Joan Crawford event at UCLA - 2/25

[Midnight Palace]

Monday night, I attended a Joan Crawford retrospective at UCLA. My friend Casey (Joan's grandson) flew out for it. We met for lunch early Monday afternoon and then met back up around 6:45pm for the event, which started at 7:30pm.

The main premise was that Charlotte Chandler was going to speak about her memories of Joan. Charlotte wrote the new book that just came out: Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford, a Personal Biography. She's also written biographies on Groucho Marx, Federico Fellini, Billy Wilder, Bette Davis and Alfred Hitchcock. Charlotte actually met and interviewed Joan a few years before Joan died.

Also on the panel was actor Cliff Robertson (who I'm sure many of you are familiar with, he starred opposite Joan in 1956's Autumn Leaves). I could tell he was a nice guy even before I met him after the event. He kept, what I can only describe as, an "old man smile" on his face the whole time, like he was just happy to be there. He spoke very openly about his memories of Joan, including the first time he went to her house to rehearse their Autumn Leaves lines, and how nervous he was. As I said, after the event, I introduced myself to him. He was a very, very nice gentleman, soft spoken and down to earth. I'm happy to have gotten the chance to meet him.

The panel also consisted of a film writer for the LA Times, a Joan Crawford archivist and another older man who was apparently an agent back in Hollywood's golden era. He represented Joan right around the time of her classic film, Mildred Pierce.

The event itself went like this:

They showed clips of different Joan Crawford films, staring with her appearance opposite Lon Chaney in 1927's The Unknown. It was one of her many silent films. Charlotte, remembering her interviews with Joan, said that Joan found Lon Chaney a highly professional man who took her under his wing. He treated her with the utmost respect and taught her a lot about character acting. Joan also said that "you never wanted to go near Alonzo" (referring to Chaney's character in The Unknown). She basically meant that Chaney himself was always the gentleman, but when he got into character (after spending 3 hours putting on his own makeup), he became that character and took on the personality.

Other films that they showed clips from were Rain, Mildred Pierce, The Women, Grand Hotel, Dancing Lady, Autumn Leaves, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

When they showed the Autumn Leaves clip, Cliff Robertson gave insight into his fear about trying to appear as Joan's leading man when it was obvious he was much younger than her. He said that the first time he visited her house, the maid brought him in. (Side note, Joan's maid, Betty, was there as well, sitting 2 seats away from me. She was a very sweet lady, always smiling. I found out after the fact that she had also been Howard Hughes's secretary!). Anyway, when Betty brought Cliff into the house, she turned him over to the butler, who then lead him all throughout the house. Cliff commented on the beautiful George Hurrell photos of Joan lining the walls of her house. They were all over, from the earliest photos to the most current. Finally, the butler brought Cliff out back, where Joan was sitting on the lawn about 100 yards out. Cliff said that Joan yelled "We've been waiting! Come here my boy!". By "we", Joan was speaking of herself and the 6 men sitting around her. They were all members of her professional team (her agent, lawyer, publicist, etc...). By the time they all left, Cliff wanted to rehearse their lines so he started. Joan looked uninterested and didn't know any of her lines, but knew them all the day of the shoot. After their awkward rehearsal, Joan lead Cliff back into her house, and yes, to her bedroom. Joan said: "Billy (referring to William Haines, her interior decorator) says that the bedroom is the most important room in a person's house, don't you agree?". Cliff innocently agreed. Cliff stopped his recollection there because he's writing his own book and wanted to save the remainder of the story for that. He did end with "Needless to say, I remained chaste". So, obviously nothing happened there, but I can't wait to hear how it unfolded!

Seeing the film clips on a big screen was great!

Here are some photos from the event...

Book author Charlotte Chandler, actor Cliff Robertson and yours truly

Yours truly, Scott Michaels (LA's Dearly Departed Tour), Casey LaLonde (Joan's grandson) and Neil Maciejewski (Legendary Joan Crawford website)

 

[pigeon toe]

There are lots of great classic film events at UCLA...and of course I never take advantage of them! At least I have another year and a half there when I get back, I'm definitely going to start attending these things. They have so many amazing films in the archives at UCLA. They even have a special projection room for showing silent films on nitrate, which is pretty neat!

 

[scotrace]

I just finished Chandler's book. The best part of it was that it helps deflect all that Mommie Dearest claptrap. Ms. Crawford was, by the first-hand accounts of the overwhelming majority of those who knew her, including her other children, a kind and generous person. Make no mistake, she was very careful about protecting Joan Crawford, the STAR, but was remarkably down-to-earth all the same. A Pox on Christina Crawford, the wretch.

 

[Midnight Palace]

I just finished Chandler's book. The best part of it was that it helps deflect all that Mommie Dearest claptrap. Ms. Crawford was, by the first-hand accounts of the overwhelming majority of those who knew her, including her other children, a kind and generous person. Make no mistake, she was very careful about protecting Joan Crawford, the STAR, but was remarkably down-to-earth all the same. A Pox on Christina Crawford, the wretch.

That seems to be the general consensus. The more that comes out, the more it seems like Christina's claims were all invented.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I remember when the book came out and they talked to some of the stars quoted or referred to in the book as witnessing or doing this or that, and it seems like they all sided with Joan, said events Christina wrote about never ever happened, etc. As I recall, they were stars of high stature like Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart and so forth, saying the book was utter rubbish written as a means of making money off of / getting back at Joan for cutting she & Christopher out of the will for, as I believe the will stated, "reason well known to both of them," or words to that effect. Some were Christina's own childhood friends & playmates who say she never mentioned a word of anything like that happening, they never saw or heard or witnessed anything along the lines of some of the things they were supposedly witness to.

But a big problem is a lot of people read the book and/or see the movie and take it as Gospel...and it's been out long enough (30 or so year) that more & more of Joan's supporters have died off or aren't heard from any more because the book & movie are so far off the radar these days, as far as talk shows, magazine articles and the like are concerned.

Is it a good movie? Does it have several great performances? Is it fun to watch - I'd have to say yes. But is it the truth? In my opionion, no. Could some of it be slightly true but blown way out of proportion and/or heavily embellished? Could very well be.

I think Joan Rivers summed it up very well on the Tonight Show when the book first came out. Johnny asked her if she'd read it and/or what she thought - "Ya know...kids give you trouble!" and went on to say there are times when a child & a parent are just bitter enemies from the get-go, or a parent remembers a situation one way, the child another, and Crawford was no longer there to defend herself, so we were only hearing one side of the story...or so she thought, not really thinking, IMHO, that a lot of those mentioned in the book would rally to Joan's defense. If she was such a hateful parent, why didn't Christine run to the tabloids a lot sooner?

 

[katiemakeup]

I am pea green with envy!! How fantastic!! I am a die hard Joan fan. I wish this went on when I lived in Hollywood! :rage: Will definately have to get the book. I also agree with you Scotrace- a pox.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[Midnight Palace]

I am pea green with envy!! How fantastic!! I am a die hard Joan fan. I wish this went on when I lived in Hollywood! :rage: Will definately have to get the book. I also agree with you Scotrace- a pox.

Thank you for sharing!

Katie,

You definitely would've enjoyed it! UCLA told me that they're planning a special Joan Crawford film screening event for later in the year.