Queen Bee (1955)

Director:

Ranald MacDougall

Writers:

Edna L. Lee (novel) and
Ranald MacDougall

Release Date:

7 November 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

She's so excitingly good . . . when she's so wonderfully bad!

Plot:

Eva Phillips is a Southern socialite whose manipulation and ruthlessness ruins the lives of everyone around her...

Plot Keywords:

Manipulation | Friendship | Cousin Cousin Relationship | Estate | Tragedy

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Joan Crawford	...	Eva Phillips
Barry Sullivan	...	Avery 'Beauty' Phillips
Betsy Palmer	...	Carol Lee Phillips
John Ireland	...	Judson Prentiss
Lucy Marlow	...	Jennifer Stewart
William Leslie	...	Ty McKinnon
Fay Wray	...	Sue McKinnon
Katherine Anderson	...	Miss Breen
Tim Hovey	...	Ted Phillips
Linda Bennett	...	Trissa Phillips
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Willa Pearl Curtis	...	Miss George (uncredited)
Robert McCord	...	Man (uncredited)
Juanita Moore	...	Maid (uncredited)
Olan Soule	...	Dr. Pearson (uncredited)
Bill Walker	...	Sam (uncredited)

Directed by
Ranald MacDougall

Writing credits
Edna L. Lee		(novel)
Ranald MacDougall

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer

Original Music by
George Duning

Cinematography by
Charles Lang

Film Editing by
Viola Lawrence

Art Direction by
Ross Bellah

Set Decoration by
Louis Diage

Costume Design by
Jean Louis

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Irving J. Moore	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Lambert E. Day	....	sound
John P. Livadary	....	recording supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Emil Oster	....	camera operator

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2000) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min | West Germany:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | West Germany:18 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The oil portrait of the gentlemen above the fireplace is that of Luke Cosgrove. It was originally created for the 1938 Columbia film Holiday with Katherine Hepburn.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Avery 'Beauty' Phillips:The sun is shinin'; funny, I didn't expect the sun to be shinin'.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Die, Mommie, Die! (2003)

Another Joan Crawford Eyebrow Picture

Joan does her big eyebrow look again in this film about a true bitch in heat. Here she is an "outsider" who traps Barry Sullivan, scion of a good Southern family, into marriage and proceeds to make his life a living hell. For that matter, she makes everyone who surrounds her a target for her venom. She is truly a psychotic whose greatest thrill is to destroy everything and everyone within her circle of influence.

She has a passion for her husband's friend, played by John Ireland who just happens to be engaged to her husband's sister. After she rides roughshod over those two with tragic results, she starts on her cousin, an innocent who is visiting this Garden of Eden. Probably a big mistake since this leads to further trouble ending in a denouement that you can see coming from a mile away. Very tidy.

Is this a good film? Depends if you like Crawford at her histrionic best, chewing up both the scenery and her co-stars. But again, as another reviewer said, you will like this movie if you love Crawford or if you hate her. She's that good. It's one of those soap opera plots that were popular in the 50s and it will hold your interest, if only to see if Joan gets her come-uppance. Don't be embarrassed if you find yourself liking this film......you're in good company.