THE CONCLUDING CHAPTER OF CRAWFORD

The Joan Crawford Chronicle
1952

January: Joan vacations for one week in Carmel, California.


February: Joan begins filming "Sudden Fear." While filming, Joan resides on the studio lot in a deluxe trailer.


February 7: "This Woman Is Dangerous" is released in America.


Late March: Joan completes work on "Sudden Fear."


April 21: Joan dines at Romanoff's with Judy Garland and Jane Wyman. 


May 9: Joan picks up Christina and Christopher from the Chadwick School for the weekend, and returns them to school on May 11th.


May 12: Joan travels by train from Los Angeles, California to Manhattan, New York. While in Manhattan, Joan resides at the Hampshire House.


May 15: Joan dines at the Pump Room in Chicago, Illinois.


May 28: Joan travels by train from New York to Fort Worth, Texas, where she remains for five days.


May 30: Joan arrives in Forth Worth, Texas, and is greeted at the train station by William Haines. Later this day Joan attends the Mint Bar Party for the Fort Worth Art Association. While in Texas, Joan and Haines are houseguests of Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Schenecker. Haines had previously decorated the Schenecker's home.


June 2: Joan spends the day in Dallas, Texas with William Haines and Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Schenecker. During her time in Dallas, Joan shops at Neiman-Marcus and buys her daughter Christina several gifts for her upcoming 13th birthday, which includes scarfs, blouses, a raincoat and a skirt. Joan, Haines and the Scheneckers have dinner at the Cipango Club. 


June 5: Joan returns to Los Angeles, California.


July 26: Joan begins an eight city tour for "Sudden Fear." The cities include: Manhattan, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois and Cleveland Ohio. 

All of Joan's traveling is by train. Some of the clothes Joan wears on her tour are designed by Clinton Stoner.


July 29 (#1): Joan departs Chicago, Illinois and travels to Cleveland, Ohio. While in Cleveland, Joan stays at the Statler Hotel.


July 29 (#2): Joan turns down the script "Size 12," which was submitted to her as a possible film collaboration by producer Jerry Wald.


August: Columnists report that Joan is expressing interest in appearing in the stage play "Kind Sir" opposite Charles Boyer. The play's writer, Joshua Logan secretly rehearsed Joan on stage for the play during her visit to New York.


August 1: Joan departs Cleveland, Ohio and travels to Manhattan, New York.


August 2: Joan arrives in Manhattan, New York.


August 6: "Sudden Fear" is released in America.


August 7: Joan appears in the lobby at Loew's State Theatre in Manhattan, New York to sign autographs for fans. Joan appears at the lobby at 9:30 am and 7:00 pm. Joan signs so many autographs and shakes so many hands that her right hand is bandaged the following day.


August 8: Joan departs Manhattan, New York and travels to Boston, Massachusetts. 


August 12: Joan departs Boston, Massachusetts. 


September: Joan returns home to Los Angeles, California. 


Early September: Joan hosts a party in the backyard of her Brentwood house.


October: Joan turns down the opportunity to star in the play "Kind Sir."


November: Joan negotiates the adoption of two children with a children's home in Texas. During Joan's November visit to Texas, she visits the children's home to finalize the adoptions. The adoptions ultimately do not come to fruition. 


November: Joan travels to Texas for a three week visit.


November 5: Joan is honored at the Brook Hollow Golf Course in Dallas, Texas. Joan had inspired Texans to give $233,000 to the Texas Theater's Crippled Children's Fund.


November 7: Joan Crawford and William Haines are the guests of honor at a cocktail party given before The Assembly ball by Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Windfohr, and later attend the ball. While in Fort Worth, Joan stays with Mr. and Mrs. E.W. Schenecker.


December: Columnists report that Joan is signed to appear as "Karen Holmes" in the film "From Here To Eternity." Previously, Phillis Hill was slated for the role.

The working cast of the main characters is Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Cliff, Burt Lancaster, Joan Crawford and Rita Hayworth. Both Joan and Hayworth would ultimately not appear in the film with these roles being portrayed respectively by Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed.


December: Joan attends the premiere of "The Jazz Singer." Escorting Joan is Nicholas Ray. Accompanying Joan and Ray is her daughter Christina, son Christopher, and Ray's son.


December 27: Joan attends the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund Party at the Macambo in Beverly Hills, California. Joan is escorted to the party by David Miller. Jaon wears a light pink, sleeveless gown and fur stole.