An Old Phony: A Look at the Works of Joan Crawford

In his article, “Absolute Artifice from a Star of the Old School,” Dave Kehr reviews and critiques the varied performances of old-time starlet, Joan Crawford, in volume two of Warner Home Video’s “Joan Crawford Collection.” Kehr starts out by describing Crawford’s earlier performances as “almost entirely artificial.” He portrays her as “highly self-conscious,” contending that “she is always trying too hard” in her acting.

Kehr goes on to criticize Crawford’s early works, such as “Sadie McKee” (1934), describing her acting as high-nosed and out-of-place. While she is supposed to be playing the part of a servant being brought into high society, Kehr argues that this transformation is understated and that Crawford instead comes across as a “born aristrocrat.”

While Kehr obviously regards this first movie as a disappointment, he regards Crawford’s later works as more artful. However, he tends to commend the films more for their directors, “whose personal styles trump” Crawford’s performance. Kehr does recognize later on that Crawford’s acting progresses over time. While she maintains the image of “the frightened little girl” hidden behind a “brassy façade,” into the 50’s, according to Kehr, with age, “[she] seemed to become more comfortable in her own skin.” Though she became a more down-to-earth actress over time, Kehr recalls her a “great and terrible star” with an “obsessive drive for perfection.”

Absolute Artifice from a Star of the Old School