Download or read book Mommie Dearest written by and published by Paramount Pictures. This book was released on 1991-01-01 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of the tormented and glamorous star, Joan Crawford, struggling to survive in a cutthroat world, succumbing to a rage leading to alcoholism and child abuse.

Download or read book The Mommie Dearest Diary written by Rutanya Alda and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-09-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Diary kept by Rutanya Alda, who played the part of Carol Ann, during the filming of the 1981 movie Mommie Dearest.

Download or read book With Love Mommie Dearest written by A. Ashley Hoff and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2024-05-07 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When she died in 1977, Joan Crawford was remembered as an icon of Hollywood's Golden Age—until publication the following year of her daughter's memoir, Mommie Dearest. Christina Crawford's book was an immediate bestseller, combining the infrequently discussed topic of child abuse with the draw of Hollywood drama. But when Paramount Pictures released the film version, starring Faye Dunaway as Crawford, it was panned, and it remains one of the most legendary critical bombs in film history. The lavish, big-screen adaptation drew unexpected laughter for its over the top the scenes depicting life in the Crawford household. Rarely have such good intentions been met with such ridicule. Despite this, the movie was a commercial success and remains, four decades later, immensely popular as an unintentional camp classic. Based on new interviews with people connected to the book and the film—from cast and crew members to industry insiders—With Love, Mommie Dearest details the writing and selling of Christina's book and the aftermath of its publication, as well as the filming of the motion picture, whose backstage drama almost surpassed what was viewed on-screen in the film. Hollywood historian A. Ashley Hoff explores the phenomenon, the camp, and the very real social issues addressed by the book and film.

Download or read book My Way of Life written by Joan Crawford and published by Graymalkin Media. This book was released on 2017-02-28 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From “Grand Hotel” to “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?,” Joan Crawford played some of the finest parts Hollywood had to offer, establishing a reputation as the most spectacular diva on the silver screen. Even when the cameras quit rolling, her life never stopped being over-the-top. In My Way of Life, a cult classic since it was first published in the early 1970’s, Crawford shares her secrets. Part memoir, part self-help book, part guide to being fabulous, My Way of Life advises the reader on everything from throwing a small dinner party for eighteen to getting the most out of a marriage. Featuring tips on fashion, makeup, etiquette and everything in between, it is an irresistible look at a bygone era, when movie stars were pure class, and Crawford was at the top of the heap.

Download or read book The Mommie Dearest Collection written by Christina Crawford and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2017-11-21 with total page 700 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Together in one volume for the first time: The harrowing #1 New York Times bestseller with a new introduction, and its triumphant sequel. This volume includes two memoirs by Christina Crawford, recounting the abuse she endured as a child and her journey to recovery as an adult. Mommie Dearest: An unprecedented memoir of child abuse, Mommie Dearest also chipped away at the façade of Christina Crawford’s alcoholic abuser: her adoptive mother, movie star Joan Crawford. What transpired between a seemingly fortunate child of Hollywood and a controlling and desperate woman was an escalating nightmare and, for Christina, a fierce struggle for independence. This ebook features an exclusive new introduction by the author, plus rare photographs from her personal collection and a revealing one hundred pages of material not found in the original manuscript. “A horror story that goes beyond showbiz scandal-mongering . . . Delivers an unexpected charge.” —The New York Times “Probably the most chilling account of a mother-daughter relationship ever to be put on paper.” —Los Angeles Times Survivor: Mommie Dearest cast a spotlight on the unspoken horrors of family violence, but the years following its publication tested Christina Crawford’s resilience in unexpected ways: a backlash intended to shame her, a film adaptation that compounded the trauma, alcoholism, divorce, and a stroke that left her paralyzed. Staying true to her fighting spirit, the author made a remarkable comeback. Survivor is more than a memoir of triumph over tragedy. For anyone who has suffered challenging despair, it is a spiritual roadmap to recovery, finding peace, and celebrating a fulfilling life. “One closes this fine, moving read with great respect for Christina Crawford.” —Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book Book of Mutter written by Kate Zambreno and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2017-03-17 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fragmented, lyrical essay on memory, identity, mourning, and the mother. Writing is how I attempt to repair myself, stitching back former selves, sentences. When I am brave enough I am never brave enough I unravel the tapestry of my life, my childhood. —from Book of Mutter Composed over thirteen years, Kate Zambreno's Book of Mutter is a tender and disquieting meditation on the ability of writing, photography, and memory to embrace shadows while in the throes—and dead calm—of grief. Book of Mutter is both primal and sculpted, shaped by the author's searching, indexical impulse to inventory family apocrypha in the wake of her mother's death. The text spirals out into a fractured anatomy of melancholy that includes critical reflections on the likes of Roland Barthes, Louise Bourgeois, Henry Darger, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Peter Handke, and others. Zambreno has modeled the book's formless form on Bourgeois's Cells sculptures—at once channeling the volatility of autobiography, pain, and childhood, yet hemmed by a solemn sense of entering ritualistic or sacred space. Neither memoir, essay, nor poetry, Book of Mutter is an uncategorizable text that draws upon a repertoire of genres to write into and against silence. It is a haunted text, an accumulative archive of myth and memory that seeks its own undoing, driven by crossed desires to resurrect and exorcise the past. Zambreno weaves a complex web of associations, relics, and references, elevating the prosaic scrapbook into a strange and intimate postmortem/postmodern theater.

Download or read book Not the Girl Next Door written by Charlotte Chandler and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-12-11 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Charlotte Chandler did so well in her previous biographies, she will again draw on the recorded words of Joan Crawford and those who knew her well to paint a rich portrait of the woman and the star. Joan Crawford was born Lucille LeSueur in Texas in 1908. She became a chorus girl in silent films before finding her voice in Possessed(1931) with Clark Gable. Their affair would continue, on and off screen, for many years. Throughout the thirties, Joan continued to earn critical acclaim for her forte of playing career women who never gave up. Her Oscar-winning film Mildred Piercein 1945 began the long-running feud between Joan and Bette Davis, which reached its height with Whatever Happened to Baby Janein 1962. Joan was married four times including once to Douglas Fairbanks Jr, who spoke extensively to Charlotte Chandler for this book. Following her death, Joan's decision to cut her eldest children out of her will prompted her daughter Christina to write the damning bookMommie Dearest which changed Joan's image forever. Charlotte Chandler spent many hours recording interviews with Joan and also those closest to her. What emerges is a subtle portrait of a complex women and a new insight into the legendary actress.

Download or read book Survivor written by Christina Crawford and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2017-11-21 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beyond Mommie Dearest—the inspiring and shattering sequel to the groundbreaking #1 New York Times bestseller. At publication the world as I knew it blew up in my face. Christina Crawford’s Mommie Dearest cast a spotlight on the unspoken horrors of family violence and exorcised the demons of her childhood. But in the years following the controversial bestseller’s publication, the author’s resilience was tested in ways she never expected. Crawford was forced to brave a stunning backlash intended to shame her, a film adaptation that bastardized her story and compounded the trauma, a descent into alcoholism, a divorce that ruined her financially, and a massive stroke that left her paralyzed. Staying true to her fighting spirit, she made a remarkable comeback. More than a personal memoir of triumph over tragedy, Survivor—now with a new preface for its 30th anniversary—is an enlightening spiritual roadmap to recovery for anyone who has suffered the ordeals of physical and emotional abuse, devastating illness, or seemingly insurmountable despair. Crawford’s story is not just about the will to survive; it is about the unparalleled joy of coming out on the other side, finding calm, and celebrating a fulfilling life. “The author of Mommie Dearest . . . hits her stride with this strong account of her simultaneous tragedies. . . . One closes this fine, moving read with great respect for Christina Crawford.” —Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book Joan Crawford written by David Bret and published by Robson. This book was released on 2006 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Bret describes Joan Crawford's rise from a Kansas City laundry to collecting an Oscar for her role in 'Mildred Pierce'. He discusses her love affairs, marriages and her turbulent relationship with her children and her mother.

Download or read book An Abbreviated Life written by Ariel Leve and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2016-06-14 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Sometimes, a child is born to a parent who can’t be a parent, and, like a seedling in the shade, has to grow toward a distant sun. Ariel Leve’s spare and powerful memoir will remind us that family isn’t everything—kindness and nurturing are.” —Gloria Steinem Ariel Leve grew up in Manhattan with an eccentric mother she describes as “a poet, an artist, a selfappointed troublemaker and attention seeker.” Leve learned to become her own parent, taking care of herself and her mother’s needs. There would be uncontrolled, impulsive rages followed with denial, disavowed responsibility, and then extreme outpourings of affection. How does a child learn to feel safe in this topsyturvy world of conditional love? Leve captures the chaos and lasting impact of a child’s life under siege and explores how the coping mechanisms she developed to survive later incapacitated her as an adult. There were material comforts, but no emotional safety, except for summer visits to her father’s home in South East Asia-an escape that was terminated after he attempted to gain custody. Following the death of a loving caretaker, a succession of replacements raised Leve-relationships which resulted in intense attachment and loss. It was not until decades later, when Leve moved to other side of the world, that she could begin to emancipate herself from the past. In a relationship with a man who has children, caring for them yields a clarity of what was missing. In telling her haunting story, Leve seeks to understand the effects of chronic psychological maltreatment on a child’s developing brain, and to discover how to build a life for herself that she never dreamed possible: An unabbreviated life.

Download or read book What Ever Happened to Mommie Dearest written by John William Law and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the 50th anniversary of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? comes a new look behind the legendary film and Joan Crawford's foray into the horror genre that would make up the bulk of her later work. After the death of her husband Joan Crawford found herself in debt and needing to work. The success of Baby Jane would launch a series of films like Strait-Jacket, I Saw What You Did, Berserk and Trog. Now, take a look back at the final act of Joan Crawford's magnificent career and at the films and TV work most biographers skim over. Filled with photos and rare details from behind the screen, What Ever Happened to Mommie Dearest? offers a look at Joan Crawford's evolution from movie star to horror queen and literary monster and back to Hollywood icon.

Download or read book Bette Joan written by Shaun Considine and published by Graymalkin Media. This book was released on 2017-01-25 with total page 463 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This joint biography of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford follows Hollywood's most epic rivalry throughout their careers. They only worked together once, in the classic spine-chiller "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" and their violent hatred of each other as rival sisters was no act. In real life they fought over as many man as they did film roles. The story of these two dueling divas is hilarious, monstrous, and tragic, and Shaun Considine’s account of it is exhaustive, explosive, and unsparing. “Rip-roaring. A definite ten.” - New York Magazine.

Download or read book Possessed written by Donald Spoto and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-11-09 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joan Crawford was one of the most incandescent film stars of all time, yet she was also one of the most misunderstood. In this brilliantlyresearched, thoughtful, and intimate biography, bestselling author Donald Spoto goes beyond the popular caricature—the abusive, unstable mother portrayed in her adopted daughter Christina Crawford’s memoir, Mommie Dearest—to give us a three-dimensional portrait of a very human woman, her dazzling career, and her extraordinarily dramatic life and times. Based on new archival information and exclusive interviews, and written with Spoto’s keen eye for detail, Possessed offers a fascinating portrait of a courageous, highly sexed, and ambitious womanwhose strength and drive made her a forerunner in the fledgling film business. From her hardscrabble childhood in Texas to her early days as a dancer in post–World War I New York to her rise to stardom,Spoto traces Crawford’s fifty years of memorable performances in classics like Rain, The Women, Mildred Pierce, and Sudden Fear, which are as startling and vivid today as when they were filmed. In Possessed, Spoto goes behind the myths to examine the rise and fall of the studio system; Crawford’s four marriages; her passionate thirty year, on-and-off-again affair with Clark Gable; her friendships and rivalries with other stars; her powerful desire to become a mother; the truth behind the scathing stories in her daughter Christina’s memoir; and her final years as a widow battling cancer. Spoto explores Crawford’s achievements as an actress, her work with Hollywood’s great directors (Frank Borzage, George Cukor, Otto Preminger) and actors (Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Spencer Tracy, John Barrymore), and later, her role as a highly effective executive on the board of directors of Pepsi-Cola. Illuminating and entertaining, Possessed is the definitive biography of this remarkable woman and true legend of film.

