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Queen Bee

Queen Bee

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $22.46
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Any Man Is Her Man, If She Wants It That Way!!
Review: This is quite possibly the b**chiest film Joan has ever done (aside from the excellent 'Torch Song'). Joan goes from scene to scene tearing everyone to shreads, while wearing the most stunning outfits! If you watch "Mommie Dearest", you will see that they have used alot of elements (and outfits) from this film. Joan was over 50 when this was filmed and she looks damn good for her age (or any age for that matter!) I would recommend this film for anyone interested in Joan Crawford. Also of note: watch for a young Betsy Palmer (who plays Mrs. Voorhees in the 'Friday the 13th' horror films!)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Really, really good
Review: This movie is a ridiculous mix of melodrama, southern gothic and film noir that works better than I would have ever imagined. Joan is great of course, just check out that riding crop! Anyone who likes Crawford will love this. This movie is so much fun.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Any mans my man if I want it that way!
Review: This movie is great! Joan is at her bitching best! Its a lot of fun in this campy drama. Joan is a man stealer from her relatives. She is such a bitch you will love this film if you are fascinated by Joan. Her costumes are excellent. The scipt and story is pretty interesting too. See it for Joan and enjoy because they just don't make movies like this anymore, Joan was write when she said in one of her books, your comparing peas to pods, today its all about special effects and its too bad it sucks. there is no one like Joan or bette anymore 0=(

Jonathan

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Crawford in kitsch top form
Review: This must be the most kitschy Joan Crawford movie I've ever seen and one of the most entertaining as well, being sort of the predecessor of the TV soap opera genre, especially the Alexis Carrington (Dynasty) type of character, vixenish, glossy and sexually charged. Joan manipulates everybody in her family to have her own way, all the other players being merely puppets to the star. Nice bit by the great Fay Wray. Oddly enough, this DVD was released first for the zone 4 market (I bought here in Chile in late August), great picture quality in glorious black & white. A must see!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: CAMP CLASSIC A'LA CRAWFORD.
Review: This relatively little-seen yet thoroughly enjoyable latter Crawford performance is essential viewing for her fans (I'm not one of them particularly). Joan chews the scenery and tries to ruin the lives of those unfortuate enough to be in her orbit. Eva Phillips (Joan) is a selfish, insidious and rotten-to-the-core (rhymes with rich) who appears to be the embodiment of charm and love. In this particular review, I shall refrain from giving away details of the plot for this one: just know that when Crawford gets her much-awaited comeuppance, it's a relief to us all...In her frank, celebrated expose of her famous late mother, Christina Crawford related that she was stunned when she first viewed this film back in 1955 upon its initial release. Why? Christina stated that her mother was EXACTLY like that in her personal life and it took very little acting ability on her part to pull off believably the role of a scheming... shrike (!). Whether this is a grossly exageratted statement or not shouldn't matter much to fans of LaCrawford's films, however - the actress got paid for what she projected to her many fans in the audience, not as a model mother. Perhaps it would have been wiser for both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford to have kept pets instead of raising children...Once in the 1940's, Crawford was dining in an L.A. restaurant where a mother tried to discipline her irritating young child in vain at a nearby table. When the woman asked Joan for advice, stating "I don't know what to do. I've tried everything" Crawford's sardonic reply was "Have you considered infanticide?".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: There's Something About Joan
Review: Well I may not be the most objective person to review a Joan Crawford film, due to the fact I love even the films she disliked herself in. However, this one is truly good. For openers we have the oft told story that this movie reminded Christina so much of Mommie, she had to leave the theatre. Add to that the stars, story, and wardrobe by Jean Louis, and you have a classic winner.

As you may have guessed Joan plays the "Queen Bee," Eva Phillips to perfection, stinging all the others to death so she can have the drones to herself. When the story picks up Eva has already wrecked two lives. Fay Wray plays the character that was Barry Sullivan's wife to be until the "Queen Bee" came along and played the oldest trick in the book. So now we have a husband trapped in marriage to a wife he does not love, and the woman he was to have married now a couple fries short of a happy meal. Poor Fay was really pathetic acting. She was so dazed, I half expected her to drool. Barry Sullivan played the drunk bitter husband Avery in superb fashion, equal to Fay's pain, but having had the opposite reaction to his wife's evil doings. So what is our Joan/Eva to do?? Enter John Ireland as Judson Prentiss, with a very young Betsy Palmer as Avery's younger sister Carol Lee in love with him. (Jason's Mom in "Friday The 13th" to the younger crowd.) Good for them, except he should have never gotten involved with the "Queen Bee." Does he really think he can get rid of her that easy and marry Carol Lee?? Think again fella.

You see, Eva wants what she can't have, and will do ANYTHING to get it. You have to see this for yourself! I am afraid Betsy Palmer gets off about as easy as she did in "Friday The 13th." Joan Crawford's character Eva, so caught up with herself in this movie actually calls a friend feigning illness to be alone with her prey. She dangles the phone chord around his neck ever so neatly to indicate he is all hers. (Truly one of my favorite scenes.) Her total lack of caring for the lives of her family, and those around her leads to quite a few shocks before the final curtain falls. When the movie ends, I truly felt bad for this family, and the young ones left behind. Yes, Eva managed to keep Avery by having the kids, and yes it would be possible for Joan to have kids that age! In fact two of her four adopted children were quite young at the time. Crawford is magic in this movie, still holding on to that leading lady status after thirty years in films! Joan was one in a million, and boy could she chew up that scenery!

Columbia, thank you for finally bringing this to DVD. They have been teasing us with the poster art for the movie as a Columbia Classic also available on DVD for quite a while now. I look forward to finally getting my hands on this gem.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not classic Crawford
Review: What a disappointing film. A dull storyline, and an overacting Crawford to make it pathetic. It's not a classic even though on the box it says 'Columbia Classic'. It's only worth owning if you are trying to get the complete Crawford set. While 'Strait Jacket' was bad too, it is ten times better than this because it has some funny scenes. Queen Bee fails in two ways - weak storyline, and poor acting from everyone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a must see
Review: you can't avoid this movie, you just have to see it! Brilliant cast, brillant story, brillant ending and Joan's at her very best!


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