Authors: Donald Spoto
improvisation: of Gable and Crawford, 114–15; for
Mildred Pierce,
175; in
Susan and God,
146
Independent Theatre Owners Association of America, 133
Inman, Audrey Davenport, 276
Innocent Eyes
(musical), 17–18
Intermezzo
(film), 154
international film market: Crawford’s star power in, 56–57; and sound versus silent films, 50–51
International Ice Follies, 137
Ireland, John, 228, 229, 269
It Happened One Night
(film), 119, 124
It’s a Great Feeling
(film), 200–201
Ivanhoe Masonic Temple (Kansas City): dance competition at, 15
Jack-o-Lantern Dance Hall (Westport), 13
Jaffe, Leo, 280, 291
Jaffe, Rona, 247
Janeway, Elizabeth, 190
Janus
(play), 239
The Jazz Singer
(film), 50
Joan Crawford Fan Club, 92–93
Johnes, Carl, 280–81, 282–83, 286, 290, 292
Johnny Guitar
(film), 223–26, 276
Johnson, Van, 92
Jones, Jennifer, 183
Jordan, Jan, 289, 290
Jordan, Joel, 289, 290
Jordan, John, 289
Kanin, Fay, 210, 211
Kansas City: Crawford as child and teenager in, 9–15; Crawford leaves, 2; Crawford’s visits to, 19
Kaufman, Joseph, 216, 217
Kaye, Danny, 200
Kazan, Elia, 112, 216
Keaton, Buster, 41
Kelly, Bob, 264, 267
Kelly, George, 17, 133, 206
Kennedy, John F., 259
Kennedy, Joseph P., 45
Kenwith, Herbert, 198, 218
Kerr, Deborah, 227
The King and I
(film), 195
Kruger, Otto, 114, 130
Kullberg, Marcus Gary, 159, 162, 173
Kullberg, Rebecca, 159, 173
La Rocque, Rod, 63
Lady of the Night
(film), 22, 23
Lake Louise: Sherman-Crawford trip to, 209
LaLonde, Carla, 289–90
LaLonde, Casey, 289–90
LaLonde, Jerome, 289, 291
Lamarr, Hedy, 59, 154, 169
Lamour, Dorothy, 180
Lang, Charles, 216, 228
Langdon, Harry, 41–42
Lange, Hope, 247, 248
Lansbury, Angela, 186
Las Vegas, Nevada: Steele-Crawford wedding in, 232
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
(film), 125, 126, 127, 130
Laughing Sinners
(film), 81, 82–83, 130
The Law of the Range
(film), 55
Lawrence, Florence, 23–24, 27
Lawrence, Gertrude, 144
Lawton, Oklahoma: Crawford’s childhood in, 7–8
Le Sueur, Anna Bell Johnson (mother): birth of, 6; California move of, 59; and Casein-Crawford relationship, 8; and Crawford’s childhood and youth, 7, 8, 10, 11–12, 13, 14, 197; Crawford’s comments about, 61, 244; Crawford’s financial support for, 60–61, 244; and Crawford’s first trip to Los Angeles, 2; and Crawford’s Kansas City visits, 19; Crawford’s relationship with, 11–12, 244; death of, 244; Hal’s relationship with, 12, 61, 197; in©uence on Crawford of, 11; marriages of, 6–7; name change to Crawford of, 61; poverty of, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; views about men of, 11
Le Sueur, Harold “Hal” (brother): Anna’s relationship with, 12, 61, 197; California move of, 59–60; childhood of, 7, 9, 11, 12; Christina’s views about, 60; comments about Crawford of, 259; Crawford’s financial support for, 60, 84, 253, 259; Crawford’s views about, 60, 61; death of, 259; divorces of, 60, 84, 110, 259; drinking of, 60, 259; fictionalized version of, 78; film ambitions of, 59–60; and importance of good family image, 84; Kasha’s marriage to, 84
Le Sueur, Jessie (sister-in-law), 59, 60, 84, 110
Le Sueur, Joan Crawford (niece), 110
Le Sueur, Kasha (sister-in-law), 84, 110
Le Sueur, Lucille “Billie.”
