as a crawford fan, what's your biggest disappointment with her career?

There were a few projects after Baby Jane that Joan was attached too but failed to happen when she either backed out or the films never materialized:

The Strange Story based on the novel (1945 by Hilda Lewis) of the same name was to be filmed in 1964 with Ann Margaret playing twins. Joan negotiated to play the mother but the film was shelved.

Joan was set to play the mother (Martha) in the The Bastard (1968) but for whatever reason either due to the billing of her name or the title of the film itself she backed out and was replaced by Rita Hayworth.

Jenny By Nature (1970) based on the book of the same name. Joan was to play a former prostitute turned landlord to those down on their luck. She was signed on in the summer of 1970 but the film fell apart and was shelved.

One word:

TROG

the_snoke.. while i totally get what you're saying, in a strange way i am almost glad she did 'trog' because at least she was working.. otherwise, we would have one less film to see her amazing face, mannerisms and earnest persona in..

the film is an oddity to be sure, but i actually quite enjoy seeing her go about the silly script with such earnestness and professionalism..

but yeah, joan obviously deserved a much grander, more epic swan song..


it wasn't the fall from her 16th-floor penthouse that killed her, it was the landing

thanks for the info, touchmink.. it is really frustrating to hear about all of the missed opportunities joan had yet somehow allowed to slip through her fingers.. so many chances lost and gone forever.. 

she was so perfect in 'eyes,' not just because the part of claudia menlo was totally suited to her glamour persona, but rather because, on the contrary, the latter half of the story has joan in a disheveled state that really breaks one's heart to watch.. i wish she had been aware of how appreciative her own fans were to see her in a poignant, more vulnerable, less-than-glamorous state every once in a while.. that 'eyes' episode was such a powerful glimmer of what could've been.. in fact, the story of claudia menlo almost mirrors joan's own downward professional slide in a way.. i.e., after that brief but epic moment in the limelight once again in wehtbj?, it all quickly faded from her grasp!

i also get the sense that, after 'sudden fear,' her 'a lister' demands became so fastidious, that her film projects almost had to be subject to a degree of micromanagement on her part that directors and producers perhaps simply could no longer countenance/tolerate.. i believe the 'from here to eternity' fiasco falls under this category.. i.e., joan overplaying her star diva card..

anyway, her face was iconic and i am so glad that we have what seems like thousands of photos of that epic face to feast on.. i just wish that epic face had appeared in worthier movie fare post 1962.. such a waste!

it wasn't the fall from her 16th-floor penthouse that killed her, it was the landing

I wish she'd done From Here to Eternity. She might have been good in that...if she didn't insist on being really forceful.
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from here to eternity.. among the epic projects that somehow got away from her, that's the one that truly hurts! what a missed golden opportunity!

it wasn't the fall from her 16th-floor penthouse that killed her, it was the landing

Is that "the Bastard" by John Jakes - the first in the Kent Family series? Or something else?

I was going to write the same thing, Cookie. Every time I see that picture, I imagine Joan Crawford doing the scenes. She would have been terrific.