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Strange Cargo (1940)
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by MGM (Warner)
Sales Rank: 8272
Price: $19.98
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In this movie there was both a rare sense of innocence and sensuality that made Joan's part even more multi-faceted! Joan plays Joan in this 1940 MGM classic, staring with her number one leading man, Clark Gable. Much of this masterpiece is shot on a boat and outside and Joan looks all the more stunning and natural! I've added a couple pictures here for you! BTW, "Strange Cargo" will be shown on TCM on Fri., 1-11-08 @ 9:00 a.m.! <br /> <br />Why was Miss Crawford such a fascinating and unconventional star? <br /> <br />Miss Crawford was a first-rate star, who worked her a-s-s off to get to where she was! And, do you know what she did once she got there? She worked 10 times harder! Joan had the longest and most impressive film career of any star during Tinseltown's famed Golden Age of Cinema! Joan's career lasted 5 decades! And her career proved to be more loyal to her than any lover or husband! Miss Crawford was always known for her fashion-sense, classical beauty and the ability to constantly re-invent herself (half a century before the Material Girl was a household name!) <br /> <br />Joan Crawford started her career in 1925 as a flapper, playing in bit parts as a contract-player for the most glorious studio in town, MGM. She was nothing more than a glorified prop, unbilled in her first film, "Lady of the Night." Soon, Joan was promoted to leading-lady, appearing in such critically-acclaimed pictures as, Harry Langdon's Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, and Lon Chaney's The Unknown. But it wasn't until Joan accepted the role of Diana Medford, in Our Dancing Daughters that she became a bona fide star! By the end of the decade Joan had more than 20 pictures under her belt! <br /> <br />In the 30's when many silent stars were bowing out gracefully, Joan was back with a vengeance! This time Joan was the little shop girl that Depression-Era American ladies (and maybe even some boys, too) could really identify with. Miss Crawford could be seen acting in such famed movies as, "Letty Lynton," Rain, Sadie Mckee, Grand Hotel , and one of my personal favorites, Forsaking All Others . Some of the 25 classics that Joan also made during the 30's include: Dancing Lady, Laughing Sinners, Dance, Fools, Dance, Chained, "No More Ladies," The Gorgeous Hussy, Love on the Run (1936), The Bride Wore Red, Mannequin (1938) and of course one of her most popular ever, The Women ! <br /> <br />"No more goddamn shop girls," Joan was once quoted as saying to MGM chief-honcho, Louis B. Mayer. In the 40's Joan yet again came back in another one of her many incarnations, this time as the society matron in such movies as, When Ladies Meet (1941), Reunion in France and Susan & God. In 1942 Miss Crawford donated her entire salary from Columbia's They All Kissed the Bride to charity and then she turned around and fired her agent when he didn't do the same! After 18 years of being a member of the MGM family, Miss Crawford took a huge gamble and decided to branch out, this time working for the actor's studio, Warners. Joan's first film for Warners, was her most famous movie, and it garnered her the Oscar for Best Actress; playing the title role in her defining-film, Mildred Pierce . Joan also made a slew other first-rate pictures during this period, such as: Humoresque, "Daisy Kenyon," and Flamingo Road (1949). Moving to Warners really paid off for Miss Crawford, because she also received her second Academy Award nomination for Possessed, playing the harried Louise Howell! Of course, Miss Crawford had all the time in the world to donate to the war-effort. Joan was often seen at the Hollywood Canteen entertaining our boys; how many of today's movie stars get off their pedestals to do this? <br /> <br />The 50's marked a very pivotal time in Joan's illustrious career. Because in the next chapter of her picture resume, she played the determined and strong matriarch in many wonderful dramatic cinematic masterpieces. Such as, Harriet Craig, Queen Bee, "Female on the Beach," The Damned Don't Cry, "Goodbye My Fancy," The Story of Esther Costello and Autumn Leaves. Miss Crawford also received her third Academy Award nomination playing Myra Hudson in RKO's Sudden Fear. And never one to be typecast, Joan made a big splash in Johnny Guitar, playing a tough saloon owner in the wild-west! Also beginning in the 50's, Joan took up the campaign as official spokeswoman for Pepsi-Cola; a coveted role that she enjoyed for more than 18 years! <br /> <br />In the 60's Miss Crawford didn't slow down for a second! Nope! She came out swinging. Joan made the whole country ask in droves, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? . In one of her most well-known pictures ever, Joan played Blanche Hudson, opposite another very talented actress, Ms. Bette Davis, in this gorgeous Warners film! Throughout all the 60's Miss Crawford was known as the "Scream Queen." She stared in such cult-favorites as, Strait-Jacket, Della, I Saw What You Did and Berserk! It was also around this time, that Miss Crawford penned her autobiography, A Portrait of Joan Crawford. <br /> <br />Even in semi-retirement, Miss Crawford still always kept busy during the 1970's. This time she was the Hollywood Legend, and everyone knew it! When the movie studios weren't knocking on her door, she switched to television. In one of her last television appearances, Miss Crawford played the part of Joan Fairchild in ABC's "The Sixth Sense: Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death." She also wrote her second book, the best-selling My Way of Life. And, Joan always found the time for some of her favorite charities; donating her talent and time to The Muscular Dystrophy Association and The American Cancer Society. Of course, Joan also made time to speak to her good friend and journalist Roy Newquist. Mr. Newquist was actually the only writer that Miss Crawford chose to speak to during the late 70's, and his thoughtful (and unprecedented) interviews with Joan were published in the 1980 book, Conversations with Joan Crawford. <br /> <br />Miss Crawford perished a second time when the majority of the public threw her away and vilified her as a lunatic. But this death was much more painful. Because not only were Joan's films forgotten, but all of the good she did during her lifetime was also completely erased! Could a violent and crazed-alcoholic have accomplished just half of what Miss Crawford did in her life? And, could they have pulled it off with such perfection, like Joan always did? As far as I'm concerned, it's preposterous to think that Miss Crawford would have ever done anything to put her good name or her livelihood on the line. The true Joan Crawford was kind, compassionate and generous to a fault. Joan was a self-made lady who worked for everything she got. She just wanted to keep her head above water in a man's world where women didn't have a voice or a choice. Miss Crawford never for a second forgot where she came from or who she was, and she never for a moment let her beloved fans down! All Joan wanted was for someone to give her a chance and believe in her. <br /> <br />If you're interested in learning about the true Joan Crawford, I recommend watching some of her pictures. Joan has always said that her true biography is on film. As you may know, Joan has a very detailed movie library that may look intimidating at first, since it is so long and impressive. A good place to start is her boxed set , which includes some of her greatest movies. Miss Crawford also has a second set that will be out next year, too. And, I recommend reading Conversations With Joan Crawford, because this book showed the true Joan Crawford. I also recommend these books, as well: A portrait of Joan;: The autobiography of Joan Crawford , Joan Crawford: Her Life in Letters and Joan Crawford, a biography. And there will be a new book about Joan out by Feb. '08, Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford, a Personal Biography; which is supposed be the most accurate and comprehensive biography ever penned! <br /> <br />Shortly before her death, when asked if she would do it all over again, Miss Crawford bluntly said, "It's difficult to answer that question because part of me believes in Predestination - you know, someone up there is pulling the strings, what ever will be will be." In the end, after all has been said about her, Joan was just a person looking for some happiness; she just wanted to make it through the night, no different from the rest of us. <br /> <br /> <br />
Viewer Reviews
This is one of the worst films that I have ever seen.
It has a disgusting sense of life. It subtly implies that the mystical
gives morality to man. It does not, it never can and never will.
It is a propaganda movie for the church, to recruit a dissenting morality
ever since the renaissance.
Clarke Gable is a dreadful, non-percipient actor. He recites his words,
but he has never been able to act.
Joan Crawford, a brilliant actress was wasted in such vulgarity.
On a graph of 1 to 10, I give this movie a minus 10.
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Strange Cargo (1940)
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