Author: Scott Eyman
Genre: Biographies/Entertainment
Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook and Audio CD Available)
ISBN #: 9781668047309
Simon & Schuster
480 Pages
$31.00; $16.99 Amazon
November 18, 2025
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Joan Crawford burst out of her poverty-stricken youth to become a bright young movie star in the 1920s, drawing the admiration of F. Scott Fitzgerald and the attention of audiences worldwide. She flourished for decades, working for multiple studios in every genre from romance to westerns (Mildred Pierce, Johnny Guitar), musicals to noir (Torch Song, A Woman's Face), and being directed by a young Steven Spielberg in one of her last appearances. Along the way, she accumulated four husbands, an Academy Award for Best Actress, and the undeniable status of a legend.
Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face looks at the reality of this remarkable woman through the prism of groundbreaking primary research, interviews with friends and relatives, and with the same insightful analysis of character and motive that author Scott Eyman brought to John Wayne and Cary Grant, among others.
Joan Crawford was a woman like no other, and Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face is the first full telling of her dazzling, turbulent life.
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I have to first say that I absolutely love the Golden Age of Hollywood, and anything to do with it. I will also tell you that I do not watch the films of today, since I feel that everything is either a cartoon or a remake (just my own personal opinion). Actors back then were true stars, while today they are just actors. And there is a difference...
Saying that, I will also admit that I have thousands of movies from the silent age on up, and hundreds of biographies and autobiographies of actors, studios, directors, etc. So, when this book was offered to me, I naturally jumped at the chance to read it. I will also tell you that I have read biographies of Joan Crawford that have been stinkers. I am not one to hold back nor lie; because the truth is paramount above all.
Therefore, when I tell you that Scott Eyman is one of the foremost authors of Golden Age Hollywood, you can believe it. He has never disappointed me, and I grab his books as soon as they are published. He is a fair (meaning honest) writer of his subjects.
Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face is an interesting tome that takes us back to the beginnings of Miss Crawford, back when she was Lucille LeSueur, and Billie Cassin. We learn that she grew up in near poverty, and worked her way to where she wound up: a true Hollywood star. This book taught me that while some thought her cruel and selfish, she was neither of those things. She was a woman who was looking for approval, love, and above all, security.
She never made the studios wait; she was always on time, knew her lines, and while some may not appreciate all her films, they tell a story: the story of Billie, who changed from poor girl who wants to be loved, to a woman who can do it on her own independently. Watching her films, you see this. Yet it was never the same in her real life.
Joan Crawford was married four times, and I have read much on those marriages, which I will not go into detail here. She had four adopted children, of which most know, but I will tell you that in my humble opinion, Christina Crawford's depiction of Joan is fiction. A bitter daughter who wanted revenge for what she thought was unfair, and I find it interesting that the book was not published until Joan passed away.
Except for a few, most people loved her. Joan was always 'on stage' when she was out and about, being Joan Crawford, the star. In real life, she was a tiny woman with red hair and freckles. She loved to cook (we have that in common) and did so for her friends. She always needed a place for everything, and almost single-handedly gave the late actor-turned-decorator William Haines a new career. She never failed her friends.
Reading this book made me have a new appreciation for Joan. I have a habit of watching films with the actor/director, etc. I am reading about, and while reading this book I watched Possessed (with Robert Montgomery); The Women; and Humoresque. These films allowed me to see the change in Miss Crawford throughout the years, and examine her acting, which, being who I am, I always do. It also gives me insight into the person.
But the greatest insight came from Mr. Eyman's extensive research and interviews. He leaves nothing to chance. The bibliography is massive; he has definitely done his homework, which he does on all his books. We get who Joan Crawford was an an actress; a star, and a person. Three different people rolled into one. Many of her friendships were lifelong, and it was because they stood by each other, in bad times and good.
I will not go into her "feuds" with other actresses; you will have to read the book to discover that. I won't go into how she raised her children, or why her marriages failed. This is more than I have space for in this review, and I will tell you in the end that Joan Crawford created herself. She became what she wanted the world to see; and few were allowed to see who she truly was.
When I finished Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face, I will tell you that it took me a couple of days of thinking about the book before I reviewed it. It is because this book spoke to me, and I needed time to take it all in. Certain books have this effect on me, but this one is exceptionally good, and I will definitely purchase it when it comes out in November. It's a must-read for anyone who loves classic movies and actors as much as I do, and for those who want to discover more. Highly recommended.
I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
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