Possessed: The Life of Joan Crawford
Spoto, author of several best-selling biographies of film and theater stars, sets his sights on Joan Crawford for this, his latest effort. Based on exclusive interviews and archival information, he pieces together Crawford&#x2019;s (then Lucille LeSeuer) early life with her poverty-stricken family, her days as trophy-winning Charleston dancer and fast life as a flapper during World War I, her discovery by MGM, and her life as a movie star. He also details her four marriages, her troubled family life, her several love affairs, achievements as a movie star, and time as a business executive on the board of directors of Pepsi-Cola. Obviously a great fan of the notorious Crawford, the author tries to dispute the stories of child abuse and mental instability that besmirched the reputation of the actress; however, his arguments in the end are not all that persuasive. An illuminating look at a bygone era, and a fairly entertaining read, that movie fans will enjoy. --Kathleen Hughes--This text refers to thePaperbackedition.