Changes

(Actress and businesswoman)

(Actress and businesswoman)

| image=Annex - Crawford, Joan (No More Ladies) 03.jpg

| image=Annex - Crawford, Joan (No More Ladies) 03.jpg

| birth_date=March 23, c. 1904

| birth_date=March 23, 1906

| birth_place=[[San Antonio]], [[Texas]]

| birth_place=[[San Antonio]], [[Texas]]

| death_date=May 10, 1977 (aged 73)

| death_date=May 10, 1977 (aged 71)

| death_place=[[Manhattan]], [[New York City]]

| death_place=[[Manhattan]], [[New York City]]

| religion=[[Christian Science]]

| religion=[[Christian Science]]

| party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]

| party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]

| spouse=(1) Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (married 1929-1933, divorced)<br>

| spouse=(1) Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (married 1929-1933, divorced)<br>

(2) Franchot Tone (married 1935-1939, divorced)<br>

(2) Franchot Tone (married 1935-1939, divorced)<br>

Christina, Christopher, Cindy, and Cathy

Christina, Christopher, Cindy, and Cathy

}}

}}

'''Joan Crawford''', originally '''Lucille Fay LeSueur''' (March 23, c. 1904 &ndash; May 10, 1977), was an [[United States|American]] [[actress]] who became a director of the Pepsi-Cola Corporation after the death in 1959 of her fourth husband, company executive Alfred Steele.

'''Joan Crawford''', originally '''Lucille Fay LeSueur''' (March 23, 1906 &ndash; May 10, 1977), was an [[United States|American]] [[actress]] who became a director of the Pepsi-Cola Corporation after the death in 1959 of her fourth husband, company executive Alfred Steele.

Crawford began her acting career as a dancer on Broadway in [[New York City]]. She appeared on [[radio]] and starred in a large number of films, perhaps the most remembered is the horror picture, ''Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?'', in which she appeared on screen in 1962 with her long-time rival, Bette Davis. She appeared three times in [[Ronald W. Reagan]]'s ''General Electric Theater'', an anthology [[television]] series on [[CBS]]. She was cast in two episodes of ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater'': "Rebel Range" (1959) and "One Must Die" (1961), a CBS western series. In 1963, she was cast as Morgan Harper in the episode "Same Picture, Different Frame" of the CBS drama, ''Route 66''. In 1968, Crawford appeared in five episodes of the CBS former daytime drama, ''The Secret Storm''. That same year, she appeared as herself on [[Lucille Ball]]'s CBS situation comedy, ''The Lucy Show'', in the episode "Lucy and the Lost Star." Her last film was the 1970 British horror picture, ''Trog''. That same year, she appeared on [[NBC]]'s ''The Virginian'' western series as Stephanie White in the episode "Nightmare".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001076/|title=Joan Crawford|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|accessdate=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

Crawford began her acting career as a dancer on Broadway in [[New York City]]. She appeared on [[radio]] and starred in a large number of films, perhaps the most remembered is the horror picture, ''Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?'', in which she appeared on screen in 1962 with her long-time rival, Bette Davis. She appeared three times in [[Ronald W. Reagan]]'s ''General Electric Theater'', an anthology [[television]] series on [[CBS]]. She was cast in two episodes of ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater'': "Rebel Range" (1959) and "One Must Die" (1961), a CBS western series. In 1963, she was cast as Morgan Harper in the episode "Same Picture, Different Frame" of the CBS drama, ''Route 66''. In 1968, Crawford appeared in five episodes of the CBS former daytime drama, ''The Secret Storm''. That same year, she appeared as herself on [[Lucille Ball]]'s CBS situation comedy, ''The Lucy Show'', in the episode "Lucy and the Lost Star." Her last film was the 1970 British horror picture, ''Trog''. That same year, she appeared on [[NBC]]'s ''The Virginian'' western series as Stephanie White in the episode "Nightmare".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001076/|title=Joan Crawford|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|accessdate=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

She was estranged from her two older adopted children, Christina and Christopher, who she omitted in her will. Christina wrote a "tell-all" book in 1978 entitled ''Mommie Dearest'', in which she alleged that Crawford was an abusive, alcoholic mother more interested in her film career than her children. Crawford's two youngest daughters, Cindy and Cathy, and some of Crawford's Hollywood associates, including [[Katharine Hepburn]] and Cesar Romero, expressed doubt about the book. However, Betty Hutton and Helen Hayes claimed to have witnessed abusive behavior by Crawford. 

She was estranged from her two older adopted children, Christina and Christopher, who she omitted in her will. Christina wrote a "tell-all" book in 1978 entitled ''Mommie Dearest'', in which she alleged that Crawford was an abusive, alcoholic mother more interested in her film career than her children. Crawford's two youngest daughters, Cindy and Cathy, and many of Crawford's Hollywood associates, including [[Katharine Hepburn]] Joan Evans, John Springer and Cesar Romero expressed knowledge of the book's allegations being false.

Crawford was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who particularly admired [[U.S. President]]s [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and [[John F. Kennedy]], whom she believed were interested in the needs of the laboring class of Americans into which Crawford was born in [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.azquotes.com/quote/1273686|title=Joan Crawford quote on Democratic Party|publisher=Azquotes.com|accessdate=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

While Joan did admire John F. Kennedy as a person, she was a member of the republican party. She was a strong supporter of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. In 1972, she abandoned her usual rule of not discussing politics to praise Reagan as a great governor for the state of California, and supporter of his values. In Addition, she had friendships with many republican politicians, including Arizona senator Barry Goldwater. In a 2019 interview, actress Diane Baker, a staunch Democrat, passed judgment against Crawford specifically for her republican political views, even though Crawford had helped launch Baker's career with "Strait-Jacket."

All four of Crawford's marriages ended after four years. Crawford's cremains are interred along with fourth husband, Alfred Steele, at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, [[New York]].

All four of Crawford's marriages ended after four years. Crawford's cremains are interred along with fourth husband, Alfred Steele, at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, [[New York]].

[[Category:Television]]

[[Category:Television]]

[[Category:Business People]]

[[Category:Business People]]

[[Category:Christians]]

[[Category:Christians]]