On Q List of Movie Reviews

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Queen Bee (1955)

Rate: 3
Viewed: 5/17

QueenB
5/17: Queen Bee is the kind of Southern melodrama that Tennessee Williams and Douglas Sirk wouldn't want to be caught dead with.

My goodness...Joan Crawford. She looks absolutely fucking ridiculous! What's with her black caterpillar eyebrows? Eek! They don't even match her lightly-colored wig. If there's proof Joan Crawford had no talent and was more fitting for daytime soap opera shows, then look no further than Queen Bee which was 100% pet project of hers.

As a matter of fact, Joan's adopted daughter, Christina Crawford, wrote in her autobiography Mommie Dearest that Queen Bee brought out the real her which is exactly the reason why I wanted to see the film in the first place. So, yep...it's fitting: Joan's venomous anger.

There's not much to like. Bad acting is all over the place; nobody tries to put in any effort to make the story believable. I don't feel anything for the characters. Betsy Palmer is well known as Jason Voorhees' mother from Friday the 13th. I hadn't seen her in anything prior to Queen Bee. Afterwards, I could see why. She only did four pictures in between with the final one going way, way back in 1959.

All in all, the only reason for Queen Bee is to see the real Joan Crawford at her campiest and then be either horrified or incredulous at the sight of her.