‘Joan Crawford slept with everyone except Lassie’ but loved only one | Films | Entertainment

The feud between Davis and Crawford was absolutely legendary, made timeless when they cos-starred in Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, which is back on TV screens tonight. They traded venemous barbs and attacks for years, yet one of Davis’ most famous zingers was actually rooted in a lot of truth. Crawford had a voracious appetite for men and was unfaithful to her husbands. Yet, she discounted marrying the only man she ever really loved because she thought he would be unfaithful to her in turn.

Crawford was married to Hollywood royalty Douglas Fairbanks Jr when she starred with Clark Gable in 1931’s Dance, Fools, Dance.

Rumours of their affair spread quickly, with the actress publicly doing damage control and declaring: “I am supposed to be madly in love with a certain other actor in Hollywood. Before the camera, we were in love. Now that the picture is over, we are merely good friends!”

However, in reality, she admitted that their sexual chemistry was so strong: “It was like an electric current went through my body. … My knees buckled. If he hadn’t held me by the shoulders, I’d have dropped.”

To add insult to injury, many of the couple’s romps took place in the luxury trailer on set bought for Crawford by her husband.

Fairbanks later said: “It had been my wedding gift to her, which made it worse. I wasn’t quite finished paying for it yet!”

Partners might protest but only one force could truly stop such behaviour. Golden Age Hollywood was a hotbed of affairs and illegal activities, but studio bosses were fiercely protective of their business and dealt harshly when matters became too public and endangered their investments in stars and their movies.

Gable and Crawford were told to put a stop to the affair. Legendary and all-powerful MGM boss threatened to finish their careers and when they tested him he dropped Gable from their joint film Letty Lynton and replaced him with another star.

In public, the chastened couple complied. But behind the scenes, they carried on reuniting for many years, through various marriages.

Despite a lifelong love and sexual chemistry, however, they never came close to marrying each other. Crawford once explained: “I didn’t think Clark would make a good husband —a great lover, a fine friend, but I imagined him an unfaithful husband.”

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? is on BBC Four at 9pm