Scott Eyman

I'm not much for celebrity biographies as a general rule. But Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart could make me break almost any rule. And this is no "everything you didn't know about..." kind of book, although I certainly learned things I didn't know. The subtitle, "the Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart" is fairly descriptive, but even it doesn't quite do justice to the contents. The exploration of Hank and Jim's long-standing friendship is fascinating stuff; imagine two show more tall, elegant young fellows scrounging for acting roles early in their careers, sharing apartments, hobo steaks and beers, and a love of flying. Their politics didn't jibe, but they just didn't talk about that when they were together; one remained devout all his life and the other thought religion was a crock; they both loved the same woman and apparently neither of them ever got her out of his system, but one of them married and divorced her while the other never got close and none of that seemed to matter to their friendship; one married five times before getting it "right" and the other hit the jackpot the first time; both made movies, but one loved the studio system and the other lived for stage work; neither was ever happy with his own performances, but each considered the other's talent bordered on genius; both had a hard time dealing with personal feelings, but could render the subtlest of emotional scenes in such a way that audiences took them to their hearts. It's worth picking up a copy of this book from the library just to read the section on "The War". Stewart joined the Army Air Corps, trained bomber pilots, flew 19 missions himself, and eventually retired (under protest) from the Air Force Reserve as a Brigadier General in 1968; Fonda joined the Navy, serving as an intelligence officer in the South Pacific, and at one point dived to the wreckage of a kamikaze plane that had been shot down, retrieving valuable charts and flight plans which helped locate the base island from which the Japanese were launching their attacks. These men were not servicemen in name only, nor strictly for PR. They both contributed to the winning of the war, and like so many other veterans, they simply did not talk about their experiences to friends and family afterward. A solidly good read. I recommend it.
Review written in 2018 show less

I received this as an ARC and genuinely enjoyed it. Eyman’s biography is comprehensive and clearly structured, grounding Crawford’s story firmly in her filmography rather than focusing on deep psychological analysis. It’s built from the voices of those who knew her, offering an overall positive and respectful portrait without leaning on scandal or speculation.
This isn’t a tell-all — it’s a thoughtful retrospective that places Crawford’s career in the broader context of the show more Golden Age of Hollywood, and it’s a rewarding read for anyone interested in classic cinema and the legacy of one of its most enduring stars. show less

Scott Eyman’s Joan Crawford: A Woman’s Face offers a balanced, well-researched portrait of one of Hollywood’s most enigmatic stars. Drawing on newly available archival material and interviews, With clarity and restraint, Eyman reconstructs Crawford’s ascent from poverty and neglect to stardom and admiration. His approach avoids sensationalism, portraying Crawford as both a disciplined professional and a fiercely self-invented woman navigating the studio system. Crawford’s work show more ethic and ambition are a throughline: she didn’t just rest on her stunning looks, she played the game hard to achieve her success. Eyman’s even-handed narrative restores nuance to a figure long overshadowed by myth and controversy. In short, this is a vivid and definitive portrait of a Hollywood legend. show less

My all-purpose expression for "go away" used to be "Go next door", similar to how the Mowy twins would dismiss their neighbor with "Go home, Roger!" in Sister Sister. No one I ever said that to knew it was because of Joan Crawford's famous quote, "I never go outside unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star. If you want to see the girl next door, go next door." For years I was a huge fan of studio-era Hollywood, and as a result I have read A LOT of books about that era. Joan Crawford show more has always been a long way down the list of my favorite actors from then, so when I got an ARC through a giveaway listed on Library Thing I went in thinking I didn't know much about Miss Crawford.

The author does his best to trace the early roots of Lucille LeSeur, AKA Billie Cassin (I actually never knew that she used that name) AKA Joan Crawford. We follow Joan from her childhood of various "uncles" and stepfathers, and poverty to her time dancing in New York City, to her early days in Hollywood. We are along for the ride through her MGM years, her transition to Warner Brothers, and her difficult years following the collapse of the studio system. More than anything this book impressed on me Crawford's intense desire to work in her beloved profession, which was being a glamorous movie star, not merely an actor.

I though the book did a fair job presenting Crawford as exactly who she was, so you can draw your own conclusions about her legacy, particularly when it comes to the Mommie Dearest rumors. I think she was definitely not cut out for motherhood, but she wasn't a monster. Yes, she was probably hard on her children, especially her two oldest ones, but she was hardest of all on herself. I also found myself admiring how even though she sought too much validation from men, and even though she was a complete diva, she understood that her end of the bargain was to work as hard as she could, and present herself in a particular way. I was also charmed to learn about her habits of knitting (never knew about that!) and going out of her way to be especially kind and gracious to the crew of the movies she worked on.

This is a good book to add to the pantheon of Joan Crawford biographies, and offers a glimpse into the world of Hollywood when it was brand new. show less