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Christina Crawford

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For the professional wrestler, see Christina Crawford (wrestler).

Christina Crawford
Crawford, c. 1961
Born (1939-06-11) June 11, 1939 (age 85)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationCarnegie Mellon University
University of California, Los Angeles (MA)
Occupation(s)Writer, actress
Years active1958–1972 (acting)
1978–2019 (writing)[1]
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Harvey Medlinsky
​
​
(m. 1966; div. 1968)​
David Koontz
​
​
(m. 1976; div. 1986)​
Michael Brazzel
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 1995)​
ParentJoan Crawford (adoptive mother)

Christina Crawford (born June 11, 1939)[2] is an American former author and actress, best known for her 1978 memoir and exposé, Mommie Dearest, which described the alleged abuse she was subjected to by her adoptive mother, film star Joan Crawford.

Early life and education

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Born in Los Angeles on June 11, 1939, Christina was one of four children adopted by Joan Crawford.[3][4]

After graduating from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, she moved from California to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Her mother paid for Christina's education to study acting. Christina dropped out of college after only one semester and then moved to New York City, where she studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse.[5]

After fourteen years as an actress, Crawford returned to college, graduating magna cum laude from UCLA and receiving her master's degree from the Annenberg School of Communication at USC. Then she worked in corporate communications at the Los Angeles headquarters of Getty Oil Company.[6]

Career

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Crawford appeared in summer stock theater, including a production of Splendor in the Grass. She also acted in a number of Off-Broadway productions, including In Color on Sundays (1958).[7] She also appeared in At Christmas Time (1959) and Dark of the Moon (1959) at the Fred Miller Theater in Milwaukee,[8] and The Moon Is Blue (1960).[9]

In 1960, Crawford was cast in a supporting role in the crime drama film Force of Impulse,[10] which was released in 1961.[11] Also in 1961, Crawford appeared in the musical Wild in the Country, a film starring Elvis Presley. That year, she made a guest appearance on Here's Hollywood.[12]

In 1962, she appeared in the play The Complaisant Lover. She played five character parts in Ben Hecht's controversial play Winkelberg. The same year, she appeared on the CBS courtroom drama The Verdict is Yours.[13] In October 1965, she appeared in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, with Myrna Loy, a friend of her mother, before being fired after the cast complained of Christina's unprofessional behavior. She was considered a capable actress, but difficult to work with in the industry, described as 'stubborn' by Loy who stated in her autobiography Being and Becoming that "We didn't have any problems in Barefoot in the Park until Christina appeared. The idea of Joan's daughter playing the role delighted me until I discovered how recalcitrant this child was...I've never known anyone like her, ever. Her stubbornness was really unbelievable. She would not do a single thing anyone told her to do."[14] She also had a small role in Faces (1968), a romantic drama directed by John Cassavetes.

She played Joan Borman Kane on the soap opera The Secret Storm in New York from 1968 until 1969. In October 1968, Christina Crawford missed several episodes due to emergency surgery. Her mother Joan Crawford was asked by executive producer Gloria Monty and network executives to fill in as Christina's character. Joan performed as "Joan" in several episodes so that the part would not be recast during her absence, as Monty later confirmed in an interview. Viewership increased 40 percent for those episodes, much to Christina's chagrin.[15]

In the early 1970s, Crawford also appeared in other TV programs, including Medical Center, Marcus Welby, M.D., Matt Lincoln, Ironside and The Sixth Sense.

Later career

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After Joan Crawford died in 1977, Crawford and her brother, Christopher, discovered that their mother had disinherited them from her estate, her will citing "reasons which are well-known to them."[16] Though being estranged from (and no longer financially supported by) their famous mother for years, in October 1977, Crawford and her brother sued Joan Crawford's estate to invalidate their mother's will, which she signed on October 28, 1976.[16] Cathy LaLonde, another Crawford daughter, and her husband, Jerome, the complaint charged, "took deliberate advantage of decedent's seclusion and weakened and distorted mental and physical condition to insinuate themselves" into Joan's favor.[17] A settlement between the parties was reached on July 13, 1979, which provided Crawford and Christopher a combined $55,000 from their mother's estate.[18]

Mommie Dearest

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In November 1978, Crawford's book Mommie Dearest was released and described her mother as a career-obsessed overly strict mother. Joan Crawford's two other daughters, Cathy and Cindy, denounced the book, categorically denying any abuse. Cindy told reporters in 1979, "I can't understand how people believe this stupid stuff Tina has written."[19][20] Also, many of Crawford's friends and co-workers, including Van Johnson, Ann Blyth, Myrna Loy, Katharine Hepburn, Cesar Romero, Gary Gray, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Crawford's first husband) denied the claims.[citation needed]

