January 2: Joan cancels a previously-scheduled appearance at the first annual Pepsi-Cola sponsored Fashion Reporter Awards ceremony (aka "FRANY" Awards). Pepsi-Cola president James B. Somerall substitutes for Joan at the ceremony.
January 7: Joan commentates a portion of the Millinery Institute's spring fashion show in Manhattan, New York. Joan arrives at the fashion show in a full white mink coat and matching mink hat. Prior to her commentary, Joan takes off her mink coat and hat and wears an emerald green brimmed bonnet designed by Emme. During Joan's commentary, she says "I think dresses today are too short and I think belts are a little too low; it looks like a man's pants falling off."
The media reported that throughout Joan's commentary, she laughed out loud and shouted at inappropriate times and slurred her speech. Newspapers the following day hint at Joan appearing intoxicated at the fashion show and during her commentary. One reporter says that Joan had "obviously had been sipping something stronger than Pepsi-Cola." Other reports indicate Joan had been ill with the flu and attended the show while under the influence of antibiotics.
January 8: Joan travels from Manhattan, New York to Los Angeles, California.
January 9: Joan attends a Variety Clubs dinner in honor of Sherrill Corwin.
January 10: Detroit Free Press journalist Shirley Eder interviews Joan by telephone.
January 11 (#1): Joan appears in a live broadcast of the television show "Art Linkletter's House Party."
January 11 (#2): The film "Berserk" premieres nationally in America.
January 11 (#3): Joan commentates a millinery fashion show in the Millinery Salon on the fist floor of the Robinson's department store in Beverly Hills, California. The fashion show lasts from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm, and is sponsored by the Millinery Institute of America.
January 11 (#3): After commentating a fashion show held at Robinson's department store, Joan is interviewed by Detroit columnist Shirley Eder in the backseat of Joan's limousine as they traveling through Beverly Hills, California. During the audio-recorded interview Joan sounds inebriated.
January 15-19: Joan films her scenes for the television show "The Lucy Show," episode "Lucy and The Lost Star."
January 26: Joan appears on "The Joey Bishop Show." According to Herman Cohen, Joan is made to wait a long time in the green room prior to her appearance, and constantly served alcohol during the wait.
February 6: Joan attends Marty Allen's "Dr. Faustus" premiere party in Manhattan, New York. Other guests include; Steve Rossi, Jacquline Susann and Ed Sullivan.
February 14: Joan is enrolled in the Sales Executives Club of New York during a luncheon held at the New York Hilton Hotel. Joan is the first female member of the 35-year old club. Pepsi-Cola board chairman Herbert L. Barnet sponsors Joan's enrollment. The luncheon begins at 12:25 pm in the Hilton's Trianon Ballroom, where Joan gives a speech upon accepting her enrollment.
February 26: Joan appears on the CBS television show "The Lucy Show," in the episode "Lucy and The Lost Star" (a.k.a. "Lucy and Joan Crawford").
March 1: Joan appears on the television talk show "The Merv Griffin Show." Other guests on the episode include singer Lynn Kellogg and Charlie Manna.
March 6: Joan arrives at Love Field airport in Dallas, Texas.
March 8: Joan attends the tenth annual Dallas Press Club awards dinner, actor Peter Graves serves as the master of ceremonies. The dinner is held in the crystal ballroom of the Baker Hotel in Dallas, Texas. During the dinner Joan presents awards, in addition to being awarded the "Katie Award."
March 18: Joan attends a Variety Clubs dinner in Manhattan, New York. The dinner is given in honor of Earl Mountbatten of Burma.
March 28: Joan is honored at a Brandeis University dinner at the Americana Hotel in Manhattan, New York. Among the approximate 1,000 people attending the dinner are; Joan's daughter, Christina, and Joan's ex husband, Franchot Tone.
April: Joan places for sale her Fifth Avenue apartment, which is located at 2 East 70th Street in Manhattan, New York.
