Star Cards - 6

Someone was kind enough to scan and post a whole heap of Players Cigarette cards. This particular set of 85 cards is of Actresses, and were released during the late 1930's (from clues like "her latest film was...").

I'll post one of these every once in a while, with a couple of simple links to IMDB.com or a bio if I can find one. You might be surpirsed at some of the familiar names you'll see. The category is "Star Cards" (over on the right column), and you can click there at any time to see all that I've posted. Hope you enjoy.

(in the extended entry)

(click for superstar size)

Joan Crawford is one of the all-time greats of the silver screen. She won one Best Actress Oscar and was nominated for two others. Today she's perhaps best known as the subject of the tattlebomb Mommy Dearest.

"She's slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie." -- Bette Davis, referring to Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford started her career as a dancer and was discovered while dancing in a chorus line. She did a tap dance in Hollywood Revue of 1929, which was the first-ever tap dance to appear in a talkie. After appearing with Lon Chaney in a film, Joan Crawford was so impressed by his concentration and professionalism that she forever after credited him as being her inspiration to become a better actress. Despite her myriad quirks (she was almost phobic about cleanliness), she also had a heart of gold. She never forgot her humble beginnings and personally answered every fan letter she received, except for those from her college classmates who had teased her for coming from a poor family. When Carol Lombard died in a plane crash while doing a war bond tour, Ms. Crawford was asked to take over her role in They All Kissed the Bride. Joan Crawford then donated all of her salary to the Red Cross (who had found Lombard's body), and promptly fired her agent for taking his usual 10%.

She passed away in 1977 from cancer.

Posted by Ted at April 12, 2005 05:21 AM | TrackBack