Synopses & Reviews
Joan Crawfords classic beauty, dazzling confidence, and sheer toughness made her the very definition of a star; her formidable talent won her an Oscar for Mildred Pierce and shines through in other classics such as Grand Hotel and The Women. Focusing on the often overlooked first half of her career, this is the first visual book to reclaim her place in the canon of glamour. Crawford pioneered a new depth that had not been seen before in roles for women. Her domineering charisma gave audiences a new kind of heroine, laying the path for todays actresses from Meryl Streep to Cate Blanchett. Women—and many men—identified with her in ways they never had before. Drawing from archives around the world and including more than a hundred photos unseen in the past fifty years, Joan Crawford is sure to reintroduce fans to this ultimate Hollywood legend. "She was the perfect image of a movie star . . . You could photograph her from any angle, and the face moved beautifully."—George Cukor, director
About the Author
Peter Cowie is a film historian and author of some thirty books. Formerly the international director of Variety, he now serves as consultant for the Berlin Film Festival and contributes commentaries for Criterion Collection releases. Mick LaSalle is the film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Holllywood. He also teaches courses at Stanford University. George Cukor was one of the greatest directors of Hollywoods golden age. His credits include Little Women, The Women, The Philadelphia Story, Gaslight, and A Star Is Born.