The Oscar award that was presented to Joan Crawford for her role in Mildred Pierce is currently selling in an online auction that ends September 25.
 The award is the only Oscar Crawford ever won |
Joan Crawford, one of the American Film Institute's top ten actresses in the history of cinema, was one of the most successful stars of the great depression. She was first propelled into the limelight through her roles in MGM films such as Sally, Irene and Mary, Our Dancing Daughters and Untamed, which earned her the title of Queen of the Movies.
After leaving MGM in 1943, she signed with Warner Brothers, where Michael Curtiz, fresh from the successes of Casablanca, signed her as the lead in Mildred Pierce. The film was adapted from the James M Cain novel of the same name and follows the Crawford's character in a thrilling murder mystery.
The trophy was presented to Crawford at the 1946 Academy Awards ceremony for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role". It is the only Oscar award she won during her illustrious career and is currently selling just $3,300, though is likely to far exceed this given its importance and past auction precedents.
The current world record for an Academy Award at auction stands with the $1.5m Michael Jackson paid for the Best Picture trophy of Gone with the Wind.
Also featuring in the sale is Jane Darwell's Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Grapes of Wrath, which has yet to receive any attention but is selling with a minimum of $2,500.
View the stunning array of movie memorabilia in PFC Auction's latest sale
