Joan Crawford - Torch Song - "Lonely" Scene

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This scene is probably the most tragic of Crawford's career. It breaks my heart every time I watch it. It's hard not to see Joan herself in this scene. Her character is rehearsing lines for her show and the character starts to cry because although she is saying that she doesn't need anybody because she's tough and she'll never be lonely, the character (Jenny) knows that for her this isn't true. She's very lonely and the toughness is just a facade.
Same goes for Joan in relation to this film (and others from this period in her life). She played many characters around this time that were very strong and even her look was very hard. But underneath it all, she was a mess. She was insecure and overwhelmed and incredibly lonely.
It's very sad to watch this scene because not only is the audience aware of this connection, but you can see Joan is too. The way she breaks down crying is unlike in her other films. She cried in so many of her films, but this one is different. As she starts crying, she quickly turns her head away from the camera as if to hide - the way a person does when crying in front of someone. Now Crawford knew how to work her face for the camera. And she never hid her tears like she does here. It feels as though she isn't acting this scene, she is living it. You see this further when she turns over to shut off the light. The light goes out and she lets out a sob that is a sound to her crying that is rarely if ever heard in her other films. It sounds so genuine when you know what Joan herself is going through at the time. It is heartbreaking to think that is actually Joan crying and not her character.