Joan Crawford at Home: 10 Photos of the Golden-Age Great in Her SoCal Haven and NYC Aerie

Joan Crawford’s rags-to-riches real-life story is the stuff of Hollywood legend. In fact, the Academy Award–winner made a name for herself by portraying women who worked their way up in the world, which proved a winning archetype among Depression-era American audiences. Crawford’s father left the family before she was born, and she moved around throughout her childhood with her mother and stepfather as they scrambled to make ends meet. Her work as a dancer eventually led to her being plucked from obscurity by MGM executives, and from there she rose to superstardom. Her roles in Untamed, Mildred Pierce, and later What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? cemented her among the greatest talents of Tinseltown’s Golden Age. After a tumultuous childhood, Crawford’s adult life was filled with dwellings that offered some comfort and stability amid a personal life that was rife with difficulties, ranging from alcoholism to unhappy relationships. Read on for a roundup of the star’s life outside the limelight.

El JoDo

In 1929, Crawford purchased what would become her most well-known property, dubbed “El JoDo” as a playful portmanteau of her name and that of her husband, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. The Georgian-style home, which was located at 426 North Bristol Avenue in the luxe Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood, was Crawford’s primary residence for 26 years. The star snagged the property for just $57,000 and found great joy in repeatedly remodeling it during her time there. An April 1990 AD feature recalls the home as having been filled with greens, golds, silks, and brocades.

Joan and Franchot Tone

After her split from Fairbanks, Crawford married actor, director, and producer Franchot Tone. The duo settled into life together with their dachshunds, Baby and Boopshen. As both Tone and Crawford were at home on the stage, the pair saw fit to incorporate music into their home and owned a variety of pianos over the years.

Hostessing as a way of life

Crawford loved hosting and was known for dressing elegantly to welcome guests at decadent dinner parties. She even waxed poetic on her years of experience hosting dinner parties in her lifestyle guide and memoir, My Way of Life. Naturally, she favored diverse crowds and strong cocktails. "The best parties are a wild mixture of people” she noted. “Another important party secret: always add a splash of vodka to everything.… Nobody ever knows; everyone ends up having a wonderful time.”

The great outdoors

The outdoor space of Crawford’s Brentwood home rivaled its tasteful interior. The sprawling estate boasted a combination badminton and tennis court, as well as a sparkling swimming pool, where Crawford loved to soak up the sun during her time off. The property also featured a playhouse with a ping-pong table and bar.

Mommie Dearest

In conversations about Crawford’s legacy, the actor’s complex personal life sometimes overshadows her professional triumphs. As an adult, Crawford's daughter Christina was outspoken about her troubled childhood in Brentwood. In 1978, the year after her mother’s death, Christina published her tell-all memoir, Mommie Dearest, chronicling her life at home—which included claims that her mother was abusive and suffered from alcoholism. The book was famously adapted for the screen in 1981 under the same name and starred Faye Dunaway as Joan. Mommie Dearest’s depiction of Joan provided a sharp contrast to the wholesome image of motherhood she had projected while alive.

All together now

Christina Crawford was one of Joan’s four children, all of whom were adopted: Christina, Christopher, and twins Cindy and Cathy. Always one for a picture-perfect moment of her family, Joan loved to put the kids in matching outfits while entertaining guests at home.

Getting camera-ready

Crawford never tired of redecorating her house throughout her 26 years there and had a long collaborative relationship with decorator William Haines. Her elegant primary bedroom boasted a dressing area that was the picture of ’40s-movie-star luxury, complete with plush rugs, dramatic arches, and, of course, plenty of mirrors.

Puppy love

Crawford loved animals and owned a variety of pups throughout her life. Dachshunds and poodles were her favorite. She was known for toting her poodle Cliquot around the house with her. She also had two other poodles named Chiffon and Masterpiece.

Master of reinvention

The star frequently redecorated her home over the years, which provided her with a sense of control throughout the drama of her life. The hearth in Crawford’s Brentwood estate was one of her favorite spots to pose for photos, elegantly highlighting her book and art collection.

New York City living

Although Crawford is largely associated with her Los Angeles real estate portfolio, one of the greatest loves of her life was in New York City. She maintained an apartment in the Big Apple with her fourth and final husband, Alfred Steele, the president and eventual chairman of Pepsi-Cola Company. Crawford and Steele loved to spend time at home reading and playing with their dog. Both died of heart attacks in New York, 18 years apart, with Steele passing in their shared home in 1959 and Crawford living out her final days in an apartment on East 69th Street.