Jan 22, 2026
Film historian and acclaimed New York Times bestselling
biographer Scott Eyman has written the definitive biography of
Hollywood icon Joan Crawford, drawing on never-before-seen
documents and photos from the Crawford estate.
Joan Crawford
flourished for decades, working for multiple studios in every genre
from romance to westerns ("Mildred Pierce," "Johnny Guitar"),
musicals to noir ("Torch Song," "A Woman's Face"), and being
directed by a young Steven Spielberg in one of her last
appearances. Along the way, she accumulated four husbands, an
Academy Award for Best Actress, and the undeniable status of a
legend.
Scott Eyman is the author or coauthor of eighteen books,
including the bestseller "John Wayne," as well as "Pieces of My
Heart" and "You Must Remember This" with actor Robert Wagner.
Eyman, formerly the literary critic at The Palm Beach Post, also
writes book reviews for The Wall Street Journal and has written for
The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune.
He and his wife, Lynn, live in West Palm Beach.
Described by recurring guest Erin Brockovich as "The best
podcast and host ever," "ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones"
is a premier podcast and media platform dedicated to exploring the
intersection of professional success, personal fulfillment, and
human potential. Through a series of high-energy conversations with
celebrities, changemakers, and thought leaders, Jones delves into
the minds of entertainment industry icons and beyond to extract
actionable leadership and lifestyle insights. With its frequent
focus on the arts and humanities, the show skillfully balances the
glamour of fame and/or the power of influence with the humor and
pathos of everyday life, creating a rich tapestry of human nature
and shared experience.
Listeners are invited into inspiring discussions that
prioritize personal growth and the pursuit of excellence, offering
a masterclass in creativity and innovation. Whether highlighting a
household name or a community activist, every episode is packed
with life lessons and motivational stories designed to empower
individuals to reach their highest potential.
Host Randall Kenneth Jones is a bestselling author, speaker,
and creative communications consultant. The announcer is the
celebrated voice actor Susan Bennett, widely known as the original
voice of Siri.
Often described as an "antidote to today's anxiety-ridden
media landscape," ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones offers a
fun yet meaningful spin on aging, legacy, lifelong learning, and
"edutainment," by emphasizing the importance of importance,
conversation, laughter, listening, and thought.
"ON THE KNOWS" is produced and edited by Kevin Randall
Jones.
Podcast Highlights:
• Scott and Randy set a fun tone for the interview by
discussing an appropriate quote from Howard Strickling, former MGM
Head of Publicity: "Don't let them interview you. You interview
them. Find out what they're interested in and ask them about it.
Then you can direct the interview in the direction you want."
• Scott explains why he chooses the projects he chooses.
• Scott talks about how the pandemic led him to write his
Charlie Chaplin book before his Joan Crawford book, due to the
availability of information online.
• Scott begins to explain Joan Crawford's appeal as a book
subject.
• Randy shares his personal connection with Joan's alma mater,
Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.
• Randy gives a shout-out to Dr. James Wood, former President
of Stephens College, for providing Crawford with three rules for
life that, to Jones, still stand the test of time:
• Never quit a job until it's finished.
• The world isn't interested in your problems.
• If you can find you can do a job, move on, because you're
already bigger than the job. If the job is impossible, stick with
it. You may never accomplish it, but you'll grow in the
trying.
• Scott discusses Joan's (lack of) classroom
education.
• Randy and Scott discuss our nation's challenging
relationship with identifying the "truth," how Scott defines
"truth" in his work, specifically with regards to Joan Crawford,
and in the infamous book/movie "Mommie Dearest."
• Scott discusses the differences between Joan Crawford,
Lucille LeSueur, and Billie Cassin, the three names she was known
by in her life.
• Scott discusses "Possessed" and why it's his favorite of
Crawford's films.
• Randy explains his fun connection to two films, having
played comedic versions of Jane Hudson in a stage production of
"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and Cousin Miriam in "Hush Up,
Sweet Charlotte" in Florida.
• Scott and Randy discuss the kinder side of Joan Crawford and
what she teaches us today. Being attentive, invested in others, a
good listener, committed, and professional—and how these qualities
are not unique to the entertainment industry.
• Scott and Randy discuss the danger of hearsay and the
absence of thoughtful research.
• Randy thanks Scott for his sensitive yet honest portrayal of
aging.
Best Quotes:
• Scott Eyman: "As both actress and woman, [Joan Crawford]
forged ahead, determined to outrun squalor and damage, to transcend
the fear that coexisted with the other primary qualities she
brought to the movies, and to her life: courage… sexual energy…
vitality… defiance. Joan Crawford learned to love the light, and
the light loved her back."
• Scott Eyman: "Joan was working-class with no education to
speak of but plenty of vaulting ambition and saw no reason to lie
about either."
• Scott Eyman: "[Joan Crawford] really worked at cultivating
an audience because the audience was standing in for all the love
she hadn't had."
• Scott Eyman: "Underneath the carapace of Joan Crawford, she
was still Lucille LeSueur, a distressed worker with a perpetually
endangered sense of self-worth."
• Scott Eyman "[Joan Crawford] had a sense of herself as a
role she must play, that she could play, and it was her best role.
She knew how to do it."
• Scott Eyman: "My job is to find the humanity in whatever I
write about."
Scott Eyman: www.scotteyman.com
Randall Kenneth Jones: www.RandallKennethJones.com
Susan Bennett: www.SusanCBennett.com
Kevin Randall Jones: www.KevinRandallJones.com