🌟 Explore the Legendary Journey of Joan Crawford in "Joan Crawford: From Rags to Riches" 🎥 Brought to you by the ChatStick Team, this compelling biography unfolds the dramatic rise of Joan Crawford from her challenging early days to her reign as a Hollywood legend. Discover the true grit and glamour behind one of the most iconic actresses of the Golden Age of Cinema. 🌟 📚 Inside This Book, You'll Discover: Early Struggles: How Joan's challenging upbringing shaped her indomitable character. Rise to Stardom: The breakthrough roles and defining moments that made her a household name. Iconic Roles: Dive into her most memorable performances and their impact on film and culture. Personal Battles: Joan's resilience in her personal life and battles away from the limelight. Enduring Legacy: Reflect on how she influenced the entertainment industry and beyond. 🌈 A Must-Read For: Fans of classic Hollywood films and true stories of cinematic legends. Readers interested in powerful narratives of resilience and triumph. Anyone who loves a deep dive into the lives of influential women in history. 🎬 Grab Your Copy Today! Be inspired by the story of a woman who turned every setback into a stepping stone towards her colossal success. #JoanCrawford #HollywoodLegend #Biography

In the first biography of Joan Crawford to give the full, uncensored story, bestselling author David Bret tells Crawford's rags to riches climb, from working in a Kansas City laundry to collecting an Oscar for her defining role in Mildred Pierce, and on to her devotion to Christian Science and reliance on vodka. He discusses the star's legendary relationship with Clark Gable, her countless love affairs, her marriages -- three of them to gay men -- and her obsession with rough sex. Bret divulges what really happened that led her to disinherit two of her four children, earning her the nickname "Mommie Dearest," as well as how her loathed mother forced Crawford to work as a prostitute, appear in pornographic films, and sleep her way to the top. Bret analyzes Crawford's films, many of which were constructed purely as vehicles where actress and character were often indistinguishable. Overtly generous towards her coterie of gay friends, she was heartless towards her enemies, particularly Bette Davis, her co-star in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, with whom she shared a lifelong feud. Drawing on a wealth of unpublished material and interviews, David Bret presents a unique, fascinating portrait of a single-minded, uncompromising woman.

Bob Thomas tells the fabulous truth of how Joan Crawford rose from a Kansas City telephone operator to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in this compelling biography. Few Hollywood careers have been more fabulous, more scandalous, or more glaringly in the spotlight than that of Joan Crawford. Born Lucille Fay LeSueur in 1906, or 1908 according to her own press releases, Joan Crawford changed her name and rewrote her life story when she left her job as a telephone operator and grew into one of the most well-known film and television actresses in America. Now, pulling back the curtain on a breathtaking tale of rags to riches and triumph to tragedy, Bob Thomas takes readers into the life of Joan Crawford, sharing stories of her famed life filled with glamour, glitter, romance, and ultimate stardom.

One of Hollywood’s greatest stars recalls her fabulous life: at nine, scrubbing floors in a Kansas City school; at twenty, motion picture stardom and marriage to Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.; in 1945, the Academy Award for her sensational comeback-triumph in Mildred Pierce; and today, a glamorous “double life” as Hollywood star and corporation executive. Richly illustrated with photographs throughout.

Joan Crawford's contribution to film noir during the 1940s and 1950s, though rarely discussed in its totality, is one of her most impressive and far-reaching career achievements. Several of her noir and noir-tinged efforts contain arguably her best acting work, and all bear her personal stamp. These aren't conventional film noirs, they are Joan Crawford noirs: highly distinctive films that extended the boundaries of noir content and brought added depth and dimension to the noir style. Unlike most actors who routinely adapted to the needs of particular film projects and directors, she approached each film, first and foremost, as a Joan Crawford vehicle, often exerting great control over multiple production functions and at times operating as a de facto producer. Examining these films as a collective and relatively cohesive body of work, this book highlights what Crawford aspired to achieve in her art, how--when the circumstances were right--she could deliver superb results, how she helped expand the possibilities for noir, and why the best of her efforts speak across the decades with such intensity and authority.

