Feud fans know that Jessica Lange is not the first person to play Joan Crawford on screen. She was infamously portrayed by Faye Dunaway in 1981's Mommie Dearest. The FX series alludes to Christina Crawford, who wrote the accusatory memoir about her mother that inspired the film. To get Christina's side of Joan's story, you'll have to see the final project. Can you stream Mommie Dearest? The campy biopic is a cult classic.
Mommie Dearest is not available on any streaming subscription platforms, but you can digitally rent the film for only $2.99 on Youtube, Amazon, Vudu, and Google Play. That's not terrible. Those who have never seen the film, or want to revisit it after watching Feud, can easily make a night of it.
That said, if you want to add context to Feud without spending any extra dough, there are a few options streaming on Amazon Prime. You can watch the documentaries Hollywood Collection: Joan Crawford Always The Star and When Bette Met Mae. Bette Davis' films including Another Man's Poison, Hell's House, and Of Human Bonding are all on Amazon. Meanwhile, Joan Crawford's 1932 film Rain is also streaming on Amazon. For Crawford's other films, like Grand Hotel, Mildred Pierce, and Johnny Guitar — you'll have to rent a streaming copy.
All of these various films are worth looking into and comparing to the way this story is told on Feud. It's a fascinating bit of film history, and it's cool that films like Mommie Dearest are still so easily accessible.
