Starring Joan Crawford: The Films, the Fantasy, and the Modern Relevance of a Silver Screen Icon

Joan Crawford: the name has an enduring fascination. Forty-five years after her death, Crawford remains a familiar icon in pop culture and the entertainment world. Certainly the camp bathos of Mommie Dearest has played a part in her continued relevance. But it is ultimately her work and career themselves that account for her remarkable longevity in the culture. From her first film in 1925, to her rise to stardom in 1928, and on to the hit films she appeared in through the 1960s, she continually molded and remolded herself, crafting an indelible image and ensuring her place in the American pantheon.

STARRING JOAN CRAWFORD is a rollicking exploration of the powerful women Joan Crawford vividly brought to life in her films--and the lasting, ever-evolving impact she has had on popular culture.Having carved out a revolutionary path through the entertainment industry while relying on men as little as possible--whether her studio bosses or her many husbands--she created a gallery of strong, assertive women who outsmarted men and refused to conform to gender expectations. In movies like Mildred Pierce, The Damned Don't Cry, Johnny Guitar, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, among many others, she played to win, becoming a lodestar to LGBT audiences, a model of feminist self-determination for women, and an unforgettable icon for everyone.

Stonewall Book Award-winning writer Samuel Garza Bernstein is an author, screenwriter, and playwright whose work often reflects the wild intersections of modern life. He was born to an undocumented Mexican mother who passed as white (using a fake name) and a Jewish father who passionately defended the Palestinians when they lived in Cairo while Israel and Egypt were still at war. In his own telling, Garza Bernstein was a gay, Jewish six-year-old, living in his head, and spinning stories. His family was nomadic and he grew up all over the world. He, husband Ronald Shore, and their pack of incorrigible dachshunds split their time between Porto, Portugal and Los Angeles, California.