In a series of interviews from 1981 to 2003, Faye Dunaway shares her thoughts about Joan Crawford, whom she portrayed in the 1981 camp classic movie Mommie Dearest.
Faye was hurt that she didn't get support for the movie. She put a lot of effort in the character and she was shamed for it. Years later, it has become a beloved movie. As it should've been.
Faye is notorious for not having a sense of humor. The role has become one of the most memorable and iconic performances of her generation and I think if she had embraced the movie it would have turned out better for her
@@bryanalstoncoxing It was hard for her to embrace it because this was very personal to her, and not what she had envisioned at all. This was her idol she was portraying. Of course camp audiences don’t get that.
It was really a horror script. It was based on a cariacture, not a real person. If she wanted a better vehicle to star as Joan, she should've shopped around a bit more...
Alex L. I think Faye looked most like her. Kristina wanted Anne Bancroft but honestly, to me Anne looked nothing liked her. She would have acted well but Faye Became her.
Nah, I think her portrayal was too over the top and caricaturist to merit that kind of recognition. I still enjoy the movie, though. Edit: just got to the part where she says it was "kabuki"--I think that's a good description of her performance.
Faye legit scared me in that movie. The sense of dread and uncertainty she was able to build just in her little facial expressions and the tones of her voice. Seeing her out of the role it’s like looking at another person.
Notice how she never mentioned christinas name. She always refered to her as 'That girl' or 'That blonde little girl'. Obviously she didn't believe Christina either.
Firespawn it doesn't. However, given that what she thinks of Joan Crawford and the fact that Christina wrote the book when she did, it is almost undoubtedly true that Faye doesn't believe Christina.
Faye Dunaway did an excellent job in this portrayal! Maybe there is something wrong with me; but I just don't see the humor and campiness in this movie! I found it sad and very revealing. I don't believe Christina lied. Joan Crawford was sexually abused by her stepfather, and that left her with a lot of issues. There were people in her life, who witnessed and knew about the abuse her children were suffering but said nothing! The laws were not quite in place to protect children like they are today....plus she was Joan Crawford...who was going to rail against her?
@Sharon CinnaPeople were more inclined to try and hide any issues, as there was such a stigma attached to mental illness and unbalance of any kind. I think Joan Crawford's problems were more pronounced because she had a huge ego. Nevertheless....she was a fantastic actress.....and her personal collection of fine jewelry was beautiful!
The more you learn about Joan Crawford's childhood, the easier it is to understand why she had such a difficult time with children. She never got to be a child, she never got to enjoy her youth properly. And her idea of affection was so twisted and warped because of the people in her life, that she equated stardom to love, and knew no other way to receive it.
she's not referring to Christina Crawford as a child, she's referring to Christina Crawford as a grown woman. Christina Crawford openly admitted that she was pressured by her publisher to fabricate details about her childhood with her mother Joan Crawford. Basically she lied all throughout the book therefore it's impossible to determine which sections of the book are true and which are not. Anyways in order to sell more copies of the book and as a last stitch effort to make money off of Joan Crawford's back Christina Crawford lied and embellished all throughout the book.
G P I think she also meant you can’t just trust one person’s perspective when the other can’t defend themselves. Remember this book was written only after the girl was excluded from Joan’s will. The two children who were included have nothing but love for Joan.
Matthew W and yet the twins didn't want to see Joan's body when giving the opportunity to do so not to mention they were other famous people that witness her abusive behavior around her kids even at the chadwick school.
It’s been said that Faye Dunaway played Joan Crawford so intensely! in Mommie Dearest , that it actually type cast her. She became Joan. It was such a challenge for her to capture such a icon as Joan Crawford.
The movie was a moneymaker but I think Faye's being difficult just caught up to her, since she didn't do anything that great since. It seemed like her career as a major star ended after this film. Karma-ain't it a bitch?
@Jason Strom there are witnesses and the police, and all of Joan's friends including a lot of famous people knew l. If you do research a lot of celebs or celeb children have stated that Joan did abuse her children it's a fact everyone in Hollywood knew about it it wasn't a secret.
@ dude she abused her so just because a pedo saves a girl then rapes her means that he's a good guy because he saved her first. also her story has been backed up by a lot of people who actually witnessed the abuse, a lot of famous people who worked with joan and other children of famous actors.it was also obvious that Joan wasn't a very stable person due to her past with abuse and the fact that she was an alcoholic.
A child of want and a child of plenty. They seemed to me to be both children of want. Joan wanted to be loved by fans and be admired. Christina wanted a mother's love. Joan was unable to give love.
