The new FX series Feud focuses on a simpler time in Hollywood. Oh, wait, no it doesn't. It focuses on an absolutely insane time in Hollywood. The show is about the feud between actors Joan Crawford and Bette Davis during the production of their 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, a culturally significant and successful film that's been at least partly overshadowed by the drama that took place backstage. Jessica Lange plays Crawford in the series, and she is absolutely killing it in the role, making lots of fans curious about Crawford's career. Thankfully, there are a ton of Joan Crawford movies to stream if you're obsessed with Feud.
First, here's a little background on Crawford. She was born in 1904 and began her career as a dancer, then became a showgirl on Broadway, and eventually transformed into one of the biggest movie stars in the world by the late 1920s. A three-time Oscar nominee, she won the award for Best Actress in 1946 for her role in Mildred Pierce. Crawford passed away in 1977, but her legacy has shown no sign of fading away, as she was declared the tenth greatest female screen legend of all time by the American Film Institute in 1999. So take a look below at 12 classics starring Joan Crawford, all of which can be rented at online outlets like iTunes, YouTube, and Amazon.
1‘Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?'
If you’re a Feud fan, then this is obviously where you’ll want to start.
2‘Mildred Pierce’
This 1945 film represented Crawford’s comeback after her late ‘30s decline in popularity, and she was awarded an Academy Award for her efforts.
3‘The Women’
This 1939 film takes its title seriously, as not a single man appears on screen. It’s also notable for pairing Crawford with her greatest pre-Bette Davis rival, Norma Shearer.
4‘Possessed’
This 1947 noir film earned Crawford her second Oscar nomination for her role as an emotionally unstable woman with a checkered past.
5‘Humoresque’
In another noir film, this one from 1946, Crawford plays an older married socialite who becomes involved with a young violinist.
6‘Grand Hotel’
This 1931 star-studded film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and is considered one of the best classic examples of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
7‘Daisy Kenyon’
This 1947 romantic drama sees Crawford caught up in a love triangle. Henry Fonda co-stars.
8‘Sudden Fear’
Crawford earned her third and final Oscar nomination for her performance in this 1952 thriller, where she plays a woman whose husband (Jack Palance) is plotting to kill her, so she in turn plots to kill him.
9‘A Woman’s Face’
Crawford plays a woman with a scarred face and a mysterious past in this 1941 noir film, which is told mostly through flashbacks.
10‘Our Dancing Daughters’
Crawford had a brief career as a silent film star before transitioning to talkies, and this 1928 movie made her the quintessential flapper of the Roaring ‘20s.
11‘Love On The Run’
This 1936 screwball romantic comedy was one of eight films that paired Crawford with fellow Hollywood heavyweight Cary Grant.
12‘Johnny Guitar’
This western was released well past Crawford’s heyday in 1954, and was not well-received originally. But it has aged well, and was selected for preservation at the National Film Registry in 2008.
