GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

JohnHowardReid This ultra-glossy melodrama, directed with surprising style and flair by MacDougall, plus superbly photographed and set, adds up to a marvelous showcase for Joan Crawford. She's given a great lead-up entrance and then makes the most of her every scene. And she's handed a great support cast to bounce her charisma off. Even squinty-eyed Lucy Marlow looks attractive in her Jean Louis costumes. Sullivan, Ireland, Betsy Palmer, Fay Wray (in a small role right at the beginning) are most deft and convincing. But it is Crawford's film. Such style, such elegance, such glossiness. Yes, with Queen Bee we are back in familiar Joan Crawford territory - one of those heated Southern melodramas played with all stops out by Miss C in settings of tasteful luxury. It's all very much a woman's picture and despite the fact that it's based on a novel, it's also very much a stage affair with most of the action taking place on and around the giant central staircase set that is often even more stunningly lit than Miss C herself. The direction has what you might call an elegant style and the director allows Miss C to dominate the action, giving her an effective entrance and several scenes which she can play in the grand manner as she lectures Lucy Marlow (whose face is almost invariably in shadow). Miss M is obviously an inexperienced actress and is unflatteringly photographed to boot. John Ireland is also not photographed attractively, whilst Barry Sullivan is forced to go through the film with an ugly scar on his face (though he is the only one allowed to match Miss C in the histrionic dept). Fay Wray has a tiny role that is confined to one scene. Photography is glossy and the production slick, though production values are no more than average by "A" standards.

jjnxn-1 Evil Joan equals solid entertainment. Crawford digs her claws into this part relishing her chance, with her red slash of a mouth and latter day intensity, to mow down every person who is unfortunate enough to cross her path. It's true that once the fifties began Crawford's whole look and screen persona took on a much tougher sheen than the ambitious but feminine career woman on the make of the thirties and forties but nowhere would she be as reptilian as she is here. No one else has a chance to make much of an impression. Barry Sullivan is stolid as Joan's cuckold of a husband but John Ireland has a certain brooding attractiveness as Joan's next target. Betsy Palmer comes across with the best performance though all fall away under the steely gaze and are no match for the dragon lady.

vincentlynch-moonoi It's not that this is a bad film, but it doesn't quite work...and I'm not sure why. I just know that as I was watching it -- a story about a woman who manipulates everyone in a southern mansion -- I couldn't help thinking that Lillian Hellman could have fixed it.I can't fault the acting here. Joan Crawford is at her bitchy best. Even Barry Sullivan, whom I always thought of as a competent actor (though far from a favorite of mine), is very, very good. John Ireland does well. Betsy Palmer is excellent. Lucy Marlow as the visitor is very good. And it's interesting to see Fay Wray as the nut case in the early scenes.The basic story line seems fine -- A ruthless and unsatisfied wife at a southern mansion manipulates everyone (including the children) into a miserable life that includes multiple suicide. And you just know that in the end the witch (Crawford) will get her comeuppance...but how? But somehow, it just doesn't come together. Although the story line was fine, maybe the script was weak...or the direction. But that doesn't mean that it's not watchable. And of course, watching Crawford play a character that some say was very close to her real personality is extremely interesting.

writers_reign I remember stumbling on this several years ago and admiring Barry Sullivan's dialogue, both the dialogue itself and the way Sullivan delivered it. Although one line that stayed in my mind appears to be missing I still get a kick out of Sullivan's dialogue and even John Ireleand, a graduate of the Charlton Heston Redwood School Of Acting, weighs in with a half decent performance and handles a couple of Sullivan left-over zingers with something approaching style. They are, of course, merely the hors d'ouevres, setting up the palate for the caviar that is Joan Crawford and arguably the best example of late-blooming Crawford on celluloid. Although we're smack dab in the middle of decaying magnolia country no one makes much of a stab at a Southern accent but almost everyone makes a decent fist of this out-and-out meller.