@@roberta.lofgrenjr.9182 If you investigate. You will notice that Joan did not love herself. That is the main reason for Crawford's character. She didn't value herself or love herself, even if she had that frivolous "personality".
Joan Crawford gave the children everything they could possibly want. The went everywhere and they had everything. The other children now attest to that. And they recently revealed how they were silenced when the book came out. But we know much more about Christina now. And it's not flattering.
@Tracy Lands Not against spanking, against beating a child like a grown man. A little girl doesn't deserve that. Difference between discipline and projection. It's obvious in this story she wasn't trying to teach the daughter a lesson. That should tell you all you need to know right there. Have a good day
Dunaway, one of the great actors of the 20th century. Smart, gifted, and terrifically talented. How articulate she is regarding these circumstances, the story, and the film.
What is a Diva?I thought Divas were women who made really bad totally non rock popular music in which they scream a lot .like Streisand, Mariah , Celine and Whitney.Music for cliched gay men and middle aged suburban white housewives. Liza Minnelli was a good diva though esp in the movie scene where she sings New York, New York. That was cool.. Why are Donna Summer and Diana Ross considered divas? They never made that crappy music. Luckily Diana doesnt even have the voice for it .Good that Donna never messed with that shit. To bad about the streisand duet. it does suck though. Cher shouldnt be considered a diva neither. Doesnt have the voice and again never made that type of music. but shes not a phenomenal musician like Donna or even good like Diana. I wonder why Ronstadt was never one-when she made that disappointing junky Nelson Riddle stuff. What the heck was Debby Harry doing on a Divas Live show? She is just a great rock and roll singer, how could she be a diva?
She does say it rather convincingly, doesn't she? Too bad it's not true. Numerous people knew, and have spoken out about it and corroborated Christina's story, not the least of which was her brother Christopher. The movie itself is not quite accurate in a lot of things, but to say "only they and God know what happened" is just ignorant.
No Christina and Joan know ! Joan was very abusive towards her children ! It's been validated time and time again by people who seen it she was a professional access one of the best! But as a mother she was horrible
You never know what goes on behind closed doors. Sometimes one child is favored while the other is abused. Often close friends & neighbors never know that a child is being abused until/unless the police get involved. How many times have you heard shocked people say he/she seemed so nice?
She talks about a child of want and a child of plenty... One of them was the mother, not a child. Having a child is not the way to have unmet needs satisfied. It is about being the adult and providing for a child financially, and emotionally... Etc
@ And if she was spoiled, whose fault was that? Who did the spoiling? Money, gifts, privilege, etc, is NOT love and doesn't take the place of love. Incidentally, Christopher shared his experience in this interview: www.joancrawfordbest.com/latimes78oct29.htm
FAYE DUNAWAY IS SO CLASSY AND SOPHISTICATED. SHE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN OSCAR FOR BEST ACTRESS IN MOMMY DEAREST. THIS CONFRIMS THAT THE ACADEMY AWARDS IS VERY FLAWED.
@@jamessandy5873 The performance is still extraordinary though. I watched it just yesterday. And her likeness to Joan is uncanny, she doesnt just look a bit like her, she embodied her
@@roder51 She actually was considered one of the greatest beauties of her generation and certainly 1 of the greatest actresses. She wasn't some pin up Queen or sex goddess. But if that's your definition of beauty then who are we to judge?
It was an overblown, campy performance of an over the top, trashy, exploitation script. She did it well. I find it very funny, though, that Bette Davis hated working with both Crawford AND Dunaway.
I agree, it was very campy and over-the-top. But in several instances, the scenes were actually stolen by the actress who portrayed the horrible little sniveling, whiny, snot-nosed daughter.
There are two sides...ok. There are. But when it comes to abusive behavior, what side justifies this behavior? Perhaps Christina exaggerated but even if a fraction of it were true, it’s not defensible.
@@marsssssvin And if Joan Crawford wasn't famous, would you still be bemoaning that "she isn't alive to defend herself?" You know most abusers deny wrongdoing, right? And would you still be interested in Joan's side of the story if she were an ordinary citizen?
I know she gets a tremendous amount of negative press, but she did a fantastic job. Yes it was campy, but nobody can say she was a bad actress, and nobody can say that they were not entertained.
I don't think many of you in the comments are understanding where Faye is coming from as an actress. As an actress you have to understand your character and understand where they are coming from, the reasons behind their actions to be able to play them well. She understood her that is why she was so spectacular playing Joan.
Faye really got stuck into that role..She became Crawford..Sometimes when i see a picture of faye as Crawford i sometimes have to take a double take and realise its not Joan..The most outstanding performance ever.
