Joan Crawford IS ‘Harriet Craig’ 1950

 

In 1950's "Harriet Craig," that Ming vase moves around more than a planchette
on a Ouija board, much to her consternation! Joan Crawford calls it a 'vah-z.'

Harriet Craig is a 1950 remake of George Kelly's Pulitzer Prize winning play Craig's Wife. It had been filmed as a 1928 silent with Irene Rich and again in '36 with Rosalind Russell as the house-proud witch of a wife. Columbia borrowed WB director Vincent Sherman and star Joan Crawford for this version. Sherman had just directed Joan Crawford to good effect in 1950’s The Damned Don't Cry. They would also team for Goodbye, My Fancy directly after Harriet Craig.

My take on "Harriet Craig" is part of this blogathon May 15-17!

Wendell Corey plays Walter Craig, whipped hubby of "Harriet Craig."
Two guesses as what he'd like to do with his wife's prized Ming!

I'm not sure why Kelly's play won the Pulitzer, especially from today's standpoint. The story of a warped woman who cares for her home like a museum, with a husband that she treats like a pet, is watchable, doesn't offer much back story in the '36 version. Craig’s Wife is only one hour and 15 minutes, as well as the silent version, so I can only assume the play was the same. Harriet Craig is 95 minutes, but feels more in-depth as the film focuses solely on her. The ’36 version’s supporting characters are so truncated that they barely get more than one scene. Rosalind Russell was considered too young for Harriet Craig. Why I don't know, because the character is supposed to be newly married and whose husband wants children. The stage actresses who played Harriet were older and so was Joan Crawford. Russell and John Boles do well as the ‘30s Craigs, and Roz gives a controlled performance, not going over the top as she could do later in her career.

Rosalind Russell, a year younger than Crawford,
played "Craig's Wife" in 1936.

Along with Joan Crawford as Harriet Craig, Wendell Corey is affable Walter Craig, K.T. Stevens plays Harriet’s cousin Clare, Ellen Corby is nervous maid Lottie, Viola Roache is housekeeper Mrs. Harold, Allyn Joslyn is Billy Birkmire, William Bishop is Clare’s beau Wes, and Lucile Watson is the boss’ wife. Vincent Sherman, an underrated WB director, does a smooth and stylish job here. Sheila O’Brien (intentionally?) gives Crawford’s costumes a severe uniform-type look.

Tempest in a tea cup: "Harriet Craig" berates maid Lottie for breaking a cup,
then the housekeeper for defending her. No surprise that Harriet can't keep help!

Some film fans and critics think that the book and film version of Mommie Dearest borrowed from Joan's latter day films such as Harriet Craig. I can see that, but the fact is studios often blurred their stars' images with reality. MGM divas especially seemed to star in vehicles that mirrored their own lives: Joan, Judy, Lana, and Liz come to mind.

Joan Crawford as "Harriet Craig."  In this scene, I half expected her to sprout fangs!

And though Harriet Craig follows the basic structure as Craig's Wife, Joan Crawford’s she-devil is in the details. Harriet Craig opens with her household in a dither, because she is making an unexpected trip. Joan's Harriet has a younger woman as her girl Friday to do her bidding. Here, it's not a loyal servant, but her cousin Clare. Joan’s “MGM English” is on full display when she calls her Clar-uh. Everything is not going Harriet’s way, so she is brittle and bossy. Mrs. Craig must have her make-up kit and cousin along for a week's visit. No, Harriet’s not promoting a film or Pepsi, but visiting her mother at a mental institution. Hubby Walter comes home early, despite an important project, yet Harriet gives him her patented passive/aggressive browbeating about how she must make do for herself, asking where he’s bean. This is the couple's first separation in nearly four years of marriage. Can Mr. Craig survive a week on his own? He's almost 40, with his childhood housekeeper to help, plus a maid. Most importantly, there’s Harriet to check up on him.

Joan as "Harriet Craig," bringing gifts to her mother in an institution.
Neurotic Harriet could use a visit there, herself!

At the asylum, the mother is sweet but unresponsive to Harriet's fervid attentions. Though it seems like Harriet just arrived, supposedly a week has gone by before Harriet talks to the director. Harriet seems uncomfortable talking about her family's dysfunction. In a speech that seems lifted from Crawford’s own life, Harriet bitterly recounts the father that left them and how she had to quit school and work in a laundry. Afterward, Harriet finds out from Clare that nobody seems to be at the Craig abode, and immediately decides to leave. On the train, Clare confides of her crush on Walter’s work pal, Wes. Harriet explains to her niece about her way of married life: men are to be “trained,” not trusted. Crawford and K.T. Stevens, who clearly look their age at age 44 and 31, are at odds with their characters’ situations in life. Harriet took her cousin Clare in when her parents died. So, when did she take her in? Stevens, mature in style, seems foolish as the naïve young thing. Joan’s Harriet, talking about her four year marriage with Walter makes one wonder what she did with the other two decades of her life!

When Cousin Clare can't reach anybody at the Craig house, Harriet decides to bail
on visiting Mother, and high-tail it back home. From 1950's "Harriet Craig."

Why any actress would want to play this unrelenting shrew, in an ultimately pointless story, is beyond me. That Joan Crawford sought this role out is strange. Even by 1950, her demand for perfection and order was well-known and part of her persona. Did she think Harriet Craig was just a juicy role? Or was Joan Crawford drawn to the role because it spoke to her own experience?

When Mr. & Mrs. Craig finally have it out, wife Harriet's rationale hardly rates
any sympathy for her hard-bitten character. Joan Crawford as "Harriet Craig."

Once director Sherman and star Joan were on board, some Crawford-isms were added to the mix. When everyone’s flying around in a tizz to get Harriet off to the train station, you half expect to see Joan’s real maid Mamacita run in with the tissue paper for packing clothes. Perfectly packed and on schedule made me think of Crawford’s late-life book, My Way of Life. Once she’s gone, beleaguered maid Lottie comments that Harriet’s not particular, she’s peculiar. The maid says that Harriet would wrap up her entire house in cellophane, which made me think of Joan’s later plastic covered furniture, curtains, and plastic flowers!

When Hurricane "Harriet Craig" is out of the help's hair, they can let down their hair!

Harriet Craig is officially the film where Joan began to look hard. While a little of it creeps up in Flamingo Road and The Damned Don’t Cry (looking good, but too old for these roles), Harriet Craig finds Joan looking quite forbidding. The make-up mask is pronounced and would become even more exaggerated throughout the ‘50s. Shoulder pads and severe tailored clothes were on their way out, but not for Crawford. Joan had many unflattering short hairdos through the ensuing decade, but Harriet Craig had the worst hair: short, slicked, with tiny little waves that made her like Bob’s Big Boy. A shame, since Joan sported a trim figure and superb bone structure here.

You'd make this face, if you had this hair do! As the title character in 1950's
"Harriet Craig," this is possibly the worst hair do of Joan Crawford's film career.

Who wore the hair best? Bob's "Big Boy" or "Harriet Craig?"

Crawford’s Harriet smiles maybe twice, both times to cajole her husband. The rest of the time Joan’s unhappy housewife gives everyone the deep freeze with her grim mask of disapproval. Allan Joslyn as playboy pal of Harriet’s hubby gets to react hilariously to her disdain. You want to stand up and applaud when the housekeeper finally tells her off. And the big moment is when Harriet’s husband finally has had it with Harriet’s lies and manipulations.

Joan Crawford as "Harriet Craig." Here, the housewife from hell makes hubby's pal
 feel sooo welcome! 

In a rare moment of levity, Allyn Joslyn comically melts under the withering gaze
of Joan Crawford's "Harriet Craig."

With Joan’s other ‘50s bitch roles, they are campy enough where you can enjoy them on several levels, amused when nobody gets the better of Joan at her bitchiest, like Torch Song, Queen Bee, or Female on the Beach. But there’s not humor here, just exhaustion, from that piece of work, Harriet Craig.

The hard makeup, severe hair style, and uniform-style costumes suggest many things,
 but not an upper middle class housewife! Joan Crawford as "Harriet Craig."

Your sympathies are toward the servants as they are sent packing. Even the naïve cousin cannot avoid seeing Harriet’s lies and packs it in. And finally, Walter Craig finds out one manipulative lie too many and their marriage is as beyond repair as Harriet’s priceless Ming vase—sorry—vah-z. By the way, Crawford’s longtime pal, actor turned designer Billy Haines designed Harriet’s home, which is why it looks like a mid-century movie star temple!

Joan Crawford as "Harriet Craig." Here, she cooks up one of her most manipulative
 schemes. That's K.T. Stevens as Cousin Clare, foot servant to Harriet!

Aside from the drill sergeant precision with which Harriet runs her home, neither she nor its occupants are ever at ease. Harriet also makes time to manipulate other people’s lives, if it helps her maintain the status quo in hers. She brands the widow neighbor as a flirty schemer. When Walter gets a work-related stint in Japan, Harriet throws her hubby under the bus to get his boss to have him stay home. Harriet also lies about Walter’s co-worker, who is serious about Clare. As the housekeeper wryly says to the maid, if Clare left, Harriet would only have two servants! This movie could have been called All About Harriet.

The few times Joan Crawford cracks a smile as "Harriet Craig" is when her character
 is manipulating husband Walter, genially played by Wendell Corey.

Watching Harriet act out every time something goes outside her rigid game plan is cause for drama: hubby’s late night card game in her absence; a broken tea cup; a dinner guest who asks to play cards with her husband; and many other actions that she sees as offenses.

Lucile Watson's a delight as the wife of Walter Craig's boss. Here, she cheats at cards
 and throws off the regimented party plan of "Harriet Craig." With Wendell Corey.

Harriet Craig is worth a watch once. Joan Crawford certainly gives her all, as usual. This Harriet is totally about Joan and she makes the most of it. Sadly, it doesn’t feel like Crawford the film goddess is only acting as the domineering domestic goddess. Wendell Corey, who could play both good and bad guys well, is most genial and likeable here. He also had the most piercing blue eyes, very effective for dramatic scenes. As Walter Craig, he is most adoring and doting toward his wife. The supporting cast is very good, as each of them tangle with Harriet, and flee. Lucile Watson is a delight as usual, as the boss’ wife who has Harriet’s number.

Joan Crawford as "Harriet Craig." In mid-career, Joan seemed to have staircase showdowns with younger actresses. At least K.T. Stevens doesn't get slapped!

While Harriet Craig did modestly at the box office, I can’t imagine why post-WWII audiences would have flocked to see a 40-something star playing a domineering dame in a sterile soap opera. Harriet Craig is more a Crawford curiosity than a camp classic.

Here’s my in-depth look at Crawford’s career best: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-joan-crawford-became-mildred-pierce.html 

"A chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting there." The finale of "Harriet Craig," when she's finally driven everybody out of her house, including her husband.