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Eva (Joan Crawford) is the "queen bee" of her contentious Southern family. Her husband Avery (Barry Sullivan), her sister-in-law, her cousin, even her young children are all caught up in the web of hostility, hidden pain, and treacherous secrets, yet it seems that no one can break free... at least, not without paying a very steep price.
Crawford is effectively creepy in the title role as the possessive, dominating, needy, and rapacious Eva. Her performance stays on the same note throughout almost the entire film: she's playing a woman who is a consummate actress, a character who takes on sympathetic or hostile characteristics as needed to manipulate others. Only on two occasions does this facade crack, as Crawford-the-actress reveals that there is also a human being, if a flawed one, behind the mask of Eva-the-actress.
The first third or so of the movie is its most effective part. The setup is intriguing: a dysfunctional Southern family with plenty of skeletons in the closet. When Jennifer (Lucy Marlow), Eva's cousin, comes to stay with the family, it's clear that the pressure has just been turned up a notch. Trusting, innocent, and insolvent, Jennifer has few choices on where to go, and her gratitude to Eva's family for financial support is yet another factor in blinding her to the deadly machinations of the "queen bee." But when the skeletons start coming out of the closets and the dirty laundry gets aired, the revelations don't seem quite as shocking as one would have hoped. While the ending is not bad, the middle of the film sags a bit, losing some of the tenseness of the opening scenes.
Queen Bee is based on a novel, and in fact could probably have benefited from including more of the material from the original book; at only 95 minutes, the film does feel a bit underdeveloped. Certain relationships, such as Jennifer's and Avery's, come across in the film in a somewhat abbreviated manner, and are thus less effective than they might have been.
Video
Columbia has presented Queen Bee in a respectable transfer, neither outstanding nor too far off the mark. The black-and-white film is presented in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen. While there aren't any major print flaws, like scratches, many small flecks and speckles are visible in the print. There's also a fairly large amount of noise in the image; some scenes are worse than others, but it's noticeable throughout the film. On the bright side, there's essentially no edge enhancement, and contrast is also good.
Audio
The Dolby 2.0 mono soundtrack is quite satisfactory. The overall sound quality is full and clear, with no distortion. I did notice a slight fluctuation in volume level in a few scenes, in which the volume would momentarily drop slightly and become a bit muffled before returning to normal volume.
Extras
A few tidbits are offered on this DVD, though nothing of substance. A very limited "talent files" section offers brief biographies and filmographies on a few of the better-known actors in the film, but doesn't, for instance, even include any information on Lucy Marlow, despite her major role in the film. Trailers for Queen Bee, Suddenly Last Summer, and The Last Hurrah are supplied, along with a "vintage advertising" section that consists of two images of original movie posters for the film.
Final thoughts
In the end, Queen Bee promises somewhat more than it eventually delivers, but the film is entertaining nonetheless. Joan Crawford fans will be satisfied with this DVD edition; it's not spectacular, but it does sport an anamorphic transfer and reasonably good-quality sound. I'd consider it to be an excellent choice for a rental. |
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