@@annan9216 no she did not get one for Mommie Dearest. She did get one for the Network. She regretted doing mommie dearest because her career was never the same after.
Well Lana Turner was a bad mother too .She let her child go to juvenile detention for a murder she commited(well it was self defense). But it was only a few years and I think her daughter Cheryl wanted to do it for her. Remember, when you watch Lana, she only killed in self defense She wasn't a sociopath.
The movie "Mommie Dearest" is really about a child of want and a child of plenty. That was a very good way for Faye Dunaway to sum up this story and also by saying that in the end "Only God will know" what happened between this mother and this daughter.
Miss Dunaway dove into the icy waters of a celebrity's personal life and emerged with a chilling portrayal of remarkable intensity. No one else could have accomplished such a feat.
Faye does not like the movie as its one note. Psycho to nice and back again. There is no buildup to Joan's outbursts. She just flips out. Too bad. Faye is great and Joan was an infinitely fascinating character.
Jessica came off too old and heavy to be playing Joan thru most of the series. Joan was always very slim in build and I think had they had Lange lose a little bit of weight, she would have better embodied the character for me in terms of appearance.
yeah, Jessica was a bit old, but i like her version of the durable Joan Crawford. Faye played Crawford to intense and unlikable. I've seen interviews of Crawford, she was over the top, but i don't think she was that way every second of the day, like Faye portrayed.
Thank you for this. I really wish Faye would give a more extensive interview on the Joan Crawford role and the movie Mommie Dearest. It seems like she doesn't care to comment on this performance for whatever reason..... Maybe someday, hopefully.........
Faye, stop apologizing for doing this movie. You did amazing work here. You got my abusive mother to a T. .. as far as camp value, and cult following, you grabbed the brass ring!
She admits the Joan Crawford in the movie "Mommie Dearest" is not the real Joan Crawford. The clothes hanger scene was one of the additions Christina Crawford added to the book so it would boost the sales of the book. It was a made-up and exaggerated scene from the book, added to later submissions so that the book sales would be higher. Bette Davis' daughter has also written a "Tell All" book and the latest such book to be released is the extreme abuse the daughter of Shirley MacLaine's daughter endured during her childhood years. None of these books have sold like the "Mommie Dearest" book as it was the first of the exploitation books.
She was robbed of an Oscar nomination and win for Mommie Dearest but miss Faye gave the performance of her career in the Disappearance of Aimee you are and forever will be one of the greatest actors ever!
Interesting to see the various stages of Miss Dunaway’s plastic surgeries. To me she looked her best when she did the “Ellis Island” miniseries circa 1984. She just had her eyes lifted & a subtle facelift , she looked ravishingly beautiful. These days she just has gone too far.
Bernie Tinirau - agreed, amazing what smoking will do to the face. However it appears that this past year she had her nose tip rebuilt and thus everything looks better proportioned. The heavy lip thing of the last few years is gone. Check out the 2017 verses 2018 oscar appearances. Dramatic improvement.
I think she was most beautiful in Network. She lost weight for the role and she look flawless while probably playing the most flawed character of her career. Facelifts destroy delicate features as well, some times terribly so, and so often they make the natural aging process look so un-natural.
I have no idea if Faye Dunaway has had plastic surgery recently, but it she has, she should sue. If you see an untouched recent photo, she very much looks like a woman in her 80s. It was not a pretty sight.
I agree with her statement. I'm not saying there was no abuse, but Joan Crawford died before the book was released. Christina said her part of the story, Joan couldn't do the same. Many colleagues and Joan's other siblings said Joan never acted this way, other people took Christina's part. But i think at the end, the story was way more complex. Joan didn't deserve all this shit. '
I have to give credit to Dunaway for recognizing her hunch and understanding how the book was exploitation and the film didn't translate the complete truth between those two characters, and that it was left with unanswered questions. Good for her.
There were indeed people other than Joan and Christina who knew what happened and saw what happened, why does Faye keep repeating this like a mantra? Christopher corroborated the incidents he was part of, like the beatings they both received. Joan's hired help knew. Someone had to pull Joan off of Christina while she was throttling her, so there's another one who knows. The police arrived that night, they knew too, but they couldn't do anything. Mrs. Chadwick knew about Joan's erratic behavior. People did come forward after the book to talk about abusive things they saw Joan doing to the kids. Even Faye herself says she believes most of what Christina says, so why does she keep saying only they and God know? It's like she's trying to convince herself.
Do you want to know something. I literally thought Faye Dunaway was actually Joan Crawford it really amaze me how they got it so not so. Exact! It’s amazing what Hollywood can do now these days it’s like have you seen the new movie Bohemian Rhapsody?!
