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Roles turned down by Joan Crawford:
She turned down roles in both Airport 1975 & Airport '77.
She turned down roles in both Airport 1975 & Airport '77.
Joan dated Don Barry in the 1940's, who tried to purchase the rights to this play for Joan to star as the title character.
Actor who got the part: Eartha Kitt
The prestige role of invalid poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one Joan Crawford wanted but lost when Norma Shearer was cast.
Actor who got the part: Norma Shearer
Joan Crawford was originally going to play the lead role, but dropped out do to disagreements over the script.
Actor who got the part: Rita Hayworth
Caged was originally planned to co-star Joan Crawford and Bette Davis at Warner Bros.
Actor who got the part: Eleanor Parker
Joan Crawford was initially announced to star as Mae Doyle, the embittered adultress in Fritz Lang's drama.
Actor who got the part: Barbara Stanwyck
Joan Crawford was offered a key role, but passed.
Actor who got the part: Margetta Scott
Crawford turned down the role of Mary Smith toward the end of her run as a contract player at MGM.
Actor who got the part: Margaret Sullavan
On the DVD commentary track Boze Hadleigh says that this film was to be made with Joan Crawford at Warner Bros in the 1940's by director Michael Curtiz, but Curtiz was never satisfied with the screenplay.
Actor who got the part: Bette Davis
Joan Crawford was going to be offered the lead role, but Norma Shearer lobbied for (and won) the part.
Actor who got the part: Norma Shearer
In his Laura DVD commentary, film historian Rudy Behlmer talks about this Joan Crawford film that was to be made by MGM in 1935 about a ballroom dancer Maurice Mouvet, who was to be played by Clifton Webb.
Actor who got the part: Film Not Made
The role of the free-spirited lawyer's daughter Jan Ashe was written for Joan Crawford but producer Irving Thalberg cast his wife, Norma Shearer.
Actor who got the part: Norma Shearer
Crawford turned down the Karen Holmes role because she didn't like the costumes.
Actor who got the part: Deborah Kerr
Crawford was in line to star in the film when it was to be directed by George Cukor. Neither made the film.
Actor who got the part: Marlene Dietrich
One of many actresses considered for the part of Scarlett.
Actor who got the part: Vivien Leigh
In 1930, MGM abandoned this musical romance after eight weeks of filming and despite having spent a then-huge $280,000 on it. They did so partly at Crawford's urging; she hated her "baby talk" performance as a Southern belle.
When this film was to be made as a straight western, Joan Crawford was considered to co-star opposite Clark Gable.
Actor who got the part: Judy Garland
Joan turned down the role of Vicky Whitley, an astronomer's wife, in this MGM romantic comedy.
Actor who got the part: Hedy Lamarr
Joan turned down the role of Consuela Croyden in this George Cukor directed film for MGM.
Actor who got the part: Norma Shearer
After success of teaming Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, Director Aldrich wanted to recreate the pairing. Problems between Davis and Crawford forced Crawford to leave the film.
Actor who got the part: Olivia DeHavilland
Joan Crawford wanted the part of Irene, believing that her chemistry with Clark Gable was stronger than Norma Shearer's.
Actor who got the part: Norma Shearer
In 1935 MGM commissioned F Scott Fitzgerald to write a screenplay for Joan Crawford, but he never completed it, and the project was abandoned.
Actor who got the part: Film Not Made
Joan Crawford was originally announced to star as photographer's model Polly Haines in this Warner Bros romantic comedy.
Actor who got the part: Jane Wyman
Reportedly turned down the role of the wealthy Los Angeles widow trapped by thugs during a home invasion.
Actor who got the part: Olivia De Havilland
Joan was considered for the offscreen role of Addie Ross. Writer/director Joseph L Mankiewicz had produced films for Joan in their MGM days.
Actor who got the part: Celeste Holm
In 1953, Joan was announced to star in this film for Paramount.
Actor who got the part: Maureen O'Hara
Joan Crawford was interested in playing the title character.
Actor who got the part: Jane Wyman
Joan Crawford was considered to play sightless widow Helen Phillips in this Douglas Sirk directed Universal Pictures melodrama.
Actor who got the part: Jane Wyman
Another role that Joan Crawford wanted but lost to Norma Shearer was the French queen Marie Antoinette in this lavish biopic.
Actor who got the part: Norma Shearer
After Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer were retired from MGM, Joan Crawford's hope that she would now be first in line for prestige roles was dashed when Greer Garson was cast as Mrs Miniver.
Actor who got the part: Greer Garson
Edmund Goulding, who had directed Grand Hotel, wrote a screenplay specifically for Joan Crawford at Warner Bros but she rejected it.
Actor who got the part: Film Not Made
Night Shift was a film offered to Joan Crawford when she moved over from MGM to Warner Bros in 1943. It was something Ann Sheridan had turned down, but when Crawford too rejected it, it was never made.
Actor who got the part: Film Not Made
Crawford had been cast as the married "Mrs. Katie O'Shea" opposite Clark Gable but battled with director John M. Stahl. She was instead switched to another film, "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney," to which Myrna Loy had been assigned.
Actor who got the part: Myrna Loy
In 1950 Joan Crawford was interested in playing the murderess Sheila Cabot but could not get the rights.
Actor who got the part: Lana Turner
One of the many roles that Crawford lobbied for but lost to Greer Garson, which told Crawford that her days at MGM were numbered.
Actor who got the part: Greer Garson
Joan Crawford was originally cast as Broadway showgirl Mona Leslie in this film, but replaced one week before production began.
Actor who got the part: Jean Harlow
Joan was initially cast opposite Clark Gable but MGM removed her to end the affair she was having with Gable.
Actor who got the part: Jean Harlow
Joan Crawford was considered briefly to star in Red Headed Woman.
Actor who got the part: Jean Harlow
When her friend, 20th Century-Fox producer Jerry Wald, offered her the role of Mrs. Roberta Carter, Joan turned it down because, according to her daughter Christina Crawford, Wald had given Christina a Fox contract!.
Actor who got the part: Mary Astor
Juliet was another role that Norma Shearer was given over Joan Crawford, though after seeing the film, Joan was glad she wasn't cast.
Actor who got the part: Norma Shearer
Joan Crawford was initially announced to play Carol Clayton, the horse breeder's daughter who falls for a bookie, opposite Clark Gable.
Actor who got the part: Jean Harlow
Crawford inherited the part of chorus girl Daisy Heath from Jean Harlow who died before she could play her. Crawford declined the role and was replaced by Rosalind Russell, who was sent to England to make the Citadel, and replaced by Margaret Sullavan.
Actor who got the part: Margaret Sullavan
In his Garbo biography Barry Paris says the role of Arden Stuart, the free-spirited debutante was intended for Joan Crawford.
Actor who got the part: Greta Garbo
Campaigned to play the role of the lovely young deaf woman, but MGM boss Louis B. Mayer talked her out of it.
Actor who got the part: Dorothy Maguire
In her review, Pauline Kael claims that this movie was written for Joan Crawford.
Actor who got the part: Bette Davis
Producers considered her to play Ma Kent, but she was too ill by that time.
Joan was originally planned to star as Pat Hollmann, the tubercular rich girl in the film directed by Frank Borzage, with a screenplay by F Scott Fitzgerald.
Actor who got the part: Margaret Sullavan
Joan turned down the title role in this MGM romantic comedy.
Actor who got the part: Ann Sothern
The great star was considered to play Broadway legend "Helen Lawson."
Actor who got the part: Susan Hayward
Joan turned down the role of Mary Cohen as her first Warner Bros movie.
Actor who got the part: Joan Leslie
Did you know that Joan Crawford was not the only choice for these movies? (click to learn more)
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