Rating: 
Summary: There are better books about this great star...
Review: I agree with other reviewers that this book was a disappointment. As someone who is always defending Crawford when I mention her as my favorite star, even I started to get annoyed by the constant whitewashing of everything she did or said. Quirk's "conversational" writing style and his overuse of useless expressions like "general consensus" also irked me by the middle of the book. This book actually reads more like an expanded version of Quirk's "The Films of Joan Crawford," and for someone who wants a Joan Crawford filmography reference book I suggest it. Those who are looking for an actual biography of Crawford are better off reading "Joan Crawford" by Bob Thomas, and the more recent "Joan Crawford-the Last Word" by Fred Lawrence Guiles. Guiles uses facts, dates, and interviews with witnesses to counteract Christina's claims of abuse instead of Quirk's simple diatribe against Christina and her motives. Anyone who is a true Crawford fan questions Christina's motives, we don't need to read 20 pages that simply accuse her of lying. Crawford may have been Quirk's friend, but she deserves better than this book. Is there more for us to discover about our favorite star? I certainly hope so, because I didn't find anything new in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not Fair and Balanced
Review: I am a 22 year old college graduate. This gift was given as a graduation present and I was excited. It had some interesting facts in it about her movies but the book is totally biased towards joan. She's painted as a saint for the most part. It is honest in some respects like how in the movie Johnny Guitar she feuded with Mercedes Mccambridge and how she slapped and hated men that rejected her.
It bashed poor Christina too much. She probably did want to be a star and like her mother but she did not deserve what happened to her. Even if she was a bad seed (like the book painted her to be) it was because joan was such a bad mother. kids learn from their parents usually. Buy it for the films only forget about what it says about tina. Its not fair and balanced but its ok for filmography fun facts.
Rating: 
Summary: Find a copy of Bob Thomas's Joan Crawford Biography Instead!
Review: I am a huge Joan Crawford Fan and could not wait to get my hands on a new book about her. I was really dissapointed. The writing is nothing special. As many reviewers noted it really is more or less a review of Joans films- right down to some word for word dialog from some of her films. Joan Crawford was not a perfect human being- who is - really? But this book annoyed me to no end because it reads with a feel of "RAH RAH JOAN"- "Joan the Saint" meaning it reads as she did no wrong. They write something Joan may have done wrong, and then they proceed to write- something like "she did this because THIS person said this"... blah blah blah. They paint her as a saint and even praise some of her movies that were forgettable. For example when Joan publicly attacked Marilyn Monroe for going to an dinner in a very tight and sexyy gown, Joan was disgusted, and the writes wrote something to the effect of Monroe parading around - etc... Lets face it- Joan was in her 50's - Marilyn in her 20's and as beautiful as could be and rising to the top very quickly- could it be Joan was ..lets say, hmmmmmm- JEALOUS??????They also TORE APART Christina Crawford as well. Mind you- I am no fan of hers- and dont beleive much of what she writes about her mother- I also beleive her less and less when I see her handing out Wire Hangers to Drag Queens, and claiming Joan murdered her last husband!! Christina to me comes up with these crazy stories just to keep her own name around. Christina should drop the "Crawford" from her last name- she doesnt even deserve that. As for this book- (sorry got off topic) it is nothing special. Even the photos you have seem a cazillion times. Stick with the 1978 Bob Thomas biography on Joan, or even better Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Star by Alexander Walker. Although both out of print - they are worth hunring down.
Rating: 
Summary: FINE BY ME....
Review: I don't know why other readers had a problem with this. I found it well done, consistantly readable and I couldn't put it down. If they were looking for dirt they had the wrong book. This is an approach to Crawford through her films and a frank account of her beginnings---separating fact from fiction. The writers explain the woman behind the image. Never do they idolize her or exploit her. It was refreshing to me to read the life of a legend portrayed as a human being, not a "star". They explain her foibles as well as her strong points without ever lapsing into sensationalism or maudlin hero worship. She is portrayed as a dedicated professional who had definitely been around and knew the ropes very well. She was lonely and devoted to her fans for she knew where she came from and who put her where she was. And she was honest enough to admit her faults. She was a star and she knew it but she was also a person and she knew that to. As for being a child abuser, no way. She wasn't perfect but she was not stupid. I recommend this as an addition to anyone's library of Hollywood stories. It's not "dirt" but there's enough juice to satisfy your cravings for inside information on a legendary and unforgettable movie star.
Rating:
Summary: Joan Crawford: Consummate professional/actress, but...
