This little known 1955 melodramatic gem starring Joan Crawford, Barry Sullivan, Betsy Palmer, John Ireland, Lucy Marlow is not only incredibly over-dramatic (sometimes hilariously so) but a great opportunity for Joan Crawford to show off her inner diva and those great acting skills of hers.<br /><br />Emotions run high as ruthless Southern socialite Eva Phillips (the Queen Bee - played by else but the magnificent Joan Crawford who is absolutely in her element) manipulates those around her, turning them against each other. The story begins when her sappy cousin (badly played by Lucy Marlow - you are almost happy when she gets slapped) arrives at Eva's mansion and boy, is she in for one wild ride! Affairs, suicide, car accidents, love, manipulation all drive this movie.<br /><br />It is such a pleasure to watch Eva Phillips tear people apart and see the cunning ways in which she works and gets her own way. The script is, as I previously said, insanely dramatic (and sometimes the lines aren't delivered well - bad acting) and sometimes it got very funny as it just seemed really pathetic. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it though - no, I loved every minute of it. I loved Eva Phillip's ability to torment the people around her (for example - calling her drunk, scarred husband 'Beauty') - it was incredibly fascinating to me. And the ending was very rewarding too.<br /><br />Undoubtly over-the-top to the point of laughing, but a very entertaining ride perfect for a day in. I enjoyed every minute of it, I thoroughly recommend it to comedy and drama fans alike - both could get some enjoyment out of this.