Crawford's Men

by Jane Ellen Wayne

Based on numerous interviews with entertainment industry insiders--including Crawford herself--this biography presents a compelling portrait of a driven, power-hungry woman who routinely used her sexuality to gain power

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published June 1, 1988

Reviews

[Lee Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whew, was this a poorly written book! Full of imagined conversations between Joan and various people such as Billy Haines (her gay BFF), Louis B. Mayer, and Clark Gable. These obviously phony conversations were the writer's way giving information about other people in JC's life. I'll make up my own example:

JOAN: Billy, have you seen Norma Shearer lately?
BILLY: You mean since she finished making Marie Antoinette?
JOAN: I hear she's going to marry Irving Thalberg. I guess that means she'll get all the best roles from now on.
BILLY: That means you'll just have to work harder, Cranberry.

And so on. You get the idea. There were some juicy gossipy bits, but nothing particularly revalatory. And who knows if it wasn't just copied out of some old fan magazine, or plain made up? Feh.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)

At about age 15 or 16 I fell in love with classic Hollywood. I loved the movies - plots, costumes, sets and actors. I started to become more fascinated with the different actors and learning more about them. I started to go to the library and started picking up various biographies/memoirs. Jane Ellen Wayne writes a few biographies with the focus being on the love lives (affairs, marriages, etc). I found them entertaining, and led me to more credible biographies.

**This is a series review**

[Debra Pawlak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like her or not, Joan Crawford is a Hollywood icon, a star in every sense of the word. This book, however, definitely falls short. No doubt, Crawford had a lot of men from first husband actor Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. to second husband actor Phillip Terry to third husband actor Franchot Tone to fourth husband Pepsi executive Alfred Steele who died suddenly putting an end to what was most likely her happiest marriage. In between husbands, she had many affairs including her most famous liaison with Clark Gable--a long-lasting relationship that she claimed was the most important to her. Jane Ellen Wayne did not do Crawford justice. She talks about Crawford's early years as Billie Cassin/Lucille LaSueur and actually has quotes from conversations between a young Crawford and her mother, brother, and stepfather. How did Wayne know exactly what was said? Was she there? There are very few citations throughout the book and most of the quotes have none. I believe Wayne would have been better off writing a novel in the historical fiction genre. There is no bibliography in the back of the book so it seems that Wayne (who knew Crawford) used what the actress told her as her basis and little else. Wayne touches upon her turbulent relationship with her children, but sheds little light on that situation and she also talks about Crawford's famous 'feud' with Bette Davis. Not much new here either. Crawford comes across as unlikeable and so wrapped up in her movie star persona that she has little time for anyone or anything else. As for me, I will eventually find another book about Joan Crawford, which I hope will be a much better read.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this book was entertaining. My main problem with this biography is the writing style (just don't think the prose flows very well, which is perhaps why the author relies so much on dialogue). There are these imagined conversations between Crawford and other Hollywood figures like Clark Gable or L.B. Mayer. Clearly, those conversations are fabricated. However, Wayne makes it sound like, to the unassuming reader, that the dialogue is verbatim. This kind of chips away at Wayne's credibility - I mean what details here are true/not true if these conversations we understand are fictional? Can this even be called a biography? In spite of the silly dialogue, I did enjoy reading this for fun. But as an actual investigation into Crawford's life? Not so sure I'm buying it.

[Grace Nicholls · Rating 2 out of 5]

Knowing my love of all things old Hollywood, a friend gave me this book from her annual clear out of her vast book collection. I found it hard to get past the first couple of chapters and question whether the 'conversations' actually took place. I didn't bother to pick it up again. I've read other books about Joan Crawford - unfortunately this one didn't interest me.

[Mindy Cossins · Rating 3 out of 5]

confirmed and elaborated on things we have heard about JC
list all her movies

[Lynn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a salacious read focusing mainly on her love life. Easy read. However it did result in seeking out a more in depth biography of Joan Crawford which featured not just her sexual life but also her movie career, friendships, rivalries and family relationships.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best insight I've read so far into the life of a poor struggling dancer, Lucille LeSueur who became Joan Crawford.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this after getting interested in the FX series "Feud", which followed Joan Crawford and Bette Davis and the making of their movie "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane". As I read this book, I was wondering if some of this was made up or exaggerated, as Joan Crawford let a very unique life. She was born in San Antonio, Texas as Lucille Fay LeSueur in 1904. The father deserted the family before her birth. The mother remarried and they moved to Lawton, Oklahoma. There was an embezzlement, and they moved again to Kansas City. Joan was first a fabulous dancer and made her way to New York City in the age of the flappers. She struggled and eventually was "discovered", and made her way to Hollywood, and the rest is history.