Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Not The Girl Next Door

She was never the girl next door.
And she never wanted to be the girl next door.
"If they want to see the girl next door," she said "let them go next door."
She created herself through hard work and sheer force of will. She was incredibly focused, determined and committed to the proposition that she would never again have to face the hardships that she faced in her formative years. And she never did.
She never forgot the people who helped her along the way - especially "all the people out there in the dark" who watched her flickering image on the big screen or those who bought the fan magazines that kept her face and her intense, probing eyes front and center. Ever loyal to her adoring fans, she branded herself before anyone knew the meaning of branding and her career stretched from the silent era to Hollywood's post-studio age and the rise of independent films.
She was Hollywood legend Joan Crawford and March 23 will mark the centennial of her birth. Now, one of my favorite authors, Charlotte Chandler has produced a "personal biography" of Joan Crawford titled Not The Girl Next Door. Don't miss it!

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