Review: I find it interesting that these authors found it necessary to not only elevate JC to Sainthood, but smear and malign Christina along the way. Neither of these men lived with JC, nor were they ever privy to what went on behind closed doors. JC's acting ability and charisma on and offscreen are not in question; how she treated her adopted children, Christina and Christoper was another matter entirely, and one which was and should be considered a completely separate entity from her professional life. She had two distinctly different personas; one for her fans and her friends and her contemporaries in Hollywood, and one for her two adopted children. The second set, the twins, were treated much better. Why the disparity? Who knows; suffice to say that it is painfully obvious that these authors have an all too prevailing attitude toward the children of Hollywood movie stars: A blend of contempt, ignorance and jealousy, with, in this case especially, a plethora of hubris. No one argues JC's abilites and her indelible contribution to films; this is a domestic matter, and those who knew Christina and Christopher know the truth, and those who knew JC have their own version, a rather disingenuous, whitewashed ideal that is as far from reality as they feel the children of Hollywood movie stars are in their views of life and the "real world." JC is by no means alone in her cruelty toward her children, there are many, many others, including Bing Crosby, Ray Milland, Jerry Van Dyke, Mary Pickford and others, with adopted children and with their own biological children; all suffered inordinate abuse at the hands of their famous parents. The adopted children were almost always considered expendable once they passed the childhood stage and entered adulthood; at which time they were frequently discarded, as toys that their parents grew weary of, and decided to discard them once they were older and were no longer cute or useful to the Hollywood image...being a parent, whether of an adopted child or biological child, is not a run of the contract deal; it is for life, and that is where they failed the children in many (too many) cases. The children of movie stars are not responsible for, nor accountable for, the fact that they have certain privileges and advantages, at least, materialistically; they do pay a price for this rarified lifestyle, they are frequently derided and ridiculed and, more often than not, despised by those who are resentful and jealous of their (at least on the surface) lifestyles. The very nature of making a living as an actor automatically breeds an aura of fantasy, which can sometimes turn malevolent and cruel, and the same people who despise these children take a mean satisfaction in their discomfort and unhappiness. This is not only grossly unfair, it is more revealing of those who choose to see only what they want to see and believe only what they want to believe, truth be damned. They feel that growing up in a mansion with everything material a child could want, would be more than enough to guarantee happiness: T'ain't so Magee. There is violence, friction, demands of perfection and impossibly high expectations which are often out of reach of the children who then become unhappy and are made to feel inadequate and gradually have their self-esteem eroded to the point where they give up on themselves completely, and therein lies the true tragedy. So, to the authors of this craven missive, infused with vicious, vitriol against Christina, I say, don't judge what you don't know, and write with more empathy and restraint and fairness. JC's acting ability has nothing whatsoever to do with her family persona, and this should be understood, and probably is, to those who have a more charitable POV than the aforementioned authors, for all their professed expertise and inside knowledge of JC and her private life. I respect and admire CC for what she endured at JC's hands and now again, for what she must endure again from the poison pen of these two self-proclaimed experts on Joan Crawford.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BALANCE OF SUCH A TORMENTED ACTRESS
Review: I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED JOAN, I FIND MANY OF HER POOR DAUGHTER'S ACCUSATIONS SPITEFUL, AND MISLEADING. JOAN, HAD HER DEMONS AND WASN'T THE BEST CATHOLIC OR CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST IN THE WORLD , BUT SHE WAS HUMAN AND A STRONG WOMAN. I THINK SHE TRIED TO BRING HER CHILDREN UP AS WELL AS COULD BE. SHE STILL GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. GOD BLESS YOU JOAN
MAY THE SOULS OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED HAVE MERCY AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HER.
Rating: 
Summary: An Overall Good Read, But...
Review: I have always been fascinated with Joan Crawford, read just about everything written about her, gone back and forth with the whole "did she do it?" business concerning Christina. Again, I adore Joan, but this was a full-blown lovefest that was a bit much at times, even for me! The interesting thing about historical events that are in question is that later generations are given room to ponder, to evaluate, to assess their own impressions based upon the information we have. As such, I've always come to the conclusion that Joan Crawford was a driven force, both in career and in her personal life. A strict disciplinarian as a parent who may have been perhaps too unrelenting. However, there have been too many conflicting accounts to take Christina's story as unadulterated truth (I mean, when you have two other children who say none of this happened...). Perhaps Christina had an axe to grind... Bizarrely, this rendering of the life of Joan Crawford goes WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY overboard in the opposite direction. While its apparent that Joan was not the monster she's has been portrayed as, its a bit difficult to swallow her as the patron saint we read about here. Joan was most likely alot like the rest of us: flawed, but with many good points. I understand the authors intentions and personal motivations (Quirk may have been friends with Joan, but wow! I hope a friend like that to defend me after I'm gone!), but by creating the idea of Joan as being so unlike what else has been said, it tends to stretch their own credibility. It would have worked in their favor to tackle the big blemishes of Joan's character, included the nice anecdotes and accounts, and presented a warts-and-all subject, who would have still elicited compassion without being implausible. But this aside, its a good read, and like Joans' movies, good or bad, her fans will love it regardless...
Rating:
Summary: An Overall Good Read, But...
Review: I have always been fascinated with Joan Crawford, read just about everything written about her, gone back and forth with the whole "did she do it?" business concerning Christina. Again, I adore Joan, but this was a full-blown lovefest that was a bit much at times, even for me! The interesting thing about historical events that are in question is that later generations are given room to ponder, to evaluate, to assess their own impressions based upon the information we have. As such, I've always come to the conclusion that Joan Crawford was a driven force, both in career and in her personal life. A strict disciplinarian as a parent who may have been perhaps too unrelenting. However, there have been too many conflicting accounts to take Christina's story as unadulterated truth (I mean, when you have two other children who say none of this happened...). Perhaps Christina had an axe to grind... Bizarrely, this rendering of the life of Joan Crawford goes WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY overboard in the opposite direction. While its apparent that Joan was not the monster she's has been portrayed as, its a bit difficult to swallow her as the patron saint we read about here. Joan was most likely alot like the rest of us: flawed, but with many good points. I understand the authors intentions and personal motivations (Quirk may have been friends with Joan, but wow! I hope a friend like that to defend me after I'm gone!), but by creating the idea of Joan as being so unlike what else has been said, it tends to stretch their own credibility. It would have worked in their favor to tackle the big blemishes of Joan's character, included the nice anecdotes and accounts, and presented a warts-and-all subject, who would have still elicited compassion without being implausible. But this aside, its a good read, and like Joans' movies, good or bad, her fans will love it regardless...
Rating:
Summary: Danger, Joan Crawford fans, danger!
Review: I just finished reading this "essential" biography and am so disappointed. To me, one of the authors seems to feel a saintliness toward Joan while the other goes from liking her films to trying to like her films. As I read this book, I felt like Quirk and Schoell were trying to convince me about aspects of Crawford's personality and events in her life and believe about them as they do. The job of a biographer is to write an objective narrative of someone's life. It is enjoyable reading but unfulfilling given the subject. One annoyance is encountering the phrase "chewing up the scenery" way too often. Then, there's the bombshell finale chapter in which Christina is put in the pan and roasted. The writing is almost like Faye as Joan - out of control! I have been a Crawford fan all my life and am fascinated watching her in films, looking at her photographs and reading about her. If only someone in modern times would...could write an accurate objective biography that delves more into the woman, what she was about, what made her tick and NOT try to make her a saint or crucify her. Joan Crawford truly was one of the most fascinating personalities of the Twentieth Century. She deserves that much. So, I guess we'll have to stick with JOAN CRAWFORD, A BIOGRAPHY by Bob Thomas or JOAN CRAWFORD: THE LAST WORD by Fred Guiles in the meantime. These two biographies are really good, and I highly recommend them.
Rating:
Summary: Danger, Joan Crawford fans, danger!
Review: I just finished reading this "essential" biography and am so disappointed. To me, one of the authors seems to feel a saintliness toward Joan while the other goes from liking her films to trying to like her films. As I read this book, I felt like Quirk and Schoell were trying to convince me about aspects of Crawford's personality and events in her life and believe about them as they do. The job of a biographer is to write an objective narrative of someone's life. It is enjoyable reading but unfulfilling given the subject. One annoyance is encountering the phrase "chewing up the scenery" way too often. Then, there's the bombshell finale chapter in which Christina is put in the pan and roasted. The writing is almost like Faye as Joan - out of control! I have been a Crawford fan all my life and am fascinated watching her in films, looking at her photographs and reading about her. If only someone in modern times would...could write an accurate objective biography that delves more into the woman, what she was about, what made her tick and NOT try to make her a saint or crucify her. Joan Crawford truly was one of the most fascinating personalities of the Twentieth Century. She deserves that much. So, I guess we'll have to stick with JOAN CRAWFORD, A BIOGRAPHY by Bob Thomas or JOAN CRAWFORD: THE LAST WORD by Fred Guiles in the meantime. These two biographies are really good, and I highly recommend them.
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