Show how I 1 broke into the movies ff copyright by hat hal 41 herman L by JOAN CRAWFORD was the avenue by which DI DANCING I 1 reached the screen I 1 during childhood it was my abbl ambition to carve for myself a niche in the theaters hall ball of fame sly parents however had bad different plans tor for me and always discouraged my thoughts in this direction eventually I 1 had to run away from home to even get a chance to demon demonstrate my embryonic talents rut hut lets start at the beginning I 1 I 1 was born at san antonio tex and like most any other child spent my early teens mastering the mysteries of the three its Bs rut after school hours and during vacation periods my thoughts always strayed to it a secretly cherished dream of some day becoming a great actress although my father owned a theater he refused to even think of permitting me to train for a theatrical career but mi his resistance merely served to whet my desire to seek fame on the stage this predilection became even more strongly attached to me while I 1 was attending finishing school in kansas city one day I 1 sat down and figured the whole thing out I 1 wanted to be an actress of this I 1 was sure rut but father and mother thought otherwise so I 1 decided upon a bold course a joan crawford daring step I 1 ran away from home As AB I 1 look back I 1 can see that it was indeed a foolhardy venture for a young girl untrained in the ways vt T the world to alone seek her livelihood in a strange city good luck luch was with me from the outset and I 1 landed my first job with a revue in chicago that was in 1922 1022 during this engagement I 1 acquired much experience that was to prove invaluable to me in later years sly my next jump was to new york where I 1 appeared in ID the shubert shibert production innocent eyes the theater program listed me as luclle lucile le sueur it seemed too good to be true at last I 1 was really in the theater next came a part in the passing show at the winter garden little did I 1 suspect that I 1 was to dance my way right out of this show into the movies but just exactly what happened when harry rapt of the metro gold wyn mayer studios saw the show one evening and offered me the chance to enter motion pictures was I 1 thrilled why I 1 was so excited I 1 could hardly talk I 1 bonde wondered red what hollywood was really like would I 1 be a star with my name in electric lights or just another girl among FL a legion of failures these thoughts ran through my mind as I 1 packed for the westward jaunt I 1 hoped for the best upon my arrival in the movie city I 1 was given six months of intensive training in the art of screen acting and under the name of joan crawford chosen for me by the public I 1 made my first appearance before the camera in a picture called pretty ladles ladies I 1 was extremely happy even though my part was only that of an extra player I 1 learned that extra work was the foundation upon which some of our greatest artists have bullied their careers perhaps I 1 too would be so fortunate sly my optimism knew no bounds nhen hen I 1 was picked for an important part with jackle jackie coogan in old clothes my work in this production seemed to settle my future as a featured player and I 1 was as tendered a long term contract to which I 1 happily and hurriedly affixed my signature next I 1 was cast for one of the leading roles in sally irene and mary in 1925 1 was chosen as a wampas campas baby star wampas campas pas meaning the western association of motion picture advertisers there are two pictures to which I 1 owe much in the matter of making my name known to the film fans they are the boob and paris other vehicles which helped me in the climb to celluloid prominence are the understanding heart the taxi dancer winners of the wilderness der ness the unknown spring fever west point our dancing daughters dream of love the duke steps step out rain and grand crane hotel with the making of our modern maidens I 1 first farst reached stardom so you see I 1 really danced dance my way into the movies and the lie moiles hav bar kept the me dancing ever since |