Faye Dunaway was afraid to film ‘Mommie Dearest’ wire hangers scene — so ‘desperate director’ made this 1 change
nypost.combut actress Faye Dunaway could barely bring herself to film the scene.Dunaway, now 83, famously portrayed silver-screen icon Joan Crawford in the 1981 cult classic “Mommie Dearest.” Directed by Frank Perry, “Mommie Dearest” is based on the tell-all memoir of the same name written by Crawford’s adopted daughter Christina, played in the film by child actor Mara Hobel.
The book exposed — and the movie brought to vivid life — the alleged childhood abuse Christina suffered at the hands of her controlling, alcoholic mother.
A new book by Hollywood historian A. Ashley Hoff, “With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic,” reveals the difficulty Dunaway experienced filming the movie’s most infamous scene.
In an excerpt from the book obtained by People, Hoff includes gossip columnist Liz Smith’s record of filming.“In the ‘wire coat hanger’ scene where Crawford goes crazy and mercilessly beats the young Christina, actress Dunaway balked.
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