See
Crawford, Joan
Le Sueur, Thomas (father), 6–7, 114, 132–33
Leave Her to Heaven
(film), 183
Leigh, Vivien, 85
Leonard, Robert Z., 107, 161, 164
Letty Lynton
(film), 94, 95–97, 130, 140
Lewis, Jerry, 268, 272
Life
magazine, 126–27, 211, 249, 264–67
Lili
(film), 219
Little Caesar
(film), 80
Little Man, What Now?
(film), 141
Little Women
(film), 119
Lloyd, Harold, 41
Loew, Marcus, 4, 18, 50
Loew’s theaters, 5, 18
Lombard, Carole, 83, 91, 123, 141, 161, 162
London, England: Crawford on location in, 240–41, 270, 271, 273
Lone Star
(film), 213
Lonsdale, Frederick, 125, 140
Loomis, Earl, 243
Loos, Anita, 160, 282
Los Angeles, California: Crawford’s arrival in, 1–4, 19; Mayer’s rules about leaving, 63
Los Angeles Times
newspaper, 27, 42, 43, 152–53
The Lost Weekend
(film), 182
Love Letters
(film), 183
Love on the Run
(film), 123–24, 130, 167
Lovejoy, Frank, 211
Lowe, Joan.
See
Le Sueur, Joan Crawford
Loy, Myrna, 5, 21, 28–29, 198, 259, 279
Lupino, Ida, 215
Lustig, Jan, 220
MacArthur, Charles, 74
MacDonald, Jeanette, 4–5
MacDougall, Ranald, 174, 175, 183, 188, 228, 237
MacInnes, Helen, 166
MacMurray, Fred, 166
Malraux, André, 158
The Man Who Knew Too Much
(film), 166, 220
Mankiewicz, Joseph L., 115, 116, 123, 131, 134, 143
Mannequin
(film), 127, 130, 131–32, 140, 141, 162
Manners, Dorothy, 197
Marafioti, Mario, 65–66
March, Fredric, 147
Marnie
(film), 261
Marshall, Herbert, 160
Martien, Elva, 198, 218
maternal self-sacrifice, 178.
See also
specific film
Maugham, Somerset, 97, 98, 140
Mayer, Louis B.: and Bautzer-Crawford relationship, 201; Christmas presents to Crawford from, 55; and
Complete Surrender,
82; and Crawford as loan-out, 41–42, 161; and Crawford in
Our Blushing
Brides,
70; and Crawford’s adoption plans, 137, 149, 168; and Crawford’s image, 128; and Crawford’s inferiority complex, 101; and Crawford’s leaves of absence from MGM, 121, 168; Crawford’s relationship with, 41, 91, 106; and Crawford’s suggestions for films, 132; and Crawford’s supporting players, 132; Crawford’s views about, 74, 170; as credited for Crawford’s success, 74; and
Dancing
Lady,
107, 109; and Dassin, 164– 65; death of, 170; and Fairbanks- Crawford European trip, 99–100; and film assignments for Crawford, 99; and foreign stars, 154; and Gable-Crawford relationship, 91, 99, 114, 123; and Garbo, 38, 49; and Garson, 154; and
The Girl from
Missouri,
113–14; and
Great Day,
70, 71; and Guilaroff’s contract with MGM, 95; and Haines- Crawford relationship, 37, 38, 41; as head of MGM, 4; and
I Live My
Life,
120; and importance of good family image, 84; and
Love on the
Run,
123; and MGM bonuses for Crawford, 75, 117; and MGM- Crawford contracts, 20, 134, 170; and MGM family image, 49; and
Mildred Pierce,
178; and naming contest for Crawford, 23, 27; and
One in a Million,
137; and
Our
Modern Maidens,
63; and
Possessed,
86; and profits from Crawford’s films, 76, 134; and public image of contract players, 5, 23; and
Reunion
in France,
164–65; rules about leaving Los Angeles of, 63; and Selznick, 107, 109; and sound films, 51; and
Susan and God,
144; and Terry-Crawford marriage, 163; and Tone-Crawford relationship, 123; and
West Point,
49; and
A Woman’s
Face,
154, 155; and
The Women,
138
McCabe, Charles, 151–52, 153, 158, 159, 162, 163, 180, 181, 209
McCambridge, Mercedes, 224, 225–26
McCarey, Leo, 182
McIntyre, R. B., 20
Medlinsky, Harvey, 257–58, 277
men: and abuse of Crawford, 134, 187; Crawford’s distrust of, 208; and Crawford’s early days at MGM, 22; and Crawford’s early days in New York City, 18; Crawford’s views about, 11; and Good Time Charlies, 32; and sexual harassment, 29; and Stage Door Johnnies, 32; and type of men Crawford was attracted to, 163; women’s contempt for, 177.
