Noir Star

As I’ve mentioned before, I believe there are certain iconic Hollywood figures who have already been the subject of enough books, if not too many. (Hello, Marilyn Monroe!) But as author David Meuel makes a point of saying up front, his new book Joan Crawford in Film Noir: The Actress as Auteur (McFarland) is not a biography. That’s especially welcome for an actress whose private life — or, perhaps I should say, gossip about it — has too often overshadowed serious discussions of her work.

As Meuel states, by examining Crawford’s noir-tinged films of the 1940s and 1950s, his book helps readers appreciate “what she aspired to achieve in her art,” and “why the best of her efforts speak to us across the decades with such intensity and authority.” Naturally, any such discussion includes her Oscar-winning performance in Mildred Pierce (1945), but the author also makes room for extensive, thoughtful coverage of Daisy Kenyon (1947), A Woman’s Face (1941), and a personal favorite of mine, Autumn Leaves (1956). 

When the film, like This Woman is Dangerous (1952), falls well short of brilliance, he says so, but not without pausing to consider what elements of it do work. All told, twelve films receive in-depth coverage. I also appreciated his inclusion of two little-known dramas starring Crawford, seen on television’s General Electric Theater (1953-62), which contain clear noir elements. His comments make me eager to see them. 

Meuel readily acknowledges that movie buffs often find the actress’ later efforts like Female on the Beach and Queen Bee (1955) “films they’ll see to hoot and howl at.” But his essay about them poses an interesting quandary: “Why would Crawford … settle for bad scripts” and “play these roles with such scene-chewing relish?” The text that follows is intriguing.

If you’re a longtime Crawford fan (as I am), or a devotee of noir, like so many classic film fans, this book is well worthy of your attention. The carefully chosen film stills are a welcome bonus.