Faye Dunaway said she doesn't even understand why the movie was even made and regretted playing as Joan... Like seriously, I agree... Christina Crawford is a spiteful little evil thing... Clearly your mother was sick and you were such a disrespectful, spoiled, obnoxious, disobedient crybaby little girl who constantly stood up to and challenged her mother and only wanted materialistic things from her mother. My mother would have slapped the taste out of my mouth. Most folks get worse whippings than she did for disobedience... What's funny is that the movie didn't only show Joan as mentally ill, but it showed Christina as a nasty little, fast, spoiled, piece of work as well... And Christina's hatred is still going to this day, looks like she'll take it to her grave and Lord have mercy on her troubled, wicked soul. Joan had issues, but Christina is the only one who legit hates her mother... Joan never hated anyone. She did so much for that girl trying to make sure she wasn't a spoiled rich brat but she still turned out to be. Christina didn't even want to donate her toys to poor orphans like her mother said she should. I think that was a very good thing to do. You were an orphan Christina so you should understand. Christina is sick and twisted in a vengeful, nasty, evil, spiteful way. Her nastiness is clearly deliberate whereas her mother had legitimate mental issues. She never loved her mother. She only wanted money and things from Joan just like the movie shows. The other adopted children, as well as Joan's colleagues, even say that Christina is lying about all of this and added dramatic things like the wire hanger scene that the other siblings said never really even happened and they said that Joan was a very loving mother. Christina just wants to make money off of her DEAD mother, writing a book and making a movie, child please.. Using your mother's fame as a platform to get money and attention for yourself and falsifying a story once your mother is dead so that she can't even defend herself against your lies. Waited until she died to do it.... Right... Coward... Just a little ungrateful piece of crap. Christina is a prisoner who can't even forgive her dead mother. Little demon. Get over your old self, seek spiritual guidance.. If you really loved your mother then your little punk ass book and movie would show that you tried to get your mother help. But you didn't. You just want money. Piece of crap. You're not fooling anyone. You're a shitty daughter. I love my mom too much to do that. I guess it's easier for you since you know she's not your real mother. Well Joan took care of you when your real mother gave you away. Remember that... If it wasn't for your mother's platform you wouldn't have a damn book to write or movie to shit on her with. You'll get your karma. That's why your step siblings are exposing your lies. You're the witch Christina. So egg in your face you money hungry selfish dog. You don't get the last word just because Joan is dead. Nice try, gold digger. The whole truth is peeling layer by layer like an onion even after all these years. I knew something wasn't right about the whole production of the movie.
Lana Turner's daughter Cheryl confirmed the abuse happened and she asked Lana why nobody intervened. Lana replied: "Darling, in this town, we rally around each other. We do NOT admit to faults."
Christina Crawford has said that the Wire hangers scene did not play out as depicted in the Movie ~ Joan certainly did not want an expensive garment strewn onto a Wire hanger and that's sort of understandable considering how fastidious Joan was, but I doubt she 'beat' Christina with the hanger after blowing her stack - I'm not saying that Joan Crawford was an easy Mom to have but I do think the movie is an exaggeration ~
She rewrote the history of Mommie Dearest the moment it came out and got panned. She pretended like she didn't really want to do the role even though she fought tooth and nail to get it. She puts down the original source material as a pure work of fiction simply to distance herself from the movie itself. She never referred to Christina by name and only called Joan "Crawford."
Damn, but she is jaw-droppingly gorgeous!Having said that, I got second-hand trauma from watching her Joan Crawford portrayal in that movie when I was a kid. She scared the daylights out of me.
I can’t believe most people seem to believe Joan Crawford’s side. Every person who ever worked with her says she was a cow and a black hole. Mercedes Mccambridge said that she was the inspiration behind Pazuzu!! 😄😂
Faye Dunaway should have won an Academy award what a performance, thriller, amazing and so real like a lot of people who abuse from their children and even the whole family until these days.
its a shame that she wasent cast in Feud..... im sure cause shes older now but im sure she would have turned it down....but dam, i love Faye.... looked just like Joan..both great actresses.....
June Allyson lost custody of her own daughters because she was an alcoholic. There is nothing worse than a bad mother calling another mother "bad mother".
@@11rokerito June Allyson had a son and an adopted daughter. Please get your facts straight. Unlike Joan Crawford, Allyson sought help, and to this day, her children speak lovingly of her. She never claimed to be a perfect parent, but she was not abusive.
She WAS Joan Crawford. I think that's the problem. She became that character so convincingly that It spooked people. Which is why I say to any actor playing someone who actually existed, "Never go full Joan." Meaning don't become the character, leave some room for people to see you're playing a part.