See
also specific person
Men in White
(play), 112
The Merry Widow
(film), 5
Method acting, 80, 216
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM): and Academy Award nominations, 156–57; bonuses for Crawford from, 117; and box-office poison, 133–34; and contest for naming Crawford, 26–29; contract players for, 4–5, 42; Crawford leaves, 170–71, 215; Crawford loaned out by, 41–42, 97, 161; Crawford’s contracts with, 19, 20, 29, 84, 103, 117, 134, 170; Crawford’s early days at, 5, 20–22; Crawford’s leaves of absence from, 121, 151, 168–69; Crawford’s relationship with, 140, 165, 167, 168–69; Crawford’s return to, 218–22; Crawford’s suggestions for projects for, 144; Crawford’s views about, 89, 282; creation of, 4; decline of, 5; family image of, 49, 282; first Academy Award sound film for, 62; and Gable-Crawford relationship, 99; and
Great Day,
70–71; Joan Crawford formula at, 178; and lawsuits against Crawford, 55; and Loew’s death, 50; as Loew’s theaters supplier, 18; and medical procedures for stars, 56; and photographs of Crawford, 102; and pornographic film of Crawford, 26–27; profits for, 18; and selection of films for Crawford, 70, 99, 140; sound films at, 50; as success, 5; Technicolor at, 63, 219–20; and Tone-Crawford relationship, 123, 135; and
Torch Song,
218–22; and Tracy-Crawford as co-stars, 132; Warner as rival of, 106, 108; and women as fans of Crawford, 126.
See also specific person or film
Mexico: Fairbanks-Montgomery-Olivier fishing trip in, 85–86
Mildred Pierce
(film), 109, 173–80, 181–83, 184, 185, 188–90, 201, 204, 211, 215
Milestone, Lewis, 97, 98
Miller, Arthur, 239, 250
Miller, David, 216, 240
Miller, Nolan, 193, 279
The Mirage
(play), 87
The Misšts
(film), 250
Molnár, Ferenc, 129
Mommie Dearest
(C. Crawford), 192–99, 258, 263, 273, 274, 278–79, 280, 289
Mommie Dearest
(film), 193, 280
Monroe, Marilyn, 219, 250
Montana Moon
(film), 68–69
Montgomery, Robert, 66, 85, 86, 94, 96–97, 115, 116, 119, 130
Montmartre Club (Los Angeles), 26, 30
Morgan, Dennis, 200, 213
The Mortal Storm
(film), 141
Motion Picture Code.
See
censors
Motion Picture Herald,
102, 260
movie industry: Crawford’s views about, 282; in early 1920s, 5, 24; early days of, 23–25; and first person credited in a movie, 23–24; golden era of, 24; hits in, 24–25; hypocrisy of, 25; “stars” in, 24.
See
also
contract players; silent films; talking/sound films;
specific studio
Movie Weekly
magazine, 23, 26, 27
Mr. Skefšngton
(film), 202
Mutiny on the Bounty
(film), 121, 122