Quotes from Joan Crawford

It has been said that on screen I personified the American woman.

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.

I have always known what I wanted, and that was beauty... in every form.

If you have an ounce of common sense and one good friend you don't need an analyst.

Care for your clothes, like the good friends they are

Find your happiest colours - the ones that make you feel good.

Recently I heard a 'wise guy' story that I had a party at my home for twenty-five men. It's an interesting story, but I don't know twenty-five men I'd want to invite ta a party.

I was a strict disciplinarian, perhaps too strict at times, but my God, without discipline what is life?

Hollywood is like life, you face it with the sum total of your equipment.

Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell.

surround myself with happy colors—yellow, coral, hot pink, and Mediterranean blues and greens.

Squeezing the most out of life takes a little executive planning. I used to say to the children when they were growing up, "If you have twelve things to do, and twelve hours to do them in, don't spend the first ten hours doing just one thing or you'll find yourself in an awful mess at the end of the day. Plan. And everything will get done.

Conquering fears, whatever they may be, opens life up—and this life should be as full of different experiences as we can make it. Too many women build fences around themselves, especially as they grow older. They limit themselves, or feel that life has limited them.

Scrubbing, for me, is the greatest exercise in the world. It gives me rosy cheeks, and I just have a ball.

The most beautiful clothes look awful draped over a shapeless from. And, conversely, a really good figure can wear a twenty-dollar dress with verve.

Bitterness and self-pity are deadly poisons that can't be hidden. They seem to exude from the pores.

Men have great respect for a woman who can be both competent and attractive. Competence without charm can irritate some men. I think you should be appealing, but not in a phony way. It has to be part of your personality. If it isn't, acquire it, and they'll forgive your know-how. After all, men really love women more than they hate them!

I love preshrunk cottons for traveling. Mamacita can wash and press them overnight — another space-saving trick. Whatever I've worn that day goes into the hotel bathtub for a good soak and some squishing back and forth, and then after a time Mamacita goes in and rinses them, rolls them in big towels, and irons them while they're still damp.

My most important [wardrobe] rule is: Never put anything back soiled.

Whenever I have to pick something off the floor I bend down, keeping my legs straight. Dutifully touching your toes fifty times every day is a crashing bore. But there are almost as many times when something has to be picked up anyhow — or a lower drawer has to be opened — so I automatically do it in a manner that keeps me fit. I try to make a graceful gesture out of reaching for things on high shelves, too. I don't make it easier by dragging out a little step stool.

You're on your feet. Maybe you're phoning, or combing your hair, or taking off your makeup. Plant your bare feet about twelve inches apart and grip the floor with them, keeping your knees rigid. Then try to push your feet together - but without letting them budge. Try as hard as you can. This is a wonderful example of getting muscles to work against each other and it's a tremendous thing for the inner thighs - they are another terribly flab-prone area.

When he came home I was well groomed, fragrant, feminine. He never saw a laundry bag, a dust cloth, or a hair curler. I hope he never knew that such things existed!

I've described one of my favorites for keeping the ankles slim – rolling a Pepsi bottle under the arch of the foot. Another simple exercise is to stick your leg out straight and, not moving it, rotate your foot in wide circles in both directions for a minute or two. Then push your foot up and down for a couple of minutes.

I never regaled him with an account of what the children had done, the lateness of deliveries because of traffic, or the neighborhood gossip (unless it was a particularly juicy bit!). There's nothing less stimulating for a man than the day-to-day business of raising four children. That's woman's work. If she's lucky she revels in it. If not, she gets it done anyhow, and in the time allotted for it.