What does Faye really know about Joan? Faye made absolutely no effort to become Joan in the role. She didn't speak, walk, nor move like Joan. Faye sounded the acted the same way she does in every movie, phrasing sentences, and inflections in an unusual Fay Dunaway sort of way. Faye was terrible in Mommie Dearest. Further, the makeup was terrible. The eyebrows they put on Dunaway were never correct, never had the correct arch, never had the correct width (which was thinner when she was younger), and the mouth wasn't done correctly. Joan had an incredible profile and bone structure, Dunaway was gorgeous when she was young to0, but she was no Crawford at the time of filming. The end of Mommie Dearest sucked when that horrible actress, Diana Scarwid (I loved seeing Dunaway slap the shit out of her), kept saying "why" about being left out of the will. Christina knew exactly why. Joan had been told about the book Mommie Dearest and was heartbroken by it. Tina knew why. Hoan took in her second husband, Franchot Tone, who was in a wheelchair and broke, and cared for him in her NY apartment until he died. For decades, Joan paid for 2 or 3 beds in a hospital for actors or film crew who needed to be in the hospital (or their family members) but couldn't afford it- she paid the bill. The doctor she made these arrangements with early in her career was to keep her name secret so no one knew she paid the bill(which is the best way to give - without recognition. The doctor was so impressed with Joan that he too paid for a bed or two in the hospital. A cruel, hateful, evil woman wouldn't have done those things. Christina wouldn't have done tose things.
I have always agreed with Dunaway that this that was not the real Joan Crawford. As her friend Myrna Loy said " why did she wait until Joanie was on her death bed to tell her she wrote a but. She waited until Joanie could not defend herself. We all would have know especially Hedda Hopper if anything like that was going on being she did not like Joan" I believe Christina had a feeling she was not going to get anything from the will but went to NYC just in case. But like her mother wrote that they would not get anything from her for reasons they know. I believe the book was her revenge. She secretly hates her mother and was jealous of her. She resented her mother from an early age, the attention she got, how beautiful she was. She even tried being a movie star but did not get called back. If she was such a freak with cleanliness everyone who knew her well would have noticed and never had there been any gossip on her back then. She is still being supported by the woman she hates by writing bull shit about her. People want to believe it because its more interesting instead of giving the woman the benefit of the dought or research the truth from the twins, her siblings who said, " mommy was a wonderful but very strick mother"
Bette Davis did not have a good word to say about Dunnaway. She thought she was the most unprofessional actresses around and said most people would say that too.
After this movie came out Bette Midler saw someone in NYC wearing a t-shirt with a stern looking Crawford on it that read "I never laid a hand on those fu...ng kids."
I don't see what happened to Christina as abuse. And it saddens me that really abused children are not helped by an exploitation novel. Discipline and rules and consequences for behavior is just not abuse in my opinion. I know I drove my parents absolutely crazy, and I could write a book no one would buy.
I know a lot of people say she should have a sense of humour about the film and the response to it. But I think she put so much effort in to the role that she was mortified by the comedic response. Beyond any level of being able to see the funny side. And her career was affected greatly by it. Probably her trust in directors etc was shattered after it too. I feel bad for her. What a performance she gave. She could have perhaps pulled back yes. But a lot of that can be applied at the editing stage. I love the movie, but as a story it’s missing so many components, back story for Joan missing, not really from Christina’s perspective either. It would have been better as a mini series starting with Joan’s Childhood. I find it hard to see Christina’s version as THE truth, it might be HER truth but that’s another story.
Faye obviously did a wonderful portrayal ofJoan Crawford. I think making that movie more or less ended her career, since show business people prefer to protect, rather than demonize each other. Maybe Joan had her faults as a parent due to her childhood,,,,,, but the fact is the vast majority of people that adopt children do face hardship, pain & trouble dealing with children rejected from their natural parents. It is an issue that deserves study & also it should be noted that Joan always was generous & beyond loyal helping others in the the film industry. My advice to any woman is never dare adopt & simply accept your situation, maybe find happiness doing volunteer work.
She’s it’s one best actress friend at world famous actress people’s life Hollywood I not criticizing your past life .. it’s one Act. Account number details must popularity’s not recognize for your status bearing adult child care. Not way too much . Stocks closed away
Faye Dunaway is highly disliked in Hollywood. She’s notoriously difficult, disrespectful and inconsiderate. Still, that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have at least been nominated.
I truly appreciate her desire as an actress portraying such an iconic character to actually realize the humanity of the character. Even though I believe they shaped it to be very negative as well as campy Faye’s absolutely commitment to pushing the human component through the screen really gives this movie a heart beat.
