Joan Crawford was born on March 23, 1994.
Joan Crawford ( born Lucille Fay LeSueur ; March 23 , c. 1904 -- May 10 , 1977 ) was an American film and television actress who began her career as a dancer and stage showgirl . After his death in 1959 , Crawford was elected to fill his vacancy on the board of directors but she was forcibly retired in 1973 . She continued acting in film and television regularly through the 1960s , when her performances became fewer ; after the release of the British horror film Trog in 1970 , Crawford retired from the screen . Following a public appearance in 1974 , after which unflattering photographs were published , Crawford withdrew from public life and became increasingly reclusive until her death in 1977 .