Tribute celebrates iconic actress
By Elizabeth Packer
Feb. 24, 2008 9:00 p.m.
Back in the heyday of Hollywood glamour, before Perez Hilton and the paparazzi took over, there was a certain elegance that came with fame and a certain mystique attached to actors.
That old school style and grace was famously embodied by screen legend Joan Crawford. Crawford, the subject of a new book from famed Hollywood biographer Charlotte Chandler, will be honored tonight at UCLA’s James Bridges Theater. The tribute will feature clips from some of her most celebrated films as well as a panel of special guests who will discuss her life and remarkable career.
Chandler was inspired to write “Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford, A Personal Biography” after meeting Crawford in the 1970s, shortly before the actress’s death. The title refers to Crawford’s dedication to her impeccable appearance.
“When I first met her, she was beautifully dressed, with her hair done and wonderful high heel shoes on and just completely made up, and it was all for me,” Chandler said. “And I remember Joan said to me, “˜People expect to see Joan Crawford, not the girl next door.'”
It was this flawless beauty and poise that contributed to her allure and popularity. James Bacon, a former Hollywood writer for the Associated Press, first met Crawford in 1948 and developed a lasting friendship with the actress. He remembers her as the ultimate movie star.
“Joan was a star to the core. She wouldn’t go down to the supermarket unless she was dressed in Chanel,” he said. “She always put her best side forward, wherever she went.”
Not only was Crawford dedicated to her appearance, she was also extremely devoted to her fans, and those who knew her remember her insistence on replying to fan mail.
“She answered every single fan letter personally,” said Warren Cowan, her long time publicist who will also be part of tonight’s panel. “I’ll never forget, she used to sit in her bed every night … and dictate answers to every fan letter she received.”
While Crawford is perhaps best remembered today for her role in the 1962 thriller “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?,” she enjoyed a remarkably productive career that spanned nearly five decades, a longevity rarely seen today. Crawford began acting in the era of silent films, then went on to have a successful career as a dancer while making films for several studios, including MGM and Warner Brothers.
“She was a star from 1925 until she finished her career in 1970, and she went through many phases … her career covered really the entire story of motion pictures,” Chandler said.
Archivist and Crawford historian Sean Sobeck, who will be speaking at the UCLA tribute, attributes Crawford’s success to her adaptability and willingness to keep up with change. “If you look at her pictures from each decade, sometimes it’s hard to recognize her as the same person,” he said. “She was somebody who changed for her audience and changed with the times and I think that’s one of the things that helped sustain her for five decades.”
Chandler hopes that tonight’s event will familiarize a new generation with Crawford’s legacy. Chandler has hosted similar tributes before for other Hollywood legends, and is looking forward to the evening’s potential as a learning experience, for both the audience and herself.
“The audience is always quite wonderful. Whenever you present your work, the audience is a big part of it, and if they’re responsive and enthusiastic and interested in the subject, you wind up learning something as you talk about it and tell your story.”
Clips will be shown from various stages of Crawford’s career, including scenes from “The Unknown,” a silent movie from 1927 that was one of Crawford’s first leading roles, and “Mildred Pierce,” for which Crawford won the Academy Award for best actress in 1945. In order to appreciate her performances, Sobeck recommends viewing Crawford’s performances with an open mind, remembering that her films come from an entirely different era of cinema.
“It’s important to recognize that when people watch (her) movies, especially the older ones, the silents and the very early talkies, a younger audience needs to watch them as antiques or as period pieces. If you look at them superficially, they may seem a little stagy or a little artificial.”
This does not mean, however, that modern audiences cannot still appreciate Crawford.
“If you let your guard down, you can still be taken in by the drama in her performance,” Sobeck said.
In today’s world of celebrity overexposure and gimmicks, it is refreshing to remember the career of a veritable Hollywood legend. Friends and colleagues of Crawford agree that she was truly unrivaled in her meticulous good looks and dedication to her craft.
“I’ve worked with practically every star in the business, including The Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra and all, but Joan Crawford was an original,” Cowan said. “She was a beautiful lady … a true star of the golden age.”
