Every time I see "Queen Bee" it's as if a gigantic black hole has opened and I'm pulled inexorably into the vortex known as Joan Crawford. Probably the last of La Crawford's great diva roles, her Eva Phillips gnaws through every last shred of scenery until John Ireland wisely decides to put all of us out of Joan's misery via car accident. Although there is a credited director, Ranald MacDougall (whoever that was), it is apparent that he was either missing in action or was afraid of Joan, who stomps through her scenes like a bull in a china shop, obviously directing herself. This is a performance shaped by psychosis, featuring some of the campiest dialog ever committed to celluloid. Joan juicily delivers "Any man's my man...if I want it that way" and the howler "...did you see him? He actually trembled when he spoke to me. You'd think he'd never seen a beautiful woman before". You go, Joan! Still, it is John Ireland who's given the best line in this steamy pile of Southern comfort, spitting out his opinion of Joan's character: "I don't know what you are, Eva, but whatever it is..it's on wheels!" Priceless. Joan was reputed to have sashayed away with the very real and very expensive Paris couture she wears in the movie, as if anyone could have stopped her. Sadly, she was never again to be so sublimely bitchy and was ultimately fated to throwing rubber lizards at a monkey-man in "Trog" only fifteen years after "Queen Bee", in a drunken last performance. Sad Joan. Still, this relic from 1955 deserves to be seen for what it is, the last gasp of great glamor from La Crawford. We'll never see her like again.