Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford, a Personal Biography

Charlotte Chandler, whose writing is positively magic, has given us in this compelling new personal biography, "Not the Girl Next Door", something far beyond very important new information on this complex Oscar winning star. She has given us an actual "personal experience" of Joan Crawford herself. Often times there is far more to be learned from how individuals "see themselves", and also "want to be seen", than from only the cold hard facts of their lives. If all you want to know about Joan Crawford is dates, people, and "hearsay" gossip, then looking her up in an encyclopedia of film history and reading all the slander that was written specifically to hurt her and to damage her reputation will suffice. However, if what you want is the extraordinary opportunity of sitting and listening to Joan Crawford tell you about her life, as it personally impacted her, then ""Not the Girl Next Door" is absolutely the book for you! Perfectly set with carefully observed background description, and skillfully crafted from first-hand personal interviews with Ms Chandler, this book reads with the reality of a face-to-face encounter with Joan Crawford and those who knew her well. And because the author, mercifully, has NOT burdened her audience with endless speculative and psychological analyses of the star, readers themselves are closely drawn into active participation with the narrative and can come to their own conclusions, based upon their own understanding of Joan Crawford as she and her contemporaries speak directly to them. Joan Crawford, whose devotion to her fans is legendary, was the quintessential "Movie Star". No one has ever worked harder to perfect her talents and her physical self, or to please her studio and moviegoers. At its core, "Not the Girl Next Door" refocuses our attention on Crawford's justly earned film career fame along with her many often unmentioned kindnesses to others, while at the same time balancing these accomplishments with the fears, insecurities, and childhood demons that we begin to perceive she always had to struggle against. Having read other books on and interviews of Miss Crawford I believe that she has revealed herself, in these largely "end of life" sessions with Ms. Chandler, in a way that we have never seen her before. Also, importantly, in a stroke of sheer creative genius, Ms Chandler has set her own ego aside, and almost never reveals herself as "present" in the rooms where she sat and so carefully listened to those who told her their stories. It is, in fact, as if she has graciously gotten up and given her seat to her readers, and stepped out of the way so that they alone may be spoken to. In addition to what you will learn, it is the mystery of Ms Chandler's skill as a listener, and the magic of her writing as an author, that will leave you unable to put this book down. My suggestion to you is to sit in a comfortable chair, turn out all the lights save the one you are reading with, pick up your cop

WONDERFUL READ - DON'T QUITE FOLLOW THE TIMELINE OF HER LIFE AND CHILDREN, BUT QUITE SATISFIED.

I loved this book. For everyone who has scoffed at Joan Crawford for the Mommy Dearest debaucle of her ungrateful child, this is a must read. What a wonderful performer, a caring, loving and interesting woman who made a life for herself without apology. I am an avid reader of biographies of the silver screen and I enjoyed this one thoroughly.

Charolotte Chandler's immensely intriguing biography on actress Joan Crawford is hard to put down. Chandler wrote the wonderfully telling bio on Bette Davis a few years ago entitled The Girl Who Walked Home Alone. I found that equally hard to set aside. Well, I am a huge fan of Joan Crawford, so it was wonderful to read interviews Charlotte had with Joan over the years. Chandler's information sources are first hand throughout the book. She interviews Joan over lunch or sometimes with Joan and her trusted friend and publicist John Springer. Not very much in this bio is second-hand information, she goes right directly to the source. There are several good quality photographs in the center of the volume as well as summaries of her movies in order throughout the text. Included in this wonderful biography are interviews with people who met her over the years, a young neighbor who had a crush on her husband Doug, for instance! These people knew her personally. Included are lots of juicy tidbits from first husband Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. The book was so hard to put aside as it really broadens the reader's knowledge of this great and glittering star. We don't just hear what a bad person Joan was a la Mommie Dearest, but you do get an all-around picture of her shortcomings, fears and insecurities spoken from Joan herself. Christian Crawford bravely told her story and hers is truly a worthwhile book, but there was more to Joan Crawford then just being a Mother. She was the consummate star and her audience, her fans, her stardom were everything to this rather driven woman who came from poverty/nothing and completely made herself into a box office sensation. This book shows the great woman's driving force in life. What more can you ask for in telling the story of a person's life? I heartily recommend Chandler's biography Not the Girl Next Door to all of Crawford's fans.

Why is this biography so flawless? Simple answer: The MTV Generation is learning about a New & Exciting Star! This is an immaculate book about a perfect actress; after all, Miss Crawford wouldn't have it any other way! Joan was always such a fascinating and beautiful star who was always very kind, compassionate and generous to a fault. No Star shined brighter than her! And that is what this book is all about, a celebration of this legend's life! By the way, the book also includes lots of great pictures of Joan! Some of them I've never seen before. I especially like the picture chosen for the cover; this is a great shot of Joan from 1934 when she was at her most photogenic! Like millions and millions of people, I am a die-hard Joan Crawford fan and have read countless books about this intriguing, accomplished, brilliant and gorgeous legend. "Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford, a Personal Biography" is the very best! Forget about everything that has been written about Joan, this is the most accurate publication, ever! Miss Crawford's true life story is finally getting told, for the very first time! Even from beyond the grave (may she rest in peace) Miss Crawford gets the last laugh. Ms. Chandler went out of her way to include many extensive interviews with some of the people who knew Joan the best. Some of the most interesting were with Joan's friend and longtime secretary Betty Barker and longtime publicist John Springer who both rarely ever gave interviews on Joan and generously shared many new facts about her. Ms. Chandler also conducted many interviews with Joan's colleagues and movie peers. My very favorite interview was with Ms. Bette Davis who perhaps surprisingly only wanted to defend Joan's good name, "I was not Miss Crawford's biggest fan, but wiesecracks to the contrary, I did and still do respect her talent." Bette Davis continued on, saying how she felt sorry for the way Joan was stigmatized, "but I knew she wouldn't appreciate my pity because that's the last thing she would have wanted -anyone to feel sorry for her." And can I just say that I have a totally newfound respect and admiration for Ms. Bette Davis. (Prior to reading this book, I knew very little about Ms. Davis.) It would have been so easy for her to join the proverbial bandwagon, otherwise known as the "I hate Joan Crawford fan club." But this fine lady showed both class and compassion towards one of her contemporaries at an otherwise time when few others extended that same courtesy to Joan. And, had the tables been turned, Joan being the true professional and talent that she always was, would have done exactly the same thing for Bette Davis. Besides detailing Joan's long and very descriptive professional career, Ms. Chandler also discusses Joan's personal life, as well. I learned so many new facts about Joan. I found out that for many, many years Miss Crawford paid for the medical care for many of the studios laborers who otherwise could never afford to get