Article
Mommie Dearest... Joan Crawford
- Posted by
- Gon C Curiel a.k.a. Groucho
- Article date
- Sunday, November 05, 2000
There’s a heavy cloud that has attempted to obstruct her light for decades, however, and that cloud was formed by one of her adoptive children, Christina Crawford. In 1978, Christina published a book that would become a groundbreaking hit, staying on the New York Times bestseller list for 42 weeks and no wonder: The book talked about Joan as an abusive mother who brought hell to the childhoods of her adoptive children.
The tell-all story hasn’t been well taken by fans of Joan Crawford. Christina was cut out of her mother’s will, as was her brother Christopher, and after the legendary actress died, Christina concocted and published the book. Yet, despite claims that Christina is a liar, one can’t deny that there seems to be some truth on her side of the story, and getting to know the dark side of Joan is scary, regretful, and unnecessary.
The appreciation of an artist’s work shouldn’t be the least bit affected by his or her personal life. Growing up as a fan of Woody Allen, I encountered people more often than not who said they couldn’t believe I admired the man so much, given his questionable relationships and especially (recently) his liaison with ex-wife Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. I couldn’t care less. It’s not like Woody Allen is an abusive father, but his ethics are questionable, and yet… What do I care? I like his films, and that’s that! (And in his case, the fact that he’s so troubled gives his films the secret ingredient that makes them so special).
However, I haven’t quite been able to see Joan Crawford the same way after I read Christina’s book. I am deeply affected by child abuse, especially when coming from a parent. I of course have no doubt that Christina might have toned up things a bit (or a lot), but if there’s a little truth in her tale, Joan as a human being deserves to lose all my respect.
Movie history was made in 1981 when a film version of Mommie Dearest was released. Starring Faye Dunaway, and featuring a dreadful script and no better direction, the film got the worst reviews of its time (it went on to “sweep” the Razzie Awards). The film’s true success came when the studio realized it could be propelled as a camp classic, and gave it that kind of advertising. Indeed, it’s a “classic” by now, with many followers, though many love it as a comedy, in the way that Edward D. Wood Jr.’s films are loved by many.
Though I haven’t actually proof that what I’m going to say is right, it seems to me like Faye Dunaway’s career was destroyed by Mommie Dearest, or by those in the industry who resented the lack of respect for the screen legend in the film. Dunaway’s over-the-top performance was dreadful to some, but the quality of her performances didn’t quite diminish after that. However, the roles she started to get weren’t half as significant as those from her great films of the 1970s (Chinatown (1974) and Network (1976) perhaps the best examples). They say the industry “punished” her by denying her any more juicy roles. Dunaway has worked steadily since, making the most of her supporting parts, but the momentum she lost after Mommie Dearest hasn’t been regained by a damn sight.
So, if you’re interested, read the book, watch the film, and evaluate Faye Dunaway’s career… and judge for yourself.
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