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Joan Crawford probably enjoyed being a movie star more than anyone who ever earned that title. It is said of her that she wouldn?t even think of putting out the garbage unless she is made up.¹

Born March 23, 1908 - Joan Crawford was not an actress; she was a movie star. The distinction is a crucial one: She infrequently appeared in superior films, and her work was rarely distinguished regardless of the material, yet she enjoyed one of the most successful and longest-lived careers in cinema history.²

Her career extended into the 1950s, with twelve new movies, including Johnny Guitar (1954). Besides her work as an actress, from 1955 to 1973 Joan Crawford was a publicity executive for Pepsi-Cola.³

First up is Sadie McKee from 1934, when Joan Crawford was at the height of her box office power (if not critical acclaim). Crawford plays the title character, a young housemaid whose life goes through a series of tumultuous turns.⁴

In the 1930’s, Joan Crawford became one of the biggest stars at MGM, on par with Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer. Her specialty was the Cinderella story, the shopgirl who scrapes and claws her way to unbelievable riches.⁵

But the fact is that Joan Crawford was a star at MGM almost from the beginning, and continued to be a star for many decades, perfecting her persona as the working-class girl who broke into the ranks of the rich. It was a role that was particularly appealing to people during the Depression and war years.⁶