In her 1987 autobiography, Myrna Loy stated "She [Christina] wanted to be Joan Crawford. I think that's the basis of the book she wrote afterward and everything else. I saw what Christina's mind created, the fantasy world she lived in."[21] Christina's ex-husband, producer Harvey Medlinsky, said in response to Christina's memoir, "I have only good things to say about Joan Crawford. She was always nice to me and Christina."[22] The Secret Storm producer Gloria Monty, countered Christina's allegation that Joan "stole" Christina's role on the television show when she fell ill in 1968. According to Monty, Christina lied regarding this situation. Monty stated that she and CBS asked Joan to substitute for her daughter on the show, and that Joan agreed only in the interest of not allowing Christina to be permanently replaced by another actress until she could return to the show. Monty added, "I'll tell you that I saw Joan Crawford do everything she could to save that girl's life and job."[23] Helen Hayes,[24] June Allyson,[25] and Vincent Sherman[26] stated they had witnessed strict discipline. For example, Hayes and Sherman both stated in their autobiographies that they felt Joan was too strict a parent. Allyson stated in her autobiography that she witnessed Joan put Christina in "time-out", and did not let her go to a friend's birthday party as a punishment. However these people never stated they witnessed any outright abuse.[citation needed]

Mommie Dearest became a best-seller, and was made into the 1981 film Mommie Dearest, starring Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford.[27]

Christina had no involvement with the making of the film, and has categorically denounced the film as "grotesque" and a work of fiction. Christina has repeatedly stated that the film is highly inaccurate, and that the portrayal of her mother in the film bears little resemblance to the real Joan Crawford, specifically citing that her mother never chopped down a tree with an axe, or beat her with a wire hanger as depicted in the film.[28]

Christina Crawford has published five subsequent books, including Survivor, Black Widow, No Safe Place, Daughters of the Inquisition and Scammed.[4]

After a stroke in 1981, she spent five years in rehabilitation before moving to the Northwest.[4] She ran a bed and breakfast called Seven Springs Farms in Tensed, Idaho, between 1994 and 1999.[4]

On July 20, 1998, one of Joan Crawford's other adopted children, Cathy Crawford LaLonde, filed a lawsuit against Christina Crawford for "defamation of character". LaLonde stated in her lawsuit that, during the 20th-anniversary book tour of Mommie Dearest, Christina publicly claimed to interviewers that LaLonde and her twin sister, Cynthia, were not biological sisters, and that their adoption was never legal. LaLonde stated neither claim by Christina was true, and attached copies of the twin girls' birth certificates and adoption documentation to the lawsuit.[29] The lawsuit was later settled out of court for $5,000 plus court costs.[30]

In 2000, Crawford began working as entertainment manager at the Coeur d'Alene Casino in Idaho, where she worked until 2007. She then wrote and produced a regional TV series, Northwest Entertainment. On November 22, 2009, she was appointed county commissioner in Benewah County, Idaho, by Governor Butch Otter,[31] but she lost her bid for election in November 2010.[32] In 2011, Crawford founded the non-profit Benewah Human Rights Coalition and served as the organization's first president.[33] In 2013, she made a documentary, Surviving Mommie Dearest.

On November 21, 2017, the e-book editions of Mommie Dearest, Survivor and Daughters of the Inquisition were published through Open Road Integrated Media. She is also currently working with composer David Nehls on a stage musical adaptation of Mommie Dearest, to be produced in regional theater.[34] Crawford was (as of 2017) writing a third book in her memoir trilogy, following Mommie Dearest and Survivor.[35]

Personal life

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Crawford met her first husband, Harvey Medlinsky, a director and Broadway stage manager, while she was appearing in the Chicago national company of Barefoot in the Park. They were married briefly in the late 1960s before divorcing.[4] She married and divorced twice more. She has no children.[citation needed]

A member of the Democratic Party, Crawford worked on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.[36]

Filmography

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Film and television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1961 Wild in the Country Monica George Feature film
1961 Force of Impulse Ann Feature film
1968 Faces Woman Scattering Coins on Bar Feature film
1968–1969 The Secret Storm Joan Borman Kane Series regular
1970 Matt Lincoln Episode: "Sheila"
1970 Medical Center Dr. Myles Episode: "Scream of Silence"
1971 Marcus Welby, M.D. Sister Mary Eileen Kirkpatrick Episode: "Elegy for a Mad Dog"
1971 Ironside Edie Stockton Episode: "Lesson in Terror"
1972 The Sixth Sense Betty Blake Episode: "I Do Not Belong to the Human World"

