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The Films of Joan Crawford

1952. 'Sudden Fear.' 

 

Joan made 83 films from 1925 to 1970, which are listed below chronologically, along with US premiere date, studio, the role she played, general notes, and DVD/VHS availability. (Film release dates are from the IMDb; DVD/VHS info from Amazon.com.)

 

Click on a title to go to this site's page for that film, which will have more complete information, including reviews, full cast listing, and photos of movie posters, lobby cards, sheet music and DVD/VHS covers, etc. (From the individual film page you can also link to this site's encyclopedia entry and page for photos from each film.)

 

A general Film Trivia section follows the table below, with sections on Most Frequent Co-stars, Most Frequent Directors, 1925 Films, and The Shopgirl Myth.

 

Click here to go to the page for Joan's MGM and Warners box-office receipts, as well as for info on Joan's box-office rankings from 1930 through 1936.

 

 

A star01_yellow.gif next to a title indicates a film in the Joan canon that I think is particularly worth seeing---either especially important in her career or one that I just like a lot.

US premiere

Title

Released by

Joan's character

Notes

DVD/VHS
availability

2/23/25

Lady of the Night (silent)

MGM

uncredited

Double for Norma Shearer.

Not available (NA)

7/15/25

Pretty Ladies (silent)

MGM

Bobby, showgirl

Billed for the first and only time by her real name, "Lucille LeSueur."

NA

11/9/25

Old Clothes (silent)

MGM

Mary Riley, poor girl who befriends kid

A Jackie Coogan vehicle.

NA

11/22/25

The Only Thing (silent)

MGM

Young Lady Catherine

Story by Elinor Glyn.

NA

12/7/25

Sally, Irene, and Mary (silent)

MGM

Irene, showgirl

Constance Bennett, Sally O'Neil co-star.

NA

3/21/26

Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (silent)

First National

Betty, daughter of shoe mogul

A Harry Langdon vehicle.

VHS; DVD as
part of 3-film
Harry Langdon set

5/24/26

Paris (silent)

MGM

The Girl, cabaret girl

Charles Ray, Douglas Gilmore co-star.

NA

6/14/26

The Boob (silent)

MGM

Jane, prohibition agent

A George K. Arthur vehicle.

NA

1/15/27

Winners of the Wilderness (silent)

MGM

Rene Contrecoeur, general's daughter

A Tim McCoy vehicle; set in 18th century.

NA

2/5/27

The Taxi Dancer (silent)

MGM

Joselyn Poe, taxi dancer

Joan's first top billing.

NA

2/26/27

The Understanding Heart (silent)

MGM

Monica Dale, forest ranger

Another top billing for Joan; Francis X. Bushman, Jr., co-stars.

NA

6/4/27

star01_yellow.gifThe Unknown (silent)

MGM

Nanon, carney girl

Lon Chaney stars, Tod Browning directs. Joan said Chaney's concentration made her take acting seriously for first time.

DVD, as part of
Lon Chaney set

7/9/27

Twelve Miles Out (silent)

MGM

Jane, kidnapped by rum-runner

John Gilbert stars.

NA

10/18/27

Spring Fever (silent)

MGM

Allie Monte, country-club girl

A William Haines vehicle.

NA

1/2/28

West Point (silent)

MGM

Betty Channing, hotel-owner's daughter

A William Haines vehicle.

NA

1/21/28

The Law of the Range (silent)

MGM

Betty Dallas, Texas ranger's girlfriend

A Tim McCoy vehicle.

NA

2/11/28

Rose-Marie (silent)

MGM

Rose-Marie, wild mountain girl

Joan has top billing; originated onstage as a comic operetta.

NA

4/30/28

Across to Singapore (silent)

MGM

Priscilla Crowninshield, neighbor and love interest of seafaring brothers

Ramon Novarro stars.

NA

8/11/28

Four Walls (silent)

MGM

Frieda, gangster's moll

Joan's second and last appearance with John Gilbert.

NA

9/1/28

star01_yellow.gifOur Dancing Daughters (silent)

MGM

Diana Medford, socialite party girl

This one made Joan a star and had huge box-office.

VHS

12/1/28

Dream of Love (silent)

MGM

Adrienne, gypsy girl

Co-stars Nils Asther, their 2nd of 3 films together.

NA

3/16/29

The Duke Steps Out (silent)

MGM

Susie the co-ed

Joan's third appearance with William Haines; she's billed second.

NA

8/14/29

Hollywood Revue of 1929

MGM

appears as herself

MGM's talking picture debut, showcasing most of its stable of stars; Joan sings and dances.

NA

8/24/29

Our Modern Maidens (silent)

MGM

Billie Brown, socialite party girl

Joan's last silent; her only film appearance with husband Doug Fairbanks, Jr. One of first films, if not the first, to feature deco style.

VHS

11/23/29

Untamed

MGM

Bingo, jungle girl and oil heiress

Joan's talkie acting debut; her first of 6 films with Robert Montgomery.

NA

3/20/30

Montana Moon

MGM

Joan Prescott, rich rancher's daughter

TCM says this might be the first "singing cowboy" film.

NA

7/19/30

Our Blushing Brides

MGM

Jerry, shopgirl

Joan's second film with Robert Montgomery.

NA

12/30/30

star01_yellow.gifPaid

MGM

Mary Turner, ex-con

Joan's first major dramatic role.

NA

2/21/31

Dance, Fools, Dance

MGM

Bonnie Jordan, ex-socialite cub reporter

Joan's first of 8 films with Clark Gable.

VHS

5/30/31

Laughing Sinners

MGM

Ivy Stevens, cafe entertainer

Second film with Gable, who replaced Johnny Mack Brown after MGM execs noted the Crawford/Gable chemistry in their first film.

VHS

8/29/31

This Modern Age

MGM

Valentine Winters, socialite daughter

Noted stage actress Pauline Frederick co-stars as Joan's mother.

NA

11/21/31

star01_yellow.gifPossessed

MGM

Marian/Mrs. Moreland, kept woman

Third film with Gable.

VHS

4/12/32

star01_yellow.gifGrand Hotel

MGM

Flaemmchen, a little stenographer

All-star cast (Garbo, Barrymores, Beery), Oscar winner for Best Picture. This one firmly established Joan as a superstar.

VHS, DVD

4/30/32

star01_yellow.gifLetty Lynton

MGM

Letty Lynton, stalked socialite

Third film with Robert Montgomery, third and last with Nils Asther. A plagiarism lawsuit won against MGM prevents this from being shown or sold today.

NA

10/12/32

star01_yellow.gifRain

United Artists

Sadie Thompson, prostitute

Joan reprises the role made famous by Jeanne Eagels on Broadway in 1922. Critical and public response to Joan was poor at time, though her performance much more lauded today.

VHS, DVD

3/3/33

Today We Live

MGM

Diana Boyce-Smith, rich Englishwoman pursued by 2 men

Directed by Howard Hawks; story by William Faulkner; Joan co-stars with Gary Cooper for only time; her first of 7 appearances with husband Franchot Tone, whom she met on set.

VHS

11/24/33

star01_yellow.gifDancing Lady

MGM

Janie Barlow, aspiring showgirl

Joan's fourth appearance with Gable, second with Tone; Fred Astaire's film debut; Three Stooges on hand.

VHS; DVD as part
of Clark Gable
Signature Collection

5/9/34

star01_yellow.gifSadie McKee

MGM

Sadie McKee, maid-turned-club entertainer-turned rich wife

Third film with Tone.

VHS, DVD

9/1/34

Chained

MGM

Diane Lovering, kept woman

Fifth film with Gable.

VHS

12/23/34

Forsaking All Others

MGM

Mary, socialite pursued by 2 men

Sixth film with Gable, fourth with Montgomery. From 1933 play starring Tallulah Bankhead.

VHS

6/14/35

No More Ladies

MGM

Marcia, socialite with philandering husband

Fifth film with Montgomery, fourth with Tone. First film with director George Cukor.

NA

10/4/35

I Live My Life

MGM

Kay, socialite in love with archaeologist

Co-stars Brian Aherne.

VHS

8/28/36

The Gorgeous Hussy

MGM

Peggy O'Neal, innkeeper's daughter who hobnobs with President Andrew Jackson

Unsuccessful period piece set in 1830s based loosely on true story; fifth film with Tone; first film with Robert Taylor, Melvyn Douglas, James Stewart.

VHS

11/20/36

Love on the Run

MGM

Sally Parker, socialite pursued by 2 men

Seventh film with Gable, sixth with Tone.

VHS

2/19/37

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney

MGM

Fay Cheyney, jewel thief

First a 1925 play, then a 1929 Norma Shearer film. Joan co-stars with William Powell for only time.

VHS