Possessed (54 page)

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