Young innocent Jennifer Stewart (Lucy Marlow) goes to visit her cousin Eva Phillips (Joan Crawford). She meets Eva's alcoholic husband Avery (Barry Sullivan), brow beaten daughter Carol Lee (Betsy Palmer) and handyman Judson Prentice (John Ireland). She slowly comes to realize that Eva cruelly manipulates the lives of all around her.<br /><br />Not well known Crawford film which is a shame because it's one of her best. Crawford pulls out all stops and goes full force as a totally evil vicious woman. She's quite obviously enjoying herself and her incredible performance saves what otherwise is a pretty routine drama. The plot is pretty predictable and all the other characters pale next to Crawford. Marlow isn't that good and Sullivan and Ireland are downright terrible but Palmer was very good and seeing her so young is pretty amusing (she's now best known as Jason's mother from the "Friday the 13th" movies). Worth seeing just for Crawford alone. I don't think she ever played such a cruel character before or after this one. Purportedly (according to Christina Crawford) she was playing herself! I give this an 8.