Born in San Antonio Texas, this star’s official 1908 birth date is contested as it is claimed that she lied to appear years younger when auditioning. Her father abandoned the family around the time of her birth and her mother took in other peoples’ laundry to make ends meet. Schooling never progressed beyond elementary grades for this young talent, but she wanted to take lessons and become a dancer. After an injury required surgery on her foot, she had to wait, taking on cooking and cleaning jobs to help the family out. By 1922, the up-and-comer was winning Charleston contests and headed to Chicago and then New York to dance on stage. Spotted in a chorus in 1924, she was offered a contract during the silent era of film. Many stars at that time became unemployable after the initiation of “talkies” due to what was, at the time, considered to be undesirable voices and accents. Joan anticipated the change and spent many hours practicing her diction and allocution, which allowed her to become one of the few who were able to transition. In the 1930’s she was cast opposite the likes of Clarke Gable and Fred Astaire becoming one of the biggest female stars in Hollywood. With a career spanning over four decades, every time her popularity began to fade, she managed a comeback. “I am just too much.” ~Joan Crawford