Possessed: The Life of Joan Crawford

by Donald Spoto

Above Suspicion certainly seems to be a kind of homage to Hitchcock. The absurd story is spun so deftly that there is time only to enjoy the polished performances and the breakneck pace of the comic action. Although she chafed more than ever under Metro’s incautious handling of her career, Joan nevertheless created a portrait of a spritely, loving and confident bride who becomes a resourceful spy. Although she claimed not to have enjoyed the production, this is never apparent. As in Chained, Love on the Run, Susan and God and When Ladies Meet, Joan’s talents extended beyond flaming-youth clichés and romantic melodramas. The dark film noir roles and unsympathetic female antagonists were yet to come, but she put her producers and fans on notice that the techniques of first-rate, literate comedy were on her palette, too. Contrary to conventional wisdom, she had an acute sense of comedy and comedy timing. It was unfortunate that these gifts were not exploited more often.