Books

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  • Mommie Dearest (1978) ISBN 0-9663369-0-9
  • Black Widow: A Novel (1981) ISBN 0-425-05625-2
  • Survivor (1988) ISBN 0-515-10299-7
  • No Safe Place: The Legacy of Family Violence (1994) ISBN 0-88268-184-2
  • Daughters Of The Inquisition: Medieval Madness: Origin and Aftermath (2003) ISBN 0-9663369-1-7
  • Scammed: A True Story of Christina & The General (2014) ISBN 0-9663369-4-1
  • Mommie Dearest: Special Edition (2017) ebook ISBN 978-1-5040-4908-5
  • Survivor (2017) ebook ISBN 978-1-5040-4907-8
  • Daughters of the Inquisition: Medieval Madness: Origin and Aftermath (2017) ebook ISBN 978-1-5040-4905-4

References

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  1. ^ Brockes, Emma (June 25, 2019). "Christina Crawford on life after Mommie Dearest: 'My mother should have been in jail'". Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  2. ^ Crawford, Christina (2017) [1978]. Mommie Dearest. New York City: William Morrow & Company. ISBN 978-1-5040-4908-5. My official papers simply say "girl" born on Sunday afternoon, June 11, 1939. : 20 
  3. ^ Crawford, Christina (2017) [1978]. Mommie Dearest. New York City: William Morrow & Company. ISBN 978-1-5040-4908-5. So I traveled from Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital to a baby broker to 426 North Bristol Avenue when I was only a few weeks old. : 20 
  4. ^ a b c d e "Her Own Private Idaho". People Weekly. August 8, 1994.
  5. ^ MacPherson, Myra (November 1, 1978). "Grim Memories of 'Mommie'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "I'll never forgive Mommie: Joan Crawford's daughter gives first interview in 10 years". the Guardian. May 24, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Kilgallen, Dorothy (June 23, 1958). "Dorothy Kilgallen's Voice of Broadway". Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City (UT). p. 15.
  8. ^ Parsons, Louella (November 6, 1959). "Louella Parsons in Hollywood". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Milwaukee (WI). pp. 2, section 2.
  9. ^ "On Summer Stages in the County". Biddeford Journal. Biddeford (ME). July 21, 1960. p. 3.
  10. ^ "Reisbergs' Daughter Signed for Film Role". Kittanning Simpson Leader-Times. Kittanning (PA). March 2, 1960. p. 1.
  11. ^ "Force of Impulse". www.tcm.com. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Independent Press-Telegram. Pasadena (CA). April 9, 1961. p. 10. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ Penton, Edgar (April 22, 1962). "Cover Story: The Verdict is Yours". Appleton Post-Crescent. Appleton (WI). p. 2.
  14. ^ "Myrna Loy".
  15. ^ Windeler, Robert (October 23, 1968). "Joan Crawford Takes Daughter's Soap Opera Role". The New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Joan Crawford's Last Will and Testament". www.joancrawfordbest.com.
  17. ^ Los Angeles Times, November 19, 1977
  18. ^ "The Concluding Chapter of Crawford". www.theconcludingchapterofcrawford.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  19. ^ Eder, Shirley (March 18, 1979). "Detroit Free Press". Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  20. ^ Considine, p. 412
  21. ^ Loy, Myrna (1987). Being And Becoming. The University of Michigan. pp. 324–325. ISBN 9780394555935. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  22. ^ Eder, Shirley (July 6, 1979). "Detroit Free Press". Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  23. ^ Eder, Shirley (December 13, 1979). "Detroit Free Press". Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  24. ^ Hayes, Helen; Hatch, Katherine (1990). My Life in Three Acts. Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 0-15-163695-8.
  25. ^ Allyson, June; Leighton, Frances Spatz (1983). June Allyson. New York: Berkley. pp. 77–84. ISBN 0-425-06251-1.
  26. ^ Sherman, Vincent (1996). Studio Affairs: My Life As a Film Director. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 209–213. ISBN 0-8131-1975-8.
  27. ^ Roger Ebert (January 1, 1981). "Mommie Dearest" Archived January 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Chicago Sun-Times; accessed March 12, 2017.
  28. ^ "Christina Crawford Interviews". Christina Crawford. July 31, 2019. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  29. ^ "The Morning Call". July 21, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  30. ^ "The Morning Call". November 25, 1999. Retrieved October 16, 2021.[permanent dead link]
  31. ^ "Otter names 'Mommie Dearest' author to Benewah County Commission". December 10, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  32. ^ "Benewah Voters Boot Crawford". November 4, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  33. ^ "Benewah coalition promotes tolerance". May 4, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  34. ^ BWW News Desk. "Out of the Box Theatrics Presents Reading of MOMMIE DEAREST". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  35. ^ BWW News Desk. "'Mommie Dearest' Author Christina Crawford Opens Up About Her Past and How She's Moving Forward". HuffingtonPost.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  36. ^ Gaddy, Angie (August 4, 1997). "Christina Crawford She Hopes To Make A Go Of Rural Idaho B&B;/Retreat". Retrieved July 7, 2024.
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