Download or read book Joan Crawford written by Lawrence J. Quirk and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2013-04-06 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography explores the life and career of one of Hollywood's great dames. She was a leading film personality for more than fifty years, from her beginnings as a dancer in silent films of the 1920s, to her portrayals of working-class shop girls in the Depression thirties, to her Oscar-winning performances in classic films such as Mildred Pierce. Crawford's legacy has become somewhat tarnished in the wake of her daughter Christina's memoir, Mommie Dearest, which turned her into a national joke. Today, many picture Crawford only as a wire hanger-wielding shrew rather than the personification of Hollywood glamour. This new biography of Crawford sets the record straight, going beyond the gossip to find the truth about the legendary actress. The authors knew Crawford well and conducted scores of interviews with her and many of her friends and co-stars, including Frank Capra, George Cukor, Nicholas Ray, and Sidney Greenstreet. Far from a whitewash -- Crawford was indeed a colorful and difficult character -- Joan Crawford corrects many lies and tells the story of one of Hollywood's most influential stars, complete with on-set anecdotes and other movie lore. Through extensive interviews, in-depth analysis, and evaluation of her films and performances -- both successes and failures -- Lawrence J. Quirk and William Schoell present Crawford's story as both an appreciation and a reevaluation of her extraordinary life and career. Filled with new interviews, Joan Crawford tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Hollywood icon. Lawrence J. Quirk is the author of many books on film, including Bob Hope: The Road Well-Traveled. William Schoell is the author of several entertainment-related books, including Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin.

Download or read book Daughters of the Inquisition written by Christina Crawford and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2017-11-21 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Mommie Dearest explores WomanSpirit through the ages, from the Neolithic Goddess to the Inquisition to present day. Breaking free of the emotional wreckage of her childhood and a devastating illness that challenged her physically, emotionally, and spiritually, Christina Crawford sought out an indomitable and innate inner source of power. Upon reconnecting with the very essence of the female spirit—that which unites all daughters throughout time—Crawford decided to pursue and discover its “herstory.” Drawing on years of research, she explores every aspect of the evolution of womanhood over the past ten thousand years: culture, government, religion, professions, laws, customs, family, fashion, marriage, commerce, art, industry, and sexuality. Charting the trajectory of female communion, Crawford delves into the Goddess culture of the Neolithic period, in which self-sovereign women governed, built empires, and were deified; explores the Inquisition in which women were demonized, brutalized, and erased from history; and celebrates the rebirth of the WomanSpirit and its influence over generations on the Western world. Both an enlightening journey and an invaluable reference, Daughters of the Inquisition is a testament to the rise, endurance, survival, and lasting impact of the WomanSpirit—its givers of life, its queens, and its warriors.

Download or read book Mommy s Love written by Anastasia Galkina and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2022-03-15 with total page 21 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As time goes by, you should know: Mommy’s love will only grow. This tender poem reinforces the message that no matter a child’s strengths or weaknesses, whether they succeed or fail, Mommy’s love never falters. With adorable art showcasing a variety of family scenarios that will be familiar to any parent, Mommy Loves You makes it clear that a mother’s love is unconditional. If you’re strong . . . or if you’re not, you’re the dearest one she’s got.

Download or read book Joan Crawford written by Bob thomas and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2017-10-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bob Thomas tells the fabulous truth of how Joan Crawford rose from a Kansas City telephone operator to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in this compelling biography. Few Hollywood careers have been more fabulous, more scandalous, or more glaringly in the spotlight than that of Joan Crawford. Born Lucille Fay LeSueur in 1906, or 1908 according to her own press releases, Joan Crawford changed her name and rewrote her life story when she left her job as a telephone operator and grew into one of the most well-known film and television actresses in America. Now, pulling back the curtain on a breathtaking tale of rags to riches and triumph to tragedy, Bob Thomas takes readers into the life of Joan Crawford, sharing stories of her famed life filled with glamour, glitter, romance, and ultimate stardom.