acting contract at MGM after she was spotted dancing in the chorus line on Broadway. She was not a natural dancer nor was she a natural beauty, but she had lots of appeal, especially to Harry Rapf, the executive at MGM who “discovered” her. Fortunately, Crawford proved to be photogenic in screen tests.

Crawford started as a stand-in, but eager and indefatigable, she watched and absorbed all she could. By 1928 she had made 18 films in three years. She also learned to navigate the powerful Hollywood studio system that strictly controlled all aspects of their productions, from the look and image of their stars to the movie houses where their films were shown. Crawford purposefully gained popularity by courting writers and photographers from movie magazines, which had a huge following at that time.

When silent films were replaced by sound films in the 1930s, Crawford’s beautiful speaking voice proved a big advantage. As her roles improved, she continued to re-imagine and remake herself. Sitting for the best portrait photographers, such as Ruth Harriet Louise and George Hurrell, resulted in glamorous publicity photos. Her career-long collaboration with the costume designer Adrian was also critical. His designs for her roles made her the epitome of fashion to her audience, and knockoff copies of many of her costumes were sold all over the country immediately after her films appeared.

Most important, Crawford’s films always made money. As a young actress she cultivated her image as the girl who might live next door and was struggling to get ahead or overcome adversity. As an older actress Crawford emphasized her elegance and beauty.

She also achieved a new kind of success as she became recognized as a real dramatic talent. In 1945 she won an Oscar for “Mildred Pierce,” in which she played an abandoned wife raising two daughters. In 1951, at the advanced age for Hollywood of 46, she gave an outstanding performance in “Sudden Fear” as a successful professional woman who realizes her younger husband is plotting to kill her. “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane,” screened in 1962, is a well-known movie phenomenon, thanks to the acting talents and the long-standing rivalry of Crawford and co-star Bette Davis.

Dance’s “Ferocious Ambition” also covers the sad last years of Crawford’s life when alcohol and untreated mood swings kept her alive in the public eye but not as the legendary screen goddess she had worked to become. The 1978 memoir “Mommie Dearest” by her adopted daughter, Cristina Crawford, was published a year after Crawford’s death and cast a very different and controversial light on the actress’s life and career.

Dance, who has also published a book on Greta Garbo, has done a fine job of recounting the career of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Deeply researched and beautifully written, “Ferocious Ambition” is also lavishly illustrated with over 100 photos, many of them from Dance’s own collection. To coincide with the publication of the book, the Norfolk Library is presenting a short series of Crawford’s films, introduced by Dance. “Sudden Fear” will be screened at 7 p.m. on Nov. 10 and “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” on Dec. 1.