Joan Crawford had messed up ear piercings

Those may be clip-ons.

I think these were the photos that embarrassed her so badly that she was never photographed again.

Sad timing of women stars of her era who had to attempt glamour at all times, even when age was creeping up. She doesn't look terrible but she does look like she is trying to be fashionable and modern at the same time. That dog of a necklace isn't helping.

The other photos were indeed awful. You could tell she was ill.

You've no idea Tina

The part that was in her ear looked fine, the bottom ruined the look.

The earrings are fine. The hair is a different story....

“The hair”

OMG leave the dead to rot in their graves lol.

I didn't pay much attention to her earrings because I was distracted by her ill-fitting Eva Gabor wig.

The wig is probably hiding surgical tape, elastic bands, and other apparatus that pull her face taut.

Love her sterling silver feeding bib!

People were so old looking back then.

We're not going to talk about those crayoned-on eyebrows?

When JC saw this photo she was so appalled she retired and made no more public appearances.

You all have spent all weekend trashing Vicki Lawrence and Lucille Ball, now you're trying to come for Miss Crawford. Somebody needs to draw the line, and the line stops at Miss Crawford. Why don't you vipers go after Marlo Thomas or Patti Lupone.

[quote]It was actually this photo with Rosalind Russell, who was battling cancer.

I’d rather her ears go BALD than looking like a TRAMP!

R17. It's the same evening as OP's photo. WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS EMBARRASS ME?!

[quote] Were they nailed into her head?

Joan was crucified so we could thrive. She is our savior.

I never thought Joan was attractive but she was an intense actress which I liked.

R17 back in the day were those niggas called dreg kweens?

[quote]I never thought Joan was attractive but she was an intense actress which I liked.

She was really quite striking-looking early in her career (1930s), before she turned into a mannequin.

I quite like the way that she let herself age. I don't think she was rich but surely she had enough money for a later-in-life face lift? I hate to think how she would have looked after one of those. I'm pretty sure that she stopped drinking for the last few years of her life and I like to think she came to an understanding and acceptance of some aspects of her life. She could accept aging to a degree, but those photos revealed something she couldn't accept. It comes to us all, I suppose...

They're clip-ons. Nice white ladies did not pierce their ears in her era.

She's not wearing any foundation and you can see the melasma spots on her skin because of the flash lighting. I bet that's what mortified her. The wig is really a bad choice. It makes her look like Kaye Ballard.

Clip on earrings. I wouldn't have even recognized her without OP saying who she was. She looks different.

I actually think thery're screw-ons.

Most American older women didn't have pierced ears back then. Clip-ons usually were the kind that were larger and round or jeweled and clipped to your ear. Screw-ons were often things like a single pearl or diamond/rhinestone, or dangly earrings, and had a thing that went around the earlobe.

R25, Joan Crawford was covered in freckles her entire life. It’s not melasma.

It's the snap-on attire: gorgeous silver-plated snap-on earrings complimented by a lovely snap-on wig. Where were HSN and Georgia when she needed them?

I don't think she looks bad. You can tell she's not that old. And wigs were very big at that time, they were a huge fad. Remember, women had to either get permanents or wear curlers to set their hair, in the styles that were popular, then. Wigs were stlish and freed them from all that work. My mom got one (I think she was in her 40s, then), she never would have thought of wearing a wig before.

*stylish

In the '60s, Joan would occasionally change it up, and could look good. But her fallback glamour was always ridiculous wigs and falls, "statement" necklaces like Wilma Flintstone's, behemoth false eyelashes, matchy/matchy outfits, and those bushy eyebrows. She wasn't ill yet, but she was still drinking and smoking like a chimney.

Yeah she dressed horribly in those particular years.

Once again, the majority of people smoked, then. It's like blaming them for eating steak.

[quote]surely she had enough money for a later-in-life face lift?

Some women back then had skin that was not capable of healing properly after the old surgery techniques and the scarring would have been too noticeable. Lucille Ball was another one who had to resort to wigs and tape.

Interestingly, she doesn't have very long nails and doesn't seem to have nail polish on, or maybe it's just natural.

