Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Joseph Leo Mankiewicz was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career and is best known as the writer-director of the Oscar-winning All About Eve (1950). He was brother to screenwriter and drama critic Herman J. Mankiewicz who also won an Oscar for co-writing Citizen Kane (1941).

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A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

A letter is addressed to three wives from their "best friend" Addie Ross, announcing that she is running away with one of their husbands - but she does not say which one.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Jeanne Crain  •  Linda Darnell  •  Ann Sothern  •  Kirk Douglas

A letter is addressed to three wives from their "best friend" Addie Ross, announcing that she is running away with one of their husbands - but she does not say which one.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Jeanne Crain  •  Linda Darnell  •  Ann Sothern  •  Kirk Douglas

All About Eve (1950)

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From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington is determined to take the reins of power away from the great actress Margo Channing. Eve maneuvers her way into Margo's Broadway role, becomes a sensation and even causes turmoil in the lives ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Bette Davis  •  Anne Baxter  •  George Sanders  •  Celeste Holm

From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington is determined to take the reins of power away from the great actress Margo Channing. Eve maneuvers her way into Margo's Broadway role, becomes a sensation and even causes turmoil in the lives ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Bette Davis  •  Anne Baxter  •  George Sanders  •  Celeste Holm

Cleopatra (1963)

Determined to hold on to the throne, Cleopatra seduces the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. When Caesar is murdered, she redirects her attentions to his general, Marc Antony, who vows to take power—but Caesar’s successor has other plans.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Elizabeth Taylor  •  Rex Harrison  •  Roddy McDowall  •  Martin Landau

Determined to hold on to the throne, Cleopatra seduces the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. When Caesar is murdered, she redirects her attentions to his general, Marc Antony, who vows to take power—but Caesar’s successor has other plans.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Elizabeth Taylor  •  Rex Harrison  •  Roddy McDowall  •  Martin Landau

House of Strangers (1949)

Gino Monetti is a ruthless Italian-American banker who is engaged in a number of criminal activities. Three of his four grown sons refuse to help their father stay out of prison after he's arrested for his questionable business practices. Three of the sons take ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Edward G. Robinson  •  Susan Hayward  •  Richard Conte  •  Luther Adler

Gino Monetti is a ruthless Italian-American banker who is engaged in a number of criminal activities. Three of his four grown sons refuse to help their father stay out of prison after he's arrested for his questionable business practices. Three of the sons take ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Edward G. Robinson  •  Susan Hayward  •  Richard Conte  •  Luther Adler

People Will Talk (1951)

Successful and well-liked, Dr. Noah Praetorius becomes the victim of a witchhunt at the hands of Professor Elwell, who disdains Praetorius's unorthodox medical views and also questions his relationship with the mysterious, ever-present Mr. Shunderson.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Cary Grant  •  Jeanne Crain  •  Finlay Currie  •  Hume Cronyn

Successful and well-liked, Dr. Noah Praetorius becomes the victim of a witchhunt at the hands of Professor Elwell, who disdains Praetorius's unorthodox medical views and also questions his relationship with the mysterious, ever-present Mr. Shunderson.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Cary Grant  •  Jeanne Crain  •  Finlay Currie  •  Hume Cronyn

Sleuth (1972)

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A mystery novelist devises an insