Joan Crawford’s Lost 1932 Film ‘Letty Lynton’ to Be Legally Screened After 90 Years

Joan Crawford, one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars, has a film from 1932, ‘Letty Lynton’, that hasn’t been legally screened since January 1936. The drama, based on Marie Belloc Lowndes’ novel and inspired by the real-life Madeleine Smith case, tells the story of a Manhattan socialite, her fiancé, and a vindictive ex-lover, featuring themes of sex, drugs, and murder. Originally, MGM wanted to adapt a play called ‘Dishonored Lady’, but the Hays office deemed it too scandalous. ‘Letty Lynton’ became controversial after its release due to a plagiarism lawsuit by the authors of ‘Dishonored Lady’, which led MGM to withdraw it from circulation in 1937. Despite disappearing from cinemas, the film left a lasting impact on fashion, especially with Adrian’s design for Crawford’s character, which sparked a trend in puffed and embellished sleeves. Thanks to Crawford’s grandson, Casey LaLonde, and the expiry of copyright on the play, the film has been restored in 4K by Warner Bros and will be screened legally for the first time in 90 years at the TCM Film Festival in Los Angeles. It will also be released on Blu-ray and DVD, allowing audiences to finally experience this historically significant and scandalous Hollywood work.