To whom it may concern:

Get outta here! You little tramp, get out before i kill you! GET OUT!

R16 = Carol Ann

At least this is different, we never had a thread on Joan Crawford before.

R29. Hi, Georgia!!

Joan was probably a lot older than her supposed age, anyway. It's still disputed.

[quote] They're clip-ons. Nice white ladies did not pierce their ears in her era.

She wasn’t nice and she had pierced ears.

I wonder who lives there now.

“Joan Crawford's last residence was apartment 22-H in the Imperial House at 150 East 69th Street in New York City. She lived there from September 1973 until her death in May 1977.”

OMG, the freak went to Joan’s last apartment.

Of course he did! Did he bring an "uncle" with him?!

She left her wig for me in the will.

She really didn't look bad for a seventysomething woman. Her face was still pretty good, it was that horrible awful wig that did her no favors. A different, more flattering wig and she would've looked fine.

Well, they aren’t pierced, they’re clip ones.

R21 She was stunning.

[quote] but she was still drinking and smoking like a chimney.

All of those old movie bitches smoked and drank with the exception of Mae West.

R48 Clark Gable was

That's a wonky eye worthy of ME!

What becomes a legend most?

Smoking is horrible for skin and cosmetic surgery can’t really correct the damage.

This is Joan’s Phyllis Diller lewk

The Concluding Chapter of Crawrord has an extensive rundown of the infamous Rainbow Room soiree.

"September 23: Joan hosts a book publication party for John Springer's book "They Had Faces Then" at the Rainbow Room atop the RCA building in Manhattan, New York. Rosalind Russell is the party's guest of honor. Shortly after greeting the arriving guests, Joan leaves the party abruptly, with guests later wondering why she had left. This is to be Joan's final public appearance at a notable public event. This event also marks the last on-camera interview Joan gave, it was to R. Couri Hay. Several versions exist as to the events surrounding Joan abruptly leasing the party at The Rainbow Room. Springer's version of the events differs from that of Joan, and her close friends.

1) According to Crawford biographer Charlotte Chandler, John Springer told her that Joan offered to host the book party and was later upset that Springer asked Rosalind Russell to co-hostess. (Source: Charlotte Chandler's biography "Not The Girl Next Door")

2) According to news reports quoting Joan the week following the party, Joan was announced as hostess before John Springer had asked her. "The press agent-author of the book announced I'd be hostess before asking me. I went along so's not to embarrass Roz." (Source: Quote from Joan in a Jack O'Brian article dated September 29th, 1974)

3. In an October 15th, 1974 letter to Joan from her friend, film historian Jeanine Basinger, Basinger responds to a comment Joan made to her by letter regarding the Rainbow Room party and Springer. The content appears to confirm the story of Springer publicly announcing Joan as the hostess of the Rainbow Room party before receiving her response to the request. Basinger writes: "I am deeply shocked at what was done to you regarding the Springer event. What nerve! How does he keep clients if this is how he operates? I just can't believe sometimes how insensitive people are to one another...how greedy for things to be done FOR THEM...and how lacking they are about returning these small favors.

September 24: Allegedly, following Joan's distaste for how she looks in photographs taken of her at the Rainbow Room book publication party on September 23rd, she cancels all public appearances for the remainder of the year. While this is "common knowledge" in the Crawford biographies, this webmaster has found no documented proof this claim is accurate.

Late September: Joan dines at the 21 Club in Manhattan, New York. During the meal, Joan tells reporter Jack O'Brian about the Rainbow Room party."

Joan's last apartment. How could someone with so many gay friends (including designer Billy Haines) have such a monumentally ugly apartment? No wonder her look was so awful in the end, also.

What a dump!

From those photos the interior design was not bad given the era. I like the chinoiserie.

Garbo's apartment

R35 I think Miss Crawford had really pretty, nicely-shaped nails with a pale pink nail polish color on them in the photo. It’s such a nice difference from the obnoxiously long, overly-decorated ugly nails that are in now.

Maybe a lil more bold, like this!

I love Garbo's entranceway.

[quote]I love Garbo's entranceway.

And how!