Joan Crawford: the name has an enduring fascination. Forty-five years after her death, Crawford remains a familiar icon in pop culture and the entertainment world. Certainly the camp bathos of Mommie Dearest has played a part in her continued relevance. But it is ultimately her work and career themselves that account for her remarkable longevity in the culture. From her first film in 1925, to her rise to stardom in 1928, and on to the hit films she appeared in through the 1960s, she continually molded and remolded herself, crafting an indelible image and ensuring her place in the American pantheon. STARRING JOAN CRAWFORD is a rollicking exploration of the powerful women Joan Crawford vividly brought to life in her films—and the lasting, ever-evolving impact she has had on popular culture.Having carved out a revolutionary path through the entertainment industry while relying on men as little as possible—whether her studio bosses or her many husbands—she created a gallery of strong, assertive women who outsmarted men and refused to conform to gender expectations. In movies like Mildred Pierce, The Damned Don't Cry, Johnny Guitar, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, among many others, she played to win, becoming a lodestar to LGBT audiences, a model of feminist self-determination for women, and an unforgettable icon for everyone.

At sixteen, Betty runs away from the small river town she's always known, to live in Los Angeles with her father, an outrageous used car salesman and avid gambler. It is the first journey in what will be a remarkable life among remarkable people: Betty's first job out of college is as Joan Crawford's nanny, caring for the Crawford children at the height of the star's career. Hollywood is about to play an even larger role in Betty's life when she meets a young ambitious actor named Lee Marvin. After a whirlwind courtship and a trip to Las Vegas, Betty and Lee are married. In this unique memoir, both hilarious and touching, we follow Betty as she creates a family with Lee, and is by his side as he works with Marlon Brando, John Wayne and a host of other stars. She is the penultimate hostess and Hollywood Housewife. Nobody knew what was really going on at home - until, unable to take Lee's womanizing, drinking and abuse, Betty leaves him and strikes out on her own. What follows are adventures that could only be Betty Marvin's; from the building of her career as an artist. To a love affair with an Italian King, to dire straits as investment con artists leave Betty suddenly homeless. After years of the Hollywood life, Betty is left with only her car, her dog and her typewriter. Forced to employ all of her skills to survive, she comes out on top. This is the story of a woman who finds the real riches that come with learning the value of a joyful life.

From the acclaimed author of Joan Crawford comes a riveting and uncensored biography of Clark Gable. The archetypal male of his era, Gable was named “King of Hollywood” in 1938. But as David Bret reveals, the star was not quite who he seemed. One of Gable's best-kept secrets was his bisexuality. Bret recounts Gable's failed marriages to women who turned a blind eye toward his affairs with actors Earl Larimore and Rod La Rocque, among other men. Bret also reveals how a pseudo-scandalous paternity suit and the actor's wartime accomplishments were no more than elaborate publicity stunts created by studio chief Louis B. Mayer in order to exaggerate Gable's masculinity and heroism in the public eye. With passion and accuracy, Bret uncovers the truth behind one of Hollywood's biggest stars.

From “Grand Hotel” to “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?,” Joan Crawford played some of the finest parts Hollywood had to offer, establishing a reputation as the most spectacular diva on the silver screen. Even when the cameras quit rolling, her life never stopped being over-the-top. In My Way of Life, a cult classic since it was first published in the early 1970’s, Crawford shares her secrets. Part memoir, part self-help book, part guide to being fabulous, My Way of Life advises the reader on everything from throwing a small dinner party for eighteen to getting the most out of a marriage. Featuring tips on fashion, makeup, etiquette and everything in between, it is an irresistible look at a bygone era, when movie stars were pure class, and Crawford was at the top of the heap.

The story of the tormented and glamorous star, Joan Crawford, struggling to survive in a cutthroat world, succumbing to a rage leading to alcoholism and child abuse.