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Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford

Actor, also producer and writer · Died May 10, 1977, aged 71 · San Antonio, Texas, USA

Oscar winner · Golden Globe winner · BAFTA Award nominee

Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 1906 – May 10, 1977) was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford launched a publicity campaign and built an image as a nationally known flapper by the end of the 1920s. By the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money. By the end of the 1930s, she was labeled "box office poison". After an absence of nearly two years from the screen, Crawford staged a comeback by starring in Mildred Pierce (1945), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1955, she became involved with the Pepsi-Cola Company, through her marriage to company president Alfred Steele. After his death in 1959, Crawford was elected to fill his vacancy on the board of directors but was forcibly retired in 1973. She continued acting in film and television regularly through the 1960s, when her performances became fewer; after the release of the horror film Trog in 1970, Crawford retired from the screen. Following a public appearance in 1974, after which unflattering photographs were published, Crawford withdrew from public life. She became more and more reclusive until her death in 1977.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 23, 1906
Died
May 10, 1977 (aged 71)
From
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer and writer
Titles
72 on Motif · 130 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Up 6% in 30 days

What are Joan Crawford's films like?

Across their 64 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 64 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 26 · Serious 22 · Dark 16

A split, not a type: Grounded 29 · Stylized 28 · Heightened 7

Gentle 16 · Charged 34 · Intense 14

Steady 25 · Shifting 35 · Whiplash 4

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 38 · Some laughs 21 · Funny 5

Slow burn 31 · Even-paced 33 · Relentless 0

Casual 33 · Engaged 30 · Full focus 1

Easy watch 25 · Affecting 28 · Heavy 11

Resolved 48 · Open-ended 14 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

46 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 31 of 46 analyzed roles.

Hero
31 of 46
Shapeshifter
5 of 46
Ally
4 of 46
Shadow
3 of 46
Mentor
2 of 46
Trickster
1 of 46
Show the 46 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
33
Romantic
30
Melancholic
25
Joyful
13
Bittersweet
14
Other
59

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet29
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous11
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Joan Crawford's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 72 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).

Subscription and free streaming for Joan Crawford's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

130 credits, 72 with a Motif page; 61 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Martha(2024)

    as Mildred Pierce

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • The Green Fog (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2018)

    Actor

  • I Am Not Your Negro(2016)

    as Bonnie

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Possessed (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)

    as (archive footage)

  • Flappers, Speakeasies, and the Birth of Modern Culture (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • The Casting Couch (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
  • Gay! Gay! Hollywood (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    Actor

  • Going Hollywood: The '30s(1984)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid(1982)

    as (in "Humoresque") (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • Bob Hope's World of Comedy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    as (archive footage)

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • That's Entertainment!(1974)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)

    as Joan Fairchild

  • The Sixth Sense (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Joan Fairchild

  • Journey to Murder (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    as Host

  • Trog(1970)

    as Dr. Brockton

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
  • Night Gallery (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)

    as Miss Menlo

  • The Name of the Game (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Committee Member (uncredited)

  • Berserk(1967)

    as Monica Rivers

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
  • The Karate Killers(1967)

    as Amanda True

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
  • The Oscar(1966)

    as Joan Crawford

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
  • I Saw What You Did(1965)

    as Amy Nelson

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
  • Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte(1964)

    as Miriam Deering in Car (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E.(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Amanda True

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
  • The Big Parade of Comedy(1964)

    as Bobby (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • Della (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)

    Producer · as Della Chappell

  • Strait-Jacket(1964)

    as Lucy Harbin

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
  • The Caretakers(1963)

    as Lucretia Terry

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?(1962)

    as Blanche Hudson

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
  • The Lucy Show(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Joan Crawford

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
  • The Virginian (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Stephanie White

  • One Must Die (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Morgan Harper

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
  • The Best of Everything(1959)

    Writer · as Amanda Farrow

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
  • Woman on the Run (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer · as Susan Conrad

  • Strange Witness (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    as Ruth Marshall

  • The Story of Esther Costello (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1957)

    as Margaret Landi

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Sarah / Melanie Davidson Hobbs · as Stella Faring

  • Autumn Leaves (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1956)

    as Millicent Wetherby

  • Queen Bee(1955)

    as Eva Phillips

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
  • Female on the Beach(1955)

    as Lynn Markham

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
  • The Road to Edinburgh (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1954)

    as Mary Andrews

  • Johnny Guitar(1954)

    as Vienna

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • The Secret Storm (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 318 episodes · as Joan Borman Kane

  • Torch Song(1953)

    as Jenny Stewart

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • General Electric Theater (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Ann Howard · as Mary Andrews · as Ruth Marshall

  • Sudden Fear(1952)

    Producer · Writer · as Myra Hudson Blaine

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • This Woman Is Dangerous(1952)

    as Elizabeth Austin

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
  • Goodbye, My Fancy(1951)

    as Agatha Reed

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • Harriet Craig (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1950)

    as Harriet Craig

  • The Damned Don't Cry(1950)

    Additional Writing · Costume Consultant · Writer · as Ethel Whitehead

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
  • It's a Great Feeling(1949)

    as Joan Crawford (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • Flamingo Road(1949)

    as Lane Bellamy

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Daisy Kenyon(1947)

    as Daisy Kenyon

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Possessed(1947)

    as Louise Howell

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Humoresque(1946)

    as Helen Wright

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • Mildred Pierce(1945)

    as Mildred Pierce

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
  • Above Suspicion(1943)

    as Frances Myles

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • Reunion in France(1942)

    as Michele de la Becque

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • They All Kissed the Bride(1942)

    as Margaret Johanna 'M.J.' Drew

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • Joan Crawford's Home Movies (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    Director · Cinematographer · as Self

  • When Ladies Meet(1941)

    as Mary 'Minnie' Howard

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • A Woman's Face(1941)

    as Anna Holm

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • Susan and God(1940)

    as Susan Trexel

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
  • Strange Cargo(1940)

    as Julie

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • The Women(1939)

    as Crystal Allen

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Joan Crawford

  • The Ice Follies of 1939(1939)

    as Mary McKay

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
  • The Shining Hour (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Olivia Riley Linden

  • Mannequin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Jessie Cassidy

  • The Bride Wore Red(1937)

    as Anni Pavlovitch

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • The Last of Mrs. Cheyney(1937)

    as Mrs. Fay Cheyney

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
  • Love on the Run(1936)

    as Sally Parker

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • The Gorgeous Hussy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    as Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal

  • I Live My Life(1935)

    as Kay Bentley

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
  • No More Ladies (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    as Marcia Townsend Warren

  • Forsaking All Others(1934)

    Writer · as Mary Clay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
  • Chained (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    as Diane Lovering

  • Sadie McKee(1934)

    as Sadie

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
  • Dancing Lady(1933)

    Writer · as Janie Barlow

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • Fast Workers(1933)

    as Ivy Stevens (Archive Footage) (Uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • Today We Live(1933)

    as Diana 'Ann' Boyce-Smith

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
  • Rain(1932)

    as Sadie Thompson

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • Grand Hotel(1932)

    as Flämmchen

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • Letty Lynton (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    as Letty Lynton

  • Possessed(1931)

    as Marian Martin aka 'Mrs. Moreland'

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
  • This Modern Age(1931)

    as Valentine 'Val' Winters

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • Laughing Sinners(1931)

    as Ivy 'Bunny' Stevens

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
  • The Stolen Jools (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    as Joan Crawford

  • Dance, Fools, Dance(1931)

    Writer · as Bonnie Jordan

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
  • Paid(1930)

    as Mary Turner

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
  • Our Blushing Brides (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)

    as Geraldine 'Gerry' March

  • Montana Moon(1930)

    as Joan

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
  • Untamed(1929)

    as Alice "Bingo" Dowling

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
  • Our Modern Maidens(1929)

    as Billie Brown

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
  • The Duke Steps Out (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    as Susie

  • Dream of Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    as Adrienne Lecouvreur

  • Our Dancing Daughters(1928)

    as Diana 'Di' Medford

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Four Walls (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    as Frieda

  • Across to Singapore(1928)

    as Priscilla Crowninshield

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • Rose-Marie (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    as Rose-Marie

  • The Law of the Range (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    as Betty Dallas

  • West Point (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    as Betty Channing

  • Spring Fever(1927)

    as Allie Monte

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Twelve Miles Out (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    as Jane

  • The Unknown(1927)

    as Nanon Zanzi

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • The Understanding Heart (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    as Monica Dale

  • The Taxi Dancer (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    as Joselyn Poe

  • Winners of the Wilderness (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    as René Contrecoeur

  • Bardelys the Magnificent (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1926)

    as Court Gossip (uncredited)

  • Paris (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1926)

    as The Girl

  • The Boob (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1926)

    as Jane

  • Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1926)

    as Betty Burton

  • Sally, Irene and Mary(1925)

    as Irene O'Dare

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
  • Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ(1925)

    as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
  • The Only Thing (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    as Party Guest (uncredited)

  • Old Clothes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    as Mary Riley

  • Time, the Comedian (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    as Art Student (as Lucille LeSueur)

  • The Midshipman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    as Extra - Driver of Police Car (uncredited)

  • The Circle(1925)

    as Young Lady Catherine

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
  • Pretty Ladies (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    as Bobby

  • The Merry Widow (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    as Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)

  • A Slave of Fashion (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    as Mannequin (uncredited)

  • Proud Flesh (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    as Party Guest (uncredited)

  • Lady of the Night(1925)

    as Body Double for Norma Shearer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
  • And One Was Loyal (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    as Ann Howard

  • Rebel Range (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    as Stella Faring

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 128 titles, 126 of them dated from 1925 to 2018; peak year 1981.

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19252018

Peak 1981 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 26 Motif titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 1 more milestone

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting127 of 128: 124 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stDirecting1 of 128: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 128: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleCinematography1 of 128: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 128: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

128 titles, 4 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1920s32 · acting1930s28 · acting1940s14 · 13 acting · 1 crew1950s18 · 18 acting · 2 crew1960s17 · 17 acting · 1 crew1970s7 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s3 · acting2000s2 · acting2010s3 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 63% of 40 roles
2535505565

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

an Oscar and a Golden Globe from 7 major nominations, 1946–1970.

WinNomination
  1. 1970
    • Golden Globe, won
  2. 1964
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Foreign Actress
  3. 1955
    • Golden Globe, nominated
  4. 1953
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actress in a Leading Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Actress - Drama
  5. 1948
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actress in a Leading Role
  6. 1946
    • Oscar, won · Best Actress in a Leading Role

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Joan Crawford's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 69; across their 64 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Approval · how many liked their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Midcredits score across 72 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up28
  • 50th to 74th23
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th6

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 61 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Joan Crawford's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 Motif titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles24–60 · median 45 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles7–26 · median 14 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 14 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles29–47 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles27–67 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Joan Crawford work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joan Crawford's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Oliver T. Marsh shares the most, 10.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles