Starring Joan Crawford: The Films, the Fantasy, and the Modern Relevance of a Silver Screen Icon

Joan Crawford embodied “one archetype after another: jazz baby, bad girl, Cinderella, heiress, boss lady, monster, survivor—all while staying essentially herself,” according to this diverting biography from screenwriter Bernstein (Mr. Confidential). Born Lucille LeSueur somewhere “between 1903... and 1908” in San Antonio, Tex., Crawford, who died in 1977, left behind her hardscrabble childhood to become a professional dancer in New York City. After she was discovered by a talent scout, she moved to Hollywood, where her “vibrancy” and “self-assurance” landed her roles in silent films. Dividing the actor’s life into stages, Bernstein frames Crawford as “queen of the movies” during her 1930s and early ’40s heyday; “mother and martyr” from the mid-1940s to early ’50s, during which time she adopted two children, aided the U.S. war effort by growing victory gardens and hosting picnics for servicemen, and won an Academy Award for her starring role in Mildred Pierce; and “dragon lady” in the mid-to-late ’50s, as she fought to carve out a career during middle age. There’s plenty here that entertains, though Bernstein tends to rely on flattering sources and skates over such controversies as daughter Christina’s portrayal of Crawford as a cruel alcoholic in her 1978 memoir, Mommie Dearest. Those flaws aside, it’s a spirited portrait of a Hollywood legend. (July)