Joan Crawford’s last film, Trog

As I’ve mentioned on this site before, I’m a fan of Joan Crawford’s, and I’m slowly making my way through her entire body of work. Tonight, I know I should probably be reading up on the the increasingly interesting fight over Brexit in England, but I’m thinking instead of watching Crawford’s last film, 1970’s Trog, in which she portrays — in the words of New York Times reviewer A.H. Weiler — “(an) anthropologist chief of a research center that has unearthed a living, hairy, half-caveman half-ape, Ice Age ‘missing link,’ a troglodyte she cutely nicknames ‘Trog’ and attempts to rear as you would a backward child.” I know it’ll likely leave me sad and depressed, as, from everything I’ve read, Crawford’s alcoholism is on full display by this point in her career, but I can’t help myself. [According to her friend Herman Cohen, who produced the film, “She had a huge frosted glass that said Pepsi-Cola — but inside was 100-proof vodka! In fact, when she arrived to do Berserk, as well as Trog, she arrived with four cases of 100-proof vodka, ’cause you can’t get it in England.”] Having now watched almost everything there is from the beginning of her career, though, starting with her first known screen test for MGM back in 1925 — when she was still using her given name, Lucille LeSueur — I feel as though I need to see where it all ended. The only question I have is whether or not I should purchase it… And, if you’d like to weigh in on that, here’s your chance.

update: Having tabulated the vote, I purchased Trog, and I am watching it now.

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20 Comments

  1. Posted September 3, 2019 at 8:36 pm | Permalink

    Oh, and it’s not just a coincidence that she was drinking her vodka from a Pepsi glass. She was married to the company’s Chairman, Alfred Steele. And, when he died in ’59, she continued to hold a seat on the board. She also held the title of “Brand Ambassador”. And, in that capacity, it was always expected that she’d be holding a Pepsi product.

  2. Posted September 3, 2019 at 8:38 pm | Permalink

    In fact, here she is, enjoying an ice-cold Pepsi with Trog.

  3. John Brown
    Posted September 4, 2019 at 5:14 am | Permalink

    Eventually Trog got a better dye job and was elected president with the support of his troglodyte base.

  4. Movie fan
    Posted September 4, 2019 at 10:21 am | Permalink

    This is one of my favorite movies! I am so glad you found it.

  5. Neil
    Posted September 4, 2019 at 11:06 am | Permalink

    I noticed a vendor selling Pepsi during the scene where Trog emerges from his cave!

  6. M
    Posted September 4, 2019 at 11:34 am | Permalink

    Trog’s mask, they say, was originally worn by one of the apes in 2001. I suspect that’s true, but I’ve yet to see a verified chain of custody.

  7. Anonymous
    Posted September 4, 2019 at 11:43 am | Permalink

    John Waters introducing Trog for the British Film Institute with British professional wrestler Joe Cornelius, who played Trog.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsIdokqEm4U

  8. Anonymous
    Posted September 4, 2019 at 11:45 am | Permalink

    Joe Cornelius: “All she ever talked about was (Pepsi-Cola).”

  9. iRobert
    Posted September 5, 2019 at 6:05 am | Permalink

    From Business Insider:

    How Pepsi briefly became the 6th largest military in the world

    http://www.businessinsider.com/how-pepsi-briefly-became-the-6th-largest-military-in-the-world-2018-7

  10. Posted September 5, 2019 at 7:55 am | Permalink

    I was livid when I saw the finished product. It wasn’t at all the promotion piece as it was originally pitched to me by that son of a bitch Cohen and the other bloodsuckers over at Warner Brothers. When a concerned colleague of mine working down at the studios snuck a copy to me at my Beverly Hills home where we screened it, I was on the phone to my attorneys faster than Joan could empty a designer flask of Aperol. However, after what seemed like weeks of battling between my legal team and the army of thugs Warner Brothers kept on the payroll, we finally resigned to settling for a cash payoff. There was just no justice to be had in Hollywood in those days, and as long as I held on to the notion I deserved some dignity in the business, I wasn’t being invited to any of the networking parties. Naturally it was stipulated in the final agreement that everyone had to keep their mouths shut on the entire matter. I guess I’ve just gotten to the age when I’m saying “fuck it” and letting the chips fall as they may.

  11. iRobert
    Posted September 5, 2019 at 8:06 am | Permalink

    And whereas the film marked the end of Crawford’s career, Trog was unearthed decades later to serve as prime minister.

  12. Posted September 5, 2019 at 8:57 pm | Permalink

    Indeed, Neil. Here’s a screen grab from the film, showing the people running by the Pepsi cart, which is inexplicably in the middle of the rural English countryside.

  13. Posted September 5, 2019 at 8:58 pm | Permalink

    And thank you, Trog, for taking the time to leave a comment. It’s very much appreciated.

  14. Posted September 5, 2019 at 9:27 pm | Permalink

    Did you drink vodka or Pepsi while you watched it? I don’t recommend mixing them, but the standard proportion is two parts of Pepsi to one part of vodka.

  15. Posted December 7, 2019 at 8:25 pm | Permalink

    Doug Skinner, may be 3 or 4 parts of Pepsi to 1 of vodka. 2 parts may be strong for some of us

  16. Posted February 26, 2020 at 7:39 pm | Permalink

    “Trog” is showing at 8pm ET tonight on Movies! Channel. In the Detroit area, you can watch over the air on channel 2.2

    Detroit / WJBK
    Over the air 2.2
    WOW 131/151
    Comcast 293 / 298
    Charter / Spectrum 192
    Brighthouse / Spectrum 82

    If you are elsewhere in the US check this link for details on where you can find the Movies! channel.
    https://moviestvnetwork.com/wheretowatch/

    Here in LA, I’ll be watching it out next to the pool, while sipping martinis. Let’s watch it together.

  17. Posted February 26, 2020 at 7:46 pm | Permalink

    I’m lounging next to the pool here at my place in Malibu, drinking martinis and getting ready to watch “Trog” on the Movies! Channel. All Mark’s friends here in the LA area are welcome to join me. We’ll make an evening of it.

    For all my friends in the Detroit area, here is a list of where you can watch. The movie begins at 8pm ET.

    Detroit / WJBK
    Over the air 2.2
    WOW 131/151
    Comcast 293 / 298
    Charter / Spectrum 192
    Brighthouse / Spectrum 82

  18. Posted February 26, 2020 at 8:14 pm | Permalink

    I should warn everyone, there are guys in wet underwear in the movie.

  19. Posted March 1, 2020 at 9:03 pm | Permalink

    I wish I’d seen these comments earlier. I would have watched along with you, Trog.

  20. Posted March 4, 2020 at 7:48 pm | Permalink

    For all those Joan Crawford fans out there, Berserk! Is on Movies! Tonight at 8pm ET.

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