10 More Great Actors With Terrible Last Movie Roles

8. Joan Crawford - Trog

Trog 6
Warner Bros.

It’s been said in the past that “nobody decided to make Joan Crawford a star, Joan Crawford became a star because Joan Crawford decided to”. Despite being a deeply divisive figure during her decades in Hollywood, in the early 20th century Crawford was undeniable in films such as Mildred Pierce, Sudden Fear and Our Dancing Daughters.

Though having had her fair share of success, Crawford continued to push the envelope. In 1970, she shocked the world by signing on to play the lead in the sci-fi horror film Trog: a film about as good as the name suggests. Unfortunately, it would be her last as soon after she chose to retire from acting.

Dr Brockton is an English anthropologist who discovers and intends to tame a troglodyte which she adorably nicknames ‘Trog’. In actuality, the audience can plainly see it’s just a man in an ill-fitting monkey suit left over from the production of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Made on a shoestring budget (Crawford herself proudly proclaimed she provided her own wardrobe), the movie has gone down in history as an accidental B-movie with all of its campy frights and ridiculous dialogue. Director Freddie Francis even went as far as to say he regretted making the picture, saying: “Joan shouldn’t have done it and neither should I”.

Contributor

Coming from a content creation background that now spans over two decades, Psy cut her teeth on personal video production and community radio. Originally joining the team as a writer and presenter, she added video editing duties to her responsibilities over time and became the longest-standing editor of the irreverent gaming show Tues Your Own Adventure. Psy has worked on many previews and reviews, long-form editorials (either her own, or supporting as an editor), as a frequent quizmaster and more. Praised for the two-pronged attack of her hard work ethic and light-hearted editing style, Psy is otherwise known as a font of retro video game knowledge which has caused her to rack up many gaming quiz wins. Outside of WhatCulture, Psy runs First Aid Spray Podcast - a long-running channel that focuses on Resident Evil in all of it's forms. You can follow her on BlueSky at http://psywhite.bsky.social and Instagram at http://instagram.com/therealpsywhite