IMDb RATING
7.3/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
Harriet Craig enjoys married life but constantly tries to control those around her. She does not trust her husband Walter; she always check up on him.Harriet Craig enjoys married life but constantly tries to control those around her. She does not trust her husband Walter; she always check up on him.Harriet Craig enjoys married life but constantly tries to control those around her. She does not trust her husband Walter; she always check up on him.
Virginia Brissac
- Harriet's Mother
- (uncredited)
Kathryn Card
- Mrs. Norwood
- (uncredited)
Charles Evans
- Mr. Winston
- (uncredited)
Herschel Graham
- Restaurant Patron
- (uncredited)
Mira McKinney
- Mrs. Winston
- (uncredited)
Pat Mitchell
- Danny Frazier
- (uncredited)
Fiona O'Shiel
- Mrs. Frazier
- (uncredited)
Susanne Rosser
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn this film, Harriet recounts to several people her negative experiences working in a laundry in her youth. In her own life, Joan Crawford also had to work in a laundry because of her family's poverty, and hated it. Crawford's adopted daughter Christina theorized that this hatred led to the alleged "wire hangers" incident she described in "Mommie Dearest."
- GoofsWhen Clare rushes out of the dining room after hearing the truth about how Wes feels about her, as the camera is pulling back its moving shadow falls across the wall to the right.
- Quotes
Harriet Craig: No man's born ready for marriage; he has to be trained.
- ConnectionsFeatured in David Holzman's Diary (1967)
Featured review
"A strange and fascinating woman, at war with the whole world."
The line above is from the original advertising art, and it conveys the theme of HARRIET CRAIG very well. I have an issue with reviewers who are constantly comparing characters on the screen with the actors who portray them. Harriet Craig was a character, and that is all. There are parallels between the lives of the character and Joan Crawford herself, but one should not go so far as to say they are the same! Joan Crawford is a woman of many mysteries. Every account you could possibly read about her life is full of contradictions; was she good or was she bad, was the ruthless and cruel or was she generous and kind? She was probably all of these things and, like Harriet Craig, a complicated, non-conventional, and independent woman at war with the world.
This is where the comparison ends. The character in the film is a compulsive liar and manipulator. Harriet Craig lies about anything and everything in the spider's web she builds around her. Joan Crawford's performance is fierce and chilling in its complexity. This is a woman of astounding talent, playing a character worthy of that talent. This is one of only a handful of roles Crawford ever played that allowed her to really act, which she does so well you will forget all about those other "great" actresses which usually claim all the credit.
If 1950 was not such a tough year, I'm convinced Joan would have received an Oscar nomination for the performance. The film itself was worthy of a nomination and, as the advertising art claimed, was "one of the five best pictures of the year." I think it is comparable in quality to ALL ABOUT EVE and SUNSET BLVD., and certainly Crawford's performance is on par with the leads in those films, and one of the best of her career! One last final note: a feminist take on HARRIET CRAIG may emphasize that Harriet was just a woman trying to survive the sexist times...but Wendell Corey was such a good and nice husband, believing in their equality, that I don't buy it. Harriet was a woman hurt by her times and unfortunately taking out her mistrust of men on her innocent and good husband, as well as others around her. Harriet was, in the end, a victim of her own prejudice, and selfish, compulsive lies.
This is where the comparison ends. The character in the film is a compulsive liar and manipulator. Harriet Craig lies about anything and everything in the spider's web she builds around her. Joan Crawford's performance is fierce and chilling in its complexity. This is a woman of astounding talent, playing a character worthy of that talent. This is one of only a handful of roles Crawford ever played that allowed her to really act, which she does so well you will forget all about those other "great" actresses which usually claim all the credit.
If 1950 was not such a tough year, I'm convinced Joan would have received an Oscar nomination for the performance. The film itself was worthy of a nomination and, as the advertising art claimed, was "one of the five best pictures of the year." I think it is comparable in quality to ALL ABOUT EVE and SUNSET BLVD., and certainly Crawford's performance is on par with the leads in those films, and one of the best of her career! One last final note: a feminist take on HARRIET CRAIG may emphasize that Harriet was just a woman trying to survive the sexist times...but Wendell Corey was such a good and nice husband, believing in their equality, that I don't buy it. Harriet was a woman hurt by her times and unfortunately taking out her mistrust of men on her innocent and good husband, as well as others around her. Harriet was, in the end, a victim of her own prejudice, and selfish, compulsive lies.
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- beyondtheforest
- Feb 19, 2007
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Lady of the House
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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