American film actress Lucille Fay LeSueur, better known by her stage as Joan Crawford, started as a dancer. She made her Broadway debut as a chorus girl. Her six-decade-long professional career (55 years). She is renowned for taking on various roles and giving multifaceted performances.
Quick Facts
| Celebrated Name: | Joan Crawford |
|---|---|
| Real Name/Full Name: | Lucille Fay LeSueur |
| Gender: | Female |
| Age at the time of death: | 73 years old |
| Birth Date: | March 23, 1904 |
| Date of death: | May 10 1977 |
| Birth Place: | San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 160.02 cm |
| Weight: | 49 kg |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Divorced |
| Husband/Spouse (Name): | Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (m. 1929; div. 1933), Franchot Tone (m. 1935; div. 1939), Phillip Terry (m. 1942; div. 1946), Alfred Steele (m. 1955; died 1959) |
| Children: | Yes ( Christina Crawford, Cindy Crawford, Christopher Crawford, Cathy Crawford) |
| Dating/Boyfriend (Name): | N/A |
| Profession: | American film actress, Singer, Pin-up girl, Dancer, Film Producer, Screenwriter |
| Net Worth in 2023: | $8 million |
Joan Crawford Biography
Joan Crawford was born in Texas’s San Antonio. She was the third child born to Anna Bell Johnson and construction worker Thomas E. LeSueur. Still, a teenager when her brothers were born, her mother passed away on August 15, 1958. Daisy LeSueur, the older sister of Joan Crawford, and her brother Hal LeSueur both passed away before Lucille was born.
After leaving the family when Lucille was ten months old, Thomas LeSueur. Then, Crawford’s mother wed Henry J. Cassin. With her family, Crawford resided in Lawton, Oklahoma. Joan enjoyed going to Henry’s theater to see vaudeville performances. Crawford didn’t know Cassin wasn’t her biological father then; she thought he was until her brother Hal revealed the truth. Growing up, she preferred the name, Billie. When she was eleven years old, Cassin allegedly started assaulting her sexually, and the abuse persisted until she enrolled at the Catholic girls’ school, St. Agnes Academy. Crawford only completed the first grade of his education. Her goal was to pursue a career in dancing. She enrolled in St. Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, in 1922 but quit because she wasn’t prepared for college.
Joan Crawford Age, Height, And Weight
Joan Crawford was born on March 23, 1904, and was 73. She weighed 49 kg and measured 160.02 cm tall.
Joan Crawford Career
Producer Jacob J. Shubert first saw Crawford dancing in Detroit while she was going under the name Lucille LeSueur. Then she appeared in his New York City production of Innocent Eyes. Pete Smith, who saw in her the potential to become a famous star but also felt the need to change her name, held a contest in Movie Weekly called “Name the Star” to choose her new stage name. Despite initially opting for “Joan Arden,” Joan Crawford was chosen instead.
Her debut movie, Lady of the Night, from 1925, had her named Lucille LeSueur. She worked incredibly hard and rapidly established herself. Joan was recognized as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1926. She and Charles Ray performed in Paris the same year. She quickly rose to fame as a leading romantic female actor, working with several of MGM’s top male actors. Crawford made an appearance in Lon Chaney Sr1927 .’s film The Unknown. She co-starred with William Haines in the movie Spring Fever in 1927. Although Crawford appeared in Across to Singapore in 1928, her performance as Diana Medford in Our Dancing Daughters was the most memorable and brought her worldwide fame.
Crawford worked arduously on her diction and elocution skills and successfully transitioned to talkies to get rid of her Southwestern accent. Her first fully-voiced role was in the 1929 film Untamed, which also starred Robert Montgomery. The 1930 film Montana Moon was a huge hit when it was first released. Paid, her subsequent film starring Robert Armstrong was also a hit. MGM hired Crawford for five movies in 1931. Crawford excelled in Letty Lynton to great success (1932). Her dress, which featured exaggerated ruffled sleeves, quickly gained popularity and was even purchased by Macy’s. Crawford’s films from the 1930s were among the most well-liked and lucrative productions of the time. The Gorgeous Hussy (1935), No More Ladies (1935), Today We Live (1933), and (1936),
The role of Fay Cheyney that Crawford played in The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) earned her the title of the first “Queen of the Movies” by Life magazine, but her popularity quickly started to wane. In 1939, she came back in The Women, playing the destructive Crystal Allen. Crawford was referred to as “Box Office Poison” in an open letter published in the Independent Film Journal on May 3, 1938.
Crawford secured a three-movie agreement with Warner Bros for $50000. Hollywood Canteen, the studio’s first movie she worked on (1944). She won an Oscar for her performance in Mildred Pierce, which was released in 1945, and her film career was revitalized. Her next movie was Humoresque (1946), and the movie for which she won her second Academy Award nomination was Possessed (1947). Crawford also participated in the radio program! On September 23, 1974, she made her final public appearance at a book party that she and her old friend Rosalind Russell co-hosted in New York City’s Rainbow Room. Crawford canceled all public appearances, started turning down interviews, and left her residence less and less after seeing the ugly images published in the newspapers the next day. She required round-the-clock nursing care due to dental issues. In 1974, she stopped drinking.
Joan Crawford’s Net Worth
Joan Crawford, an American actress, had an $8 million net worth. She had a net worth of about $2 million at the time of her passing. Her annual compensation was believed to be around $65,250,000. Cathy Crawford and Cindy Crawford, Joan Crawford’s adoptive twins, received her estate. Christina Crawford and Christopher Crawford, however, were omitted.
During the early 1990s, Joan Crawford was a very accomplished actress. She played in more than 30 films and received honors like the Oscar. Crawford became a skilled and adaptable actress after beginning her career as a dancer. On May 10, 1977, she had a heart attack and passed away.
Joan Crawford Husband, Marriage
Joan Crawford has four marriages. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was the woman’s first husband. Despite getting hitched in 1929, they separated four years later, in 1933. In 1935, she then wed Franchot Tone. Their union broke down in 1939. 1942 saw her remarry, this time to Phillip Terry. In 1946, they got divorced. Alfred Steele, with whom she last Wed in 1955, passed away in 1959. Although Joan Crawford adopted five kids, one of them was later returned. Christina Crawford, Cindy Crawford, Christopher Crawford, and Cathy Crawford are her four adoptive children.
According to rumors, Christina and Christopher, Joan Crawford’s two older children, had a problematic connection with her. After Joan passed away, Christina published a forthcoming book called “Mommy Dearest” that revealed how terrible Joan had been to her kids. According to the book, Joan may have used her adoption of children as a PR gimmick since her adopted daughter Chistina believed she was unqualified to be a mother.