Early April: Joan signs her contract for the female lead in the film "The Cats" (a.k.a. "The Bastard" and "Sons of Satan"). The film is scheduled to begin filming in May. (Filming is later re-scheduled to begin on June 4th). Joan later withdraws from the film only days before filming was to commence in Spain.
Early April: Joan attends the opening ceremonies of Hemisfair in San Antonio, Texas.
April 3: Joan and Herman Lay (of Frito-Lay) attend a press conference at Hemisfair, in San Antonio, Texas.
April 16: Joan fractures her left ankle and badly sprains her right ankle when she falls down an airplane ramp while exiting a plane at the Greater Cincinnati Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio. During Joan's visit in Cincinnati, she stays at the Hotel Netherland.
April 17: Joan speaks at a Cincinnati Advertising Club luncheon, and introduces the 12 finalists in the "Miss Cincinnati-Miss America" pageant for 1968.
Mid-April: Joan films an appearance on the television talk show "The Merv Griffin Show."
April 25: Joan arrives, wheelchair-bound, in Mississippi, where she is greeted at the airport by Mississippi Governor John Bell Williams. Joan is in Mississippi to attend the fifth annual Mississippi Art Festival in Greenville, Mississippi. Among the other notable names who attend the festival are; the Lennon Sisters, the Hungarian Quartet and the Briansky Ballet.
April 28: Joan arrives in Los Angeles, California and gives an interview to Los Angeles news anchorman Piers Anderson in the airport terminal. During the interview, Joan appears to be inebriated as she explains she had recently broken one ankle and badly sprained the other. It is possible she was on strong pain medications due to her injuries and this contributed to her inebriation.
Late April: Joan's daughter, Christina, is hired for the role of "Joan Kane" on the CBS daytime soap opera "The Secret Storm."
May 1- 3: Joan attends the "American Women In Radio and Television" convention, held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, California. During the convention, Joan is interviewed by over 50 individual reporters from around the country for five-minute interviews each. Once the interview is concluded each reporter is given the film for broadcast on their local stations. The interviews are conducted in an room adjacent to a hospitality sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, which served Pepsi beverages and Frito-Lay snacks to the convention members. Among those who interview Joan are; Irene Wicker of WNYC, Nancy Welsh of WSPA, Norma Ashby of KRTV and Ann Schaffer of WBOL.
May 2: Joan appears on the television talk show "The Merv Griffin Show." Other guests on the episode include; Marlon Brando, Corbett Monica, Monti Rock and Rita Gardner.
May 14: Joan departs Los Angeles, California.
May 16: In the morning, Joan attends a press conference in Charlotte, North Carolina; along with Pepsi executives James Somerall and Herbert Barnet. Immediately after the press conference, Joan attends a luncheon at the Charlotte Country Club. Following lunch, Joan pays an unscheduled visit to the new Pepsi-Cola plant. The plant is closed down for a short period as so that all of the employees can meet Joan. The plant manager later comments that Joan's visit to the plant "did more to boost morale among employees than anything that's happened in a long time."
On the evening of the 16th, Joan attends a Pepsi-Cola banquet at the White House Inn in honor of Charlotte Pepsi bottler Henry Fowler. The banquet is attended by over 250 Pepsi-Cola bottlers and Charlotte-area business and civic leaders.
May 21: Joan is the guest of honor at a luncheon for the new life-members of Brandeis University.
Early June: Joan withdraws from the film "The Cats" (a.k.a. "The Bastard") days before filming is to begin in Madrid, Spain. Joan is later sued in New York by the film's producer, Turi Vasile, for breach of contract. Rita Hayworth is hired to replace Joan in the role.
June: Joan sells her apartment at 2 East 70th Street in Manhattan, New York, with plans to purchase another apartment on Fifth Avenue. Ultimately Joan purchases an apartment in Imperial House, located at 150 East 69th Street. Joan continues to occupy the 2 East 70th Street apartment until the first of November.
June: Biographer Lawrence J. Quirk publishes the book "The Films of Joan Crawford." The book covers Joan's film career from 1925 until her most recent film, "Berserk."
June 3-7: Joan acts as auctioneer on a televised charity auction each day beginning at 1:00 pm. The televised auction is broadcast from Manhattan, New York.
Mid-June: Joan dines with ex-husband, Franchot Tone at Cafe Chauveron in Manhattan, New York.
June 15: Joan's daughter, Cindy Jordan, gives birth to her first son, Jan.
June 27: Joan attends a fashion show at the Hotel Delmonico in Manhattan, New York.
Early July: Joan has dinner with her daughter Christina, Columbia Pictures president Leo Jaffe, Jaffe's wife and Frances Spingold.
July 6: Joan represents Pepsi-Cola at the fourteenth annual Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island. As Joan is making a long introduction for Duke Ellington during the evening presentations, she is interrupted by impatient audience members who yell for Joan to "wrap it up!" Joan yells back for the yelling audience members to "Shut up!" and threatens to walk off the stage if not shown respect, to which the audience applauds.
Joan finishes her introduction speech in a shacking voice, but not before Duke Ellington appears onstage and gently escorts Joan off the stage.
July 9: Joan attends the dedication ceremony of the Clinton's Ditch Pepsi-Cola bottling plant in Cicero, New York.
July 23: Joan arrives late in the day at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle, Washington. Joan is in Seattle to attend the Seattle Seafair.
During her visit Joan stays at the Olympic Hotel
July 24: Joan spends her first day at the Seattle Seafair celebration in Seattle, Washington.
July 25: Joan visits the Glaser Bottling Company in Seattle, Washington.
July 26: Joan crowns Karen Ann Brown as queen of the Seattle Seafair at the Seattle Center Coliseum. The crowning takes place in the evening following a special performance by composer Henri Mancini.
July 27: Joan rides in the Seattle Seafair parade as an honorary Grand Marshal. Actor Leonard Nimoy and composer Henry Mancini also appear in the parade as honorary Grand Marshals.
Late July: Joan attends a Pepsi-Cola civic function in North Carolina.
August: Joan purchases apartment 22G in Imperial House, located at 150 E. 69th Street in New York, for $500,000. Joan hires interior decorator Carleton Varney to decorate the new apartment, which includes using furniture pieces from her prior Fifth Avenue apartment.
August 9: Joan does not attend her daughter Cathy's wedding dress rehearsal in Alexandria Bay, New York. Joan says, "I don't think mothers should get in the way." However, Joan does attend the wedding the following day.
August 10: Joan's daughter Cathy marries Jerome LaLonde in a wedding ceremony held in Alexander Bay, New York. Pepsi board chairman Herbert L. Barnet walks Cathy down the aisle. For the wedding, Joan wears a hot pink ensemble and matching hat.
August 28: Joan commentates a Millinery Institute Fashion show at 2:30 pm on the seventh floor of the Jordan Mash Department store in Boston, Massachusetts. The fashion show is followed by an informal "meet and greet" autograph signing by Joan in the store's Millinery Salon.
September 1: Joan and daughter Christina appears on Jerry Lewis' annual Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon, which is held in New York City. During her appearance, Joan reads the poem "The Clumsy Falling Down Child," and presents a check to Lewis on behalf of the Manhattan MDA chapter.
September 6: Joan appears on Virginia Graham's television talk show "Girl Talk." Also appearing on the episode is Colleen Moore.
September 7: Joan appears on a pre-recorded commercial during the televised Miss America Beauty Pageant to speak on behalf of Pepsi-Cola's sponsorship of the pageant.
September 10: Joan commentates a Millinery Institute fashion show at the J. L. Hudson Co. department store in Detroit, Michigan. At the fashion show, Joan wears a white dress with a close all-over pattern consisting of bright pink, emerald green and blue sequins. The dress is accessorized with a matching jacket, bonnet turban and gloves, and a diamond and emerald necklace. During a press conference following the fashion show, Joan is presented with a bouquet of red roses by Joe Sloan, the 1968 poster child of the Muscular Dystrophy association. During Joan's visit in Detroit, she stays at the Sheraton Cadillac Hotel.
In the evening, Joan travels from Detroit home to Manhattan, New York.
September 16: Joan commentates a Millinery fashion show at 2:00 pm in the John Wanamaker department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to the fashion show, Joan makes an appearance in the store's Grand Court at 12:15 pm. Also while in Philadelphia on this day, Joan is presented with the first presidential citation from the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association during their sixteenth annual convention at the Marriott Motor Inn. Joan is honored with the award for her promotional work for food and beverages during the past year.
September 17: Joan appears on the television talk show "The Merv Griffin Show." Other guests on this episode include; Soupy Sales, singer Jimmy Dean and author Thomas Wolfe.
September 18: Joan and daughters Cathy and Christina films an appearance on the television talk show "The Mike Douglas Show." Carleton Varney accompanies Joan and her daughters to the taping in Philadelphia. Shortly after the show's taping, Joan receives the news that her ex-husband, Franchot Tone, has died at his home in Canada.
September 23: Joan's appearance on "The Mike Douglas Show" airs. Joan is accompanied on the show by her daughters, Christina and Cathy. "Gypsy" Rose Lee co-hosts the episode with Douglas. Other noted dates for this appearance are: September 29th, October 7th and October 8th.
September 24: Joan travels to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 25 (#1): Joan commentates a Millinery Institute of America fashion show at Kaufman's department store in the eleventh floor dining room in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fashion show begins at 3:30 pm, and is followed by Joan signing autographs in the store's Forecast Millinery Salon on the forth floor. For the fashion show, Joan wears a bright gold/yellow colored dress, with matching gloves and bubble hat. The ensemble is accented by green jewelry.
September 25 (#2): Joan travels from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Marion, Virginia.
September 27: Joan attends the dedication ceremony of the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant in Marion, Virginia.
October: Joan begins preparations for her move from her penthouse apartment, located at 2 East 70th Street, to her new apartment in Imperial House.
October: Joan daughter, Christina, divorces her husband, theater director Harvey Medlinsky.
October 2: Joan commentates a Millinery Institute of America fashion show the Woodard & Lothrop department store in Washington, D.C.
October 4: Joan holds a press conference and a noon luncheon on the opening day of the "Worlds Food Exposition." The exposition is held at the Dane County Fairground in Madison, Wisconsin.
October 7: Joan cancels her appearance at the Madison, Wisconsin Food Expo Convention on this day due to illness. Joan was schedule to present the opening of the Satellite Kitchen demonstration program at the convention. Bert Parks substitutes in Joan's absence.
In Joan's telegram to the convention she says; "How sad I am that, on doctor's advice, I cannot be with you for your wonderful World Food Expo '68. Please believe that my thoughts will be with you and my good friend Bert Parks during the exciting hours which lie ahead."
October 10: Joan cancels her schedule appearance on this day at the "Galaxy" fashion show and reception at the Cincinnati Convention/Exposition Center in Cincinnati, Ohio due to illness. Arlene Dahl substitutes for Joan as the show's commentator. The show is sponsored by the Cincinnati section of the National Council of Jewish Women and the Millinery Institute of America.
On this date Joan is also scheduled to appear on the Cincinnati-based television show "50-50 Club." However, it is unclear if Joan appeared on the show due to her canceling her appearance at the Galaxy fashion show on this day.
October 15: Joan's daughter, Christina, becomes ill after waking in the morning, and calls Joan. Joan sends a doctor and her secretary, Betty Barker, to Christina's apartment. The attending doctor calls an ambulance and has Christina transported to New York's University Hospital. Shortly thereafter, Christina undergoes an emergency surgery at University Hospital to remove an ovarian tumor.
October 16: Due to Christina's hospitalization, Joan volunteers to substitute for her daughter on the CBS television soap-opera "The Secret Storm." Joan states that she'll take no pay for her appearance, saying; "I'll do it for nothing, but I'm afraid they'll have to give me scale. I'll pay my hairdresser with my scale."
October 18: Joan begins rehearsing for her appearance on "The Secret Storm". Even though Joan asked for no prior publicity regarding her appearance on the show, it's publicly announced Joan will substitute for Christina on on the show.
October 19 (#1): Joan cancels appearing at a Pepsi plant opening ceremony in Greenville, South Carolina on this day based on having a "serious cold."
Webmaster's note: On this weekend, Joan began rehearsals for "The Secret Storm," therefore, it is possible Joan did not attend the ceremony for this reason, however, Joan was reportedly ill with the flu during the previous week.
October 19 (#2): "The Secret Storm" director, Gloria Monty, visits in the evening with Joan at her Fifth Avenue apartment. Monty assists Joan with rehearsing scenes on the show for the scheduled October 20th taping. Monty would later say that Joan did a wonderful job during the rehearsals in her apartment.
October 20: Joan tapes her appearances for four episodes of the CBS soap opera "The Secret Storm." Director Gloria Monty believed Joan was drunk during the taping, citing that Joan was continuously drinking vodka throughout the day, slurring her speech and missing her cues. However, it should also be noted that Joan was recovering from the flu, which caused her to cancel several public appearance during the prior week. Joan's recent illness, along with any medication she was proscribed, could have contributed to her inebriation during the show's taping.
October 22: Joan attends a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria's Starlight Room to aid a convalescent home in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York. At the luncheon, Joan narrates the film "Convalescent Home Story."
October 23: Joan commentates a Millinery Institute of America fashion show at Best's department store in Manhattan, New York.
October 25, 28, 29, 30: Joan's appearance in the daytime soap opera "The Secret Storm" is aired on CBS.
Late October: Joan moves from her Fifth Avenue apartment to apartment 22G in Imperial House.
November 6: A small auction of Joan's personal property is held at Sothey's "PB-84" in Manhattan, New York. The auction is to sell items from Joan's Fifth Avenue apartment that were not needed in her new apartment in Imperial House. Joan is disappointed by the low proceeds of the auction.
November 11: Joan receives payment for the purchase of her Fifth Avenue apartment. The purchaser of the apartment is Mrs. Esther Annenberg Simon.
Mid-November: Joan travels to Phoenix, Arizona.
November 19: Joan is a guest speaker at the "Keep America Beautiful" convention at the Biltmore Hotel in Manhattan, New York. Joan addresses the convention's guest by detailing Pepsi-Cola's anti-litter efforts. The convention is attended by 1,000 guests which include First Lady Ladybird Johnson.
November 25: Joan signs copies of the book "The Films of Joan Crawford" at The St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan, New York.
November 26: Joan signs copies of the book "The Films of Joan Crawford" at Stern Brother's Department Store in Manhattan, New York from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm in Stern's third-floor fur salon.
November 28: Joan spends Thanksgiving with her daughters, Christina and Cathy, and Cathy's husband, Jerome.
November 29: Joan departs Manhattan, New York on a business trip for Pepsi-Cola.
December 3: Joan speaks at the Broadcaster's Association convention in New Haven, Connecticut.
December 6: Joan serves as co-chairman for the thirteenth annual "Karen Horney Dinner Dance," held in the Imperial Ballroom of the Americana in New York City. Proceeds from the dinner will aid the Karen Horney Clinic, which offers psychiatric and psychoanalytic treatment to the underprivileged, and conducts research with the American Institute for Psychoanalysis.
December 13: Joan is the guest speaker at a luncheon at El Morocco in Manhattan, New York. The luncheon is sponsored by the New York Television Academy.
December 19: Actor-comedian Marty Allen announces that Joan and he will soon do a feature film production together.
December 27: It is announced that Joan will play the role of interior designer Dorothy Draper in the biographical film "Murder In Chintz." The story is about the interior design business, and is written by Joan's interior designer, and former protégé to Draper, Carleton Varney.