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Conversations with Joan Crawford
Interviews with Joan Crawford provide insight into her views on her career, films, four husbands, lovers, leading men, children, and loneliness during her final years
186 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1980
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262 people want to read
About the author
Roy Newquist
9 books1 followerRoy Newquist was a copy supervisor for various advertising agencies in Minneapolis and Chicago (1951-63), a literary editor for Chicago's American and a critic for the New York Post (1963). He also hosted a radio program called Counterpoint, WQXR, New York. His published books include Counterpoint (1964) and Conversations (1967).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 6, 2012
Unlike her autobiography, which Crawford openly admits was self-censored to protect the studio image, Newquist's book reveals the real Joan Crawford.
It opens with explaining how the author and Crawford met and how their relationship formed to a level that she was able to be open with him. After a brief biography, in come the interviews, easily the most important part of the book.
First, the pair talks about Crawford's movies which she denounces or praises heartily. Then they talk about more personal things. Crawford candidly talks about her longtime affair with Clark Gable which was hushed up for years by the studio. However, there are some things she does not like to talk about, especially sex. She quickly responds and tries not to reveal too much of her personal life.
Of course there are times when Crawford contradicts herself, especially when talking about Bette Davis with whom she had a love/hate relationship. The studio wanted publicity so during Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? the two were posed as arch enemies. In some cases this was true, but Joan highly respected Davis' talent as a fan.
The few moments in which Crawford talks about her children, she admits that she may not have been the perfect mother, that perhaps she was too strict. She goes on to talk about how none of the major movie stars were fit parents or fit spouses because they were a star first and everything else second. This helps to explain if not down-play the harshness of the Mommie Dearest accusations which came from an incredibly biased viewpoint.
Overall, this book is required reading for anyone who calls themselves a Joan Crawford fan. It will help one to differentiate Crawford the star and Crawford the woman (who incidentally thought Crawford sounded like Crawfish).
It opens with explaining how the author and Crawford met and how their relationship formed to a level that she was able to be open with him. After a brief biography, in come the interviews, easily the most important part of the book.
First, the pair talks about Crawford's movies which she denounces or praises heartily. Then they talk about more personal things. Crawford candidly talks about her longtime affair with Clark Gable which was hushed up for years by the studio. However, there are some things she does not like to talk about, especially sex. She quickly responds and tries not to reveal too much of her personal life.
Of course there are times when Crawford contradicts herself, especially when talking about Bette Davis with whom she had a love/hate relationship. The studio wanted publicity so during Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? the two were posed as arch enemies. In some cases this was true, but Joan highly respected Davis' talent as a fan.
The few moments in which Crawford talks about her children, she admits that she may not have been the perfect mother, that perhaps she was too strict. She goes on to talk about how none of the major movie stars were fit parents or fit spouses because they were a star first and everything else second. This helps to explain if not down-play the harshness of the Mommie Dearest accusations which came from an incredibly biased viewpoint.
Overall, this book is required reading for anyone who calls themselves a Joan Crawford fan. It will help one to differentiate Crawford the star and Crawford the woman (who incidentally thought Crawford sounded like Crawfish).
December 10, 2021
Oh man, this is the best Joan book I ever read. Joan Crawford is an American legend--she was created by the Hollywood studio system and the American people wholly--and she always knew it.
Despite the pack of lies her gold-digging daughter Christine told (that was made into that awful "Mommie Dearest" film), Joan was generally a good person and a great actress.
This book is a series of interviews with her done over a 10 year period. They reveal--first-hand--how smart, funny, and insightful she was.
More than that, Joan's life story is the glossy outline of a story shared by the many middle Americans who migrated west in the beginning of this century to seek a fortune--often at a cost.
Although it may seem a bit of a stretch, Joan's stories have given me a lot of insight into the evolution of some race and class dynamics inherent to the 20th century in the US.
And she is fierce too!
Despite the pack of lies her gold-digging daughter Christine told (that was made into that awful "Mommie Dearest" film), Joan was generally a good person and a great actress.
This book is a series of interviews with her done over a 10 year period. They reveal--first-hand--how smart, funny, and insightful she was.
More than that, Joan's life story is the glossy outline of a story shared by the many middle Americans who migrated west in the beginning of this century to seek a fortune--often at a cost.
Although it may seem a bit of a stretch, Joan's stories have given me a lot of insight into the evolution of some race and class dynamics inherent to the 20th century in the US.
And she is fierce too!
December 8, 2021
This series of interviews with Crawford, conducted over many years, are fascinating because she's so candid about some extremely sensitive subjects, including her problems with alcohol, her children (at the time of these discussions she didn't know about the book by her adopted daughter Christina, which would savage her reputation but good when it was published in 1978 after Crawford died), along with her honest appraisals of her filmography and performances (I think she was too rough on herself on several of what I think of as among her best films, including Rain, Humoresque, and Harriet Craig). Crawford is also very upfront about her loneliness near the end of her days. It's a poignant story and yet another reminder that no one is immune to pain, suffering and heartbreak, not even the rich and famous.
July 19, 2019
So many books have been written about Miss Crawford, but out of all the ones I’ve read, this one seems to capture her spirit the best. She’s really unapologetically herself in these interviews with Roy Newquist. You sense an actress who is at the end of her career, but not the end of her rope. She still has plenty of stories in her and a zest for the life she once lived. Joan is not perfect in these pages, but it’s her flaws that make her most human. It’s no secret that Joan was always obsessed with perfection and maintaining her star image, but throughout these pages I felt like I got a real glimpse into the woman behind Joan Crawford. All glamour, all human.
April 17, 2011
My all time favorite Joan Crawford book, penned by one of the young men she wheedled into "helping her" during the 60s and 70s. By helping, I mean extensive cleaning and moving furniture around. Also playing cards and someone she formed a close friendship with. Gives a very alternate and interesting insider view of Joan, during a little documented time in her life. A must read for any Crawford fan.
May 2, 2021
This is the best book on Crawford and on Hollywood. JC is blunt and honest about many things and talks about what being a "star" was--this was worked on for about a decade but finally got published most likely as a reaction to you-know-what-other-book.
August 15, 2020
What a great lady. Love love love Joan
March 5, 2022
Joan Crawford is such an inspiration and an idol of mine for my entire adult life. She was raw and candid in these interviews and offer a humanizing look at her better than her memoir and certainly than that trash Christina wrote.
December 6, 2022
Gosh, this was terrible and useless.
April 14, 2024
⭐️ 4 Stars ⭐️
As a Joan Crawford fanatic, I enjoyed this rare gem of a book very much.
As a Joan Crawford fanatic, I enjoyed this rare gem of a book very much.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews