While Joan is, of course, best known for her film roles, she also made over one-hundred television appearances in a 20-year span, ranging from a 1953 appearance at the Academy Awards through an introduction to Mildred Pierce that accompanied a NYC station's airing of the film in '74 or '75.

Within those 20-odd years, she only made 13 films, yet apparently kept herself quite busy and in the public eye via the burgeoning TV-world by appearing on game shows, talk shows, awards shows, half-hour dramas, made-for-TV movies, pilots... whatever the medium offered.

This page lists an overview of her TV appearances by type of show and, within each section, chronologically. (Most of the information here is garnered from the IMDb, with additional info from the now-defunct "Joan Crawford Online" site and my own research. I'm sure the information is incomplete; please e-mail me if you know something I'm missing.)

Click on one of these links to go directly to a particular section below:

Awards  •  Comedy/Variety  •  Commercials  •  Dramas  •  Game Shows  •  Narrator   •  Talk Shows   •  Mentions  •  Misc.

For a chronological listing of each appearance by decade (including photos and more complete information on the programs if available) as well as more info on her TV commercials, go to these separate pages, which include video clips from her appearances:

1950s        1960s       1970s      Commercials

Awards Shows

19 March 1953. 25th Annual Academy Awards   In audience. First televised Academy Awards show.

1960.  32nd Annual Academy Awards   In audience.

1961.  33rd Annual Academy Awards  In audience.

9 September 1961.  Miss America Pageant.  On the panel of judges.

9 April 1962.   34th Annual Academy Awards.  Presenter: Best Actor.

8 April 1963.   35th Annual Academy Awards.  Presenter: Best Director; Accepting Best Actress Award for Anne Bancroft.

1964.   36th Annual Academy Awards.  Presenter: Best Director.

5 April 1965.   37th Annual Academy Awards.  Presenter: Best Director.

12 September 1965.  Emmy Awards.  Accepting awards for Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

1966.   38th Annual Academy Awards.  In audience.

1967.   39th Annual Academy Awards.  In audience.

2 February 1970. Golden Globes. Receives the Cecil B. DeMille Award, presented by John Wayne.

Comedies/Variety Shows

    (Joan appeared as "Herself" in each of these programs.)

4 September 1955.   Colgate Variety Hour.  

2 March 1957.  Caesar's Hour.

15 October 1958.  The Bob Hope Buick Show.

23 February 1960.  Startime: "The Talent Scouts Program" (episode # 1.21).

3 October 1960.  The Bob Hope Buick Show.

9 October 1965.  Hollywood Palace.

June 1966.  Hollywood Palace.

22 April 1967. Hollywood Palace.

26 January 1968.  The Joey Bishop Show.

26 February 1968.  The Lucy Show: "Lucy and the Lost Star" (episode # 6.22)

30 January 1970.  The Tim Conway Show (episode # 1.1)

7 February 1970.  Hollywood Palace (episode # 7.17)

4 October 1970.  The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (episode # 1.3)

Commercials

1960.  Easter Seals.

1968.  Mountain Dew.

1972.  Muscular Dystrophy Association.

1973.  American Cancer Society.

Dramas

19 September 1953. Revlon Mirror Theater. "Margaret Hughes" in "Because I Love Him" (episode # 2.1)

31 October 1954.  General Electric Theater. "Mary Andrews" in "The Road to Edinburgh" (episode # 3.7)

23 March 1958.  General Electric Theater.  "Ruth Marshall" in "Strange Witness" (episode # 6.24)

4 January 1959.  General Electric Theater.   "Ann Howard" in "And One Was Loyal" (episode # 7.14)

15 May 1959.  The Joan Crawford Show.  "Susan Conrad" in pilot "Woman on the Run." (The show was not picked up.)

3 December 1959.  Zane Grey Theater.  "Stella Faring" in "Rebel Range" (episode # 4.10)

12 January 1961.  Zane Grey Theater.  "Sarah/Melanie Davidson Hobbes" in "One Must Die" (episode # 5.14)

21 September 1961.  The Foxes. "Millicent Fox" in pilot . (Show not picked up.)

4 October 1963.  Route 66. "Morgan Harper" in "Same Picture, Different Frame" (episode # 4.2)

1964.  Della aka Fatal Confinement. "Della Chappell"

31 March and 7 April 1967. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. "Amanda True" in "The Five Daughters Affair." (2 episodes: #s 3.28 and 3.29)

21 - 25 October 1968.  The Secret Storm. Joan filled in for daughter Christina on this daytime soap, playing "Joan Borman Kane."

8 November 1969.  Night Gallery.  "Claudia Menlo" in "Eyes" (episode # 1.2)

21 January 1970.  The Virginian.  "Stephanie White" in "Nightmare" (episode # 8.16)

27 April 1972.  Beyond the Water's Edge. "Allison Hayes." (TV movie)

30 September 1972.  The Sixth Sense. As "Joan Fairchild" in "Dear Joan, We're Going to Scare You to Death" (episode # 1.15)

1970s. Three-Star Theater. "Virginia Hudson" in the "Lady in Waiting" episode of this unaired pilot.

Game Shows

8 December 1957.  What's My Line?  Mystery Guest

8 January 1961.  What's My Line?  Mystery Guest

23 October 1961.  I've Got a Secret.  Herself

12 July 1962.  Your First Impression.  Mystery Guest

14 October 1962.  What's My Line?  Mystery Guest

December 1962.  Password.  Herself.

27 May 1963.  I've Got a Secret.  Herself

12 September 1964.  The Celebrity Game.  Herself

13 December 1964.  What's My Line?  Mystery Guest

10 November 1965.  To Tell the Truth.  Herself

3 July 1966.  What's My Line?  Mystery Guest

Narrator/Tribute Programs for Others

11 October 1959.  Sunday Showcase. "Herself" in "A Tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt on Her Diamond Jubilee" (episode # 1.4)

29 October 1961.  DuPont Show of the Week.  Hosts tribute to Florenz Ziegfeld, "The Ziegfeld Touch" (episode # 1.7)

8 November 1969.  Garbo.  Narrator for this 50-minute BBC program, later aired on PBS in the US.

15 June 1970.  Journey to the Unknown.  Hosts this TV movie.

30 January 1971.  Journey to Murder.  Hosts this TV movie.

1974 or '75.  Mildred Pierce. Introduces a broadcast of the film for a New York City station.

Talk Shows

29 September 1954.  Tonight Show.  Hosted by Steve Allen.

5 June 1955.  Tonight Show.  Hosted by Steve Allen.

7 August 1956.  Picture Parade.  BBC interview with Joan and husband Al Steele, plus film clips and footage of her in Britain.

9 November 1956.  A - Z.  BBC interview.

27 January 1958.  Tonight! America After Dark.  Interviewed along with husband Al Steele (episode # 1.1)

1 October 1962.  Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

7 March 1963.  Merv Griffin Show.

2 October 1963.  Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

16 February 1965. Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

14 May 1965.  Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

14 May 1965.  Girl Talk.

22 May 1965.   Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

19 July 1965.  Merv Griffin Show.

10 November 1965.  Merv Griffin Show.

16 November 1965.  Merv Griffin Show.

9 March 1966.   Merv Griffin Show.

5 April 1966.  Merv Griffin Show.

26 April 1966.  Merv Griffin Show.

28 August 1966.  Girl Talk.

8 February 1967.   Girl Talk.

7 April 1967.  Girl Talk.

6 June 1967.  A Film Profile. BBC interview with film clips shown.

28 June 1967.  Merv Griffin Show.

11 September 1967.  Merv Griffin Show.

27 February 1968.  Merv Griffin Show.

12 April 1968.  Girl Talk.

6 May 1968.  Merv Griffin Show.

23 - 27 September 1968.  Mike Douglas Show.

1 November 1969.  Girl Talk.

4 November 1969.  Merv Griffin Show.

16 January 1970.  Merv Griffin Show.

16 January 1970.  David Frost Show.

21 March 1970.  Merv Griffin Show.

21 April 1970.  David Frost Show.

7 October 1971.  David Frost Show.

28 October 1971.  Merv Griffin Show.

26 September 1972.  Merv Griffin Show.

Shows Mentioning Joan

While Alive

1962.  Lykke og krone.  Norwegian special on Hollywood.

7 October 1963.  Hollywood and the Stars.  Clip of Joan shown in "Sirens, Symbols and Glamour Girls" (episode # 1.1)

30 March 1964.  Hollywood and the Stars.  Clip of Joan shown in "The Oscars - Moments of Greatness: Part 1"

Unknown. The Carol Burnett Show. Burnett did two skits featuring caricatures of Joan: "Mildred Fierce" and "Torchy Song."

Posthumous

1996.  A & E. "Always the Star." 60-minute documentary.

August 2002.  Turner Classic Movies. "The Ultimate Movie Star." 90-minute documentary.

Miscellaneous or Unknown

1954.  A Star Is Born World Premiere.  Clip of Joan arriving. Not sure in what way this was broadcast.

November 1962.  Here's Hollywood. Appearing as "Herself."

20 July 1965.  ABC's Nightlife.  Appearing as "Herself."

1966.  Every Day is Mother's Day. Joan was to have played "Diane Miles," but filming never began on this show, though a contract was signed.

1967.  Crusade '67. Joan speaks on behalf of the American Cancer Society and recites a poem.

22 January 1968.  House Party. Appearing as "Herself."

September 1968.  Jerry Lewis Telethon. Joan appears with Christina on this MD telethon. A picture appears in Mommie Dearest; according to Christina, it is the last taken of the two of them together.

15 January 1971. The Name of the Game.  Appearing as "Board Member" in "Los Angeles 2017" (episode # 3.16)

Rare Joan TV Appearances on DVD

Contact Crawfordtv@hotmail.com for info on ordering
the below rare Joan TV appearances on DVD.

Be sure and mention the number/brief description
of the DVD(s) you're interested in.

Please note: This is an independent seller.
Info is offered here purely as a service to Joan fans.
All transactions are between you and the seller.

Joan Crawford: Four Decades of Events, Premieres, Parties, and Newsreel Footage. 1925 - 1967.

1.    David Frost. Joan Crawford Interview

2.    Rare Joan Crawford Interviews Vol. 1

3.    Rare Joan Crawford Interviews Vol. 2—Includes Crawford drunk at an airport in 1968

4.    Rare 1966 46 minute interview—no commercials or interruptions.

5.    Rare Footage Vol. 1-Incredible rare stuff of Crawford with Christina in 1968, color charity footage, 1965 Emmy awards, etc..

6.    Rare Footage Vol. 2—Awesome forgotten 1972 8 minute film for the American Cancer Society Crawford did, as well as a recent discovered 1957 What's My Line? appearance.

7.    The Game Shows—Password, I’ve Got a Secret, What’s My Line? (1960, 1962 and 1966)

8.    Ford Startime

9.    Tim Conway Show

10.  Journey to the Unknown

11.  Hollywood Palace 1965 Color

12.  Hollywood Palace 1967 B&W

13.  Garbo: 45 min documentary from 1969 that Crawford hosts and appears in.

14.  The Virginian-Color

15.  Sixth Sense 50 min, 1972 color w/brief interview with Crawford at the end.

16.  Della

17.  The Ziegfeld Touch

18.  Bob Hope Show 1958

19.  Bob Hope Show 1960

20.  2 Zane Grey TV westerns—Rebel Range and One Must Die. Plus Bonus--rare short biography of Crawford added called “Legends of Entertainment” Second western has poor footage quality and minor sound problems.

21.  The TV Commercials

22.  Route 66

23.  Rare Film Easter Island

24.  Network news obituaries and TV tributes plus footage at the funeral home in may of 1977.

25.  Strange Witness/ One Was Loyal 2 1950s dramas. Not outstanding footage but viewable. Plus Bonus--December 1964 appearance of “What’s My Line?”

26.  Because I Love Him/ Road to Edinburgh. Plus Bonus--A short biography on Crawford from “Hollywood Hist-O-Rama.”

27.  The Lucy Show—Containing a deleted Crawford scene.

28.  Christina Crawford Interviews Vol. 1

29.  Christina Crawford Interviews Vol. 2

30.  Rare 1978 BBC Documentary on Crawford (Shortly after her death and before Mommie Dearest 1 Hour)

31.  Crawford in Man From UNCLE 1967. Plus Bonus- A backstage joke with the UNCLE stars and Crawford in color and award footage of Vaughn and Macallum.

32.  Christina Crawford Sixth Sense Episode “I am not a part of this human world” 30 min. 1972. Plus Bonus: Backstory Hush….Hush Sweet Charlotte.

33.  4-volume CD Set of the Complete Joan Crawford Audio Interviews 1947 to 1977. Volume One comes with the bonus of Crawford's Christmas broadcast from 1949.

Crawfordtv@hotmail.com