Queen Bee Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Queen Bee Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 24, 2025

Ranald MacDougall's "Queen Bee" (1955) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic David Jenkins; new program with critic Lies Lanckman; theatrical trailer; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

If John Wayne had directed a film about Romanian partisans clashing with German troops in Transylvania during WWII, it would have looked identical to Ranald MacDougall’s Queen Bee. This fictional film would have been full of pretenders existing in a reality that Wayne knew little about, so while it may have produced some striking visuals, it would have never been mistaken for an authentic film. On the contrary, just about everyone who might have seen the film would have instantly concluded that it is simply a Hollywood star’s make-believe.

MacDougall’s directorial debut is make-believe, too. It is set in the South and follows closely several wealthy Southerners who tear each other apart for different reasons. The strongest among them is Eva Phillips (Joan Crawford), who, ironically, is a transplant from the North, stuck in a miserable marriage that has permanently transformed her into a serial abuser. Her husband, Avery (Barry Sullivan), has learned to coexist with her, but at a hefty price. He is a perpetually inebriated cynic who, while barely keeping his business afloat, has accepted that his self-destruction is imminent. Carol (Betsy Palmer) is Avery’s sister, who has tried and failed many times to be a rational mediator. Having observed the collapse of Eva and Avery’s marriage, and learned from their mistakes, she has put together a better plan for her future with Jud Prentiss (John Ireland), the latter’s business assistant. However, Carol does not yet know that Eva has also left a permanent trail in Jud’s past. Jennifer (Lucy Marlow), Eva’s younger cousin, has recently arrived from Chicago to live with her and, despite denying it, is on the lookout for a husband, too. Ty McKinnon (William Leslie), the most handsome bachelor in the area and a good friend of Eva and Avery, has already made a move to let Jennifer know that he might be interested in being the man of her dreams.

As Eva and Avery’s hostility toward each other reaches a boiling point, Carol officially announces that she will marry Jud, and Jennifer politely rejects Ty and reveals that she has feelings for another man, everyone begins reassessing what the future may look like. Then a tragic event forces yet another reset of everyone’s ambitions and plans.

A decade earlier, MacDougall scripted Michael Curtiz’s classic film noir Mildred Pierce, a winner of two Oscar statuettes, one of which went to Crawford. After acquiring the rights to Edna Lee’s novel, Crawford used her influence to help MacDougall make his directorial debut with Queen Bee.

Unfortunately, the gap in quality between Mildred Pierce and Queen Bee is humongous. It is true that thematically and stylistically the two are very different films – or at least two-thirds of them are, as the final third of Queen Bee shares some of the noir ambience that flourishes in Mildred Pierce and gives its identity -- but they manage their drama similarly while expecting a lot from Crawford and surrounding her with a fine group of solid actors, and what they accomplish is not equally effective. There are two reasons for this. In Queen Bee, MacDougall, a New Yorker, is in a foreign territory, and it easily shows. For example, Crawford and the rest of the cast are stuck in what is essentially an urban melodrama, looking very artificial and reciting lines that are simply impossible to associate with authentic Southern characters or transplants behaving like such. So, while MacDougall might have had a reputation as a great writer, his screenplay is average at best. The direction is just as underwhelming. The narrative is supposed to be managed as a domino game, with each piece of it, rightfully or not, linking to Crawford’s vicious character, the almighty bee. Once this domino game is initiated, which happens as soon as Crawford meets her cousin from Chicago, the movement from the domino effect should be unstoppable until the final piece falls. However, MacDougall routinely interrupts and resumes the domino game with rushed and even awkward transitions.

In its current form, Queen Bee looks and feels like a big vanity project that satisfied Crawford’s inexorable desire to turn Lee’s novel into a film, proving only that she had the influence and support of top brass to make it happen. It may appeal to some of her loyal fans, but it is definitely not of her better films.

Queen Bee Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Queen Bee arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The overall quality of the master that was used to produce this release is very good. It gives the film a stable, often very attractive appearance, which is not too far off of its ideal appearance. For example, delineation, clarity, and depth routinely gravitate between very good and excellent, while the grayscale is terrific. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is excellent as well. So, what are the areas where meaningful improvements can be made? Grain exposure can be slightly more convincing, and some darker nuances managed better. At the moment, in select areas, there are small yet noticeable inconsistencies. Also, from time to time minor specks pop up here and there. The former is the more important area, and if improvements are made, I suspect that even the dynamic range of some visuals will be strengthened. Regardless, I think that the current presentation is quite wonderful. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Queen Bee Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

While music can be heard throughout the entire film, the dynamic contrasts are pretty modest. Still, clarity, sharpness, and stability are very, very good. I had the volume of my system turned up quite a bit and did not notice any age-related anomalies. All dialog is very easy to follow, too. There are no encoding anomalies to report.

Queen Bee Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critic David Jenkins highlights Joan Crawford's relationship with Columbia and comments on the conception and production of Queen Bee, the different characters that Crawford and her co-stars play and their dilemmas, the overlapping of types of material, and the film's reception, etc.

• Lies Lanckman: A String in the Tale - in this new program, critic Lies Lanckman discusses Joan Crawford's career and involvement with Queen Bee. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Nathalie Morris: Fit for a Queen - in this new program, critic Nathalie Morris discusses the life and career of costume designer Jean Louis, who earned an Oscar nomination for his contribution to Queen Bee. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Theatrical Trailer - presented here is a remastered vintage trailer for Queen Bee. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for Queen Bee.

• French Photonovel - presented here is a collection of stills used in a photonovel adaptation of Queen Bee, which appeared in an issue of the French magazine Les Films du Coeur in 1960.

• Booklet - limited edition exclusive booklet with new essay by Imogen Sara Smith, a making of piece focusing on Joan Crawford, an overview of contemporary critical responses, as well as technical credits.

Queen Bee Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Queen Bee is a vanity project that only loyal fans of Joan Crawford would defend as a good film. While it is easy to understand why Crawford wanted Ranald MacDougall to adapt Edna Lee's novel and direct Queen Bee, it is even easier to tell that he was not the right person for the job. In its current form, Queen Bee is a tedious melodrama that easily could have been shot in a high-rise somewhere in New York City or Chicago, with its characters undergoing the same transformations and leaving the exact same impressions, all of which are pretty underwhelming. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' release is sourced from an older but very nice organic master supplied by Sony Pictures. It is Region-B "locked".