What was Joan Crawford’s Net Worth?

Joan Crawford, the American actress and performer, had a net worth of $2 million at the time of her death in 1977.

Crawford is renowned for her work in Hollywood’s silent film and golden eras, particularly in movies such as “Mildred Pierce” and “The Damned Don’t Cry.” She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 for her role in “Mildred Pierce.”

At the height of her career, Crawford was considered the most stunning woman in the world. She was also known for her long-standing feud with fellow actress Bette Davis, which was depicted in the 2017 FX series “Feud: Bette and Joan,” with Susan Sarandon portraying Davis and Jessica Lange portraying Crawford.

Early Life of Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur on March 23, 1904 in San Antonio, Texas, had a turbulent childhood with her parents separating just after her birth and her older sister dying before it. Her mother was of Irish and Swedish descent, while her father, who worked as a launderer, was of French and Dutch ancestry. Her paternal great-grandparents were first cousins.

Despite the hardships, Crawford was interested in performing arts from a young age, having been exposed to theater at the opera house run by her stepfather in Lawton, Oklahoma. However, her dreams of becoming a dancer were nearly derailed following an attempt to cut class in elementary school, which resulted in her landing on a broken milk bottle and undergoing three surgeries to repair the damage.

After her stepfather was charged with embezzlement in 1917 and acquitted, the family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Crawford attended a private Catholic school as a working student due to financial constraints. However, her education suffered, and she eventually dropped out of college due to the advanced material.

Joan Crawford’s Career Highlights

Joan Crawford signed a contract with MGM in 1924 but struggled to get significant roles due to her last name sounding similar to “sewer.” She eventually changed her name to Crawford and became one of MGM’s most popular actresses of the 1930s, starring in films such as “Grand Hotel” and three romantic dramas with Clark Gable. In the late 1930s, she experienced a decline in popularity and was listed as “Box Office Poison” in a controversial article.

In 1943, Crawford signed a three-film deal with Warner Bros and received three Oscar nominations for her first film, “Hollywood Canteen.” She rose out of her slump with her 1945 film “Mildred Pierce,” which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. She continued to produce successful films for Warner Bros. throughout the decade but asked to be released in 1952 due to weak film roles. She earned an Academy Award nomination for the 1953 film “Sudden Fear” and received a BAFTA nomination for the 1962 film “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?”

Joan Crawford’s Life and Legacy

Joan Crawford was married four times, with each marriage lasting four years. She adopted a daughter in 1940, a son during her marriage to Phillip Terry in 1943, and a set of twins in 1947. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

On May 10th, 1977, Crawford died of a heart attack. She famously disinherited her children Christina and Christopher from the will, citing “reasons which are well-known to them”. They sued the estate and eventually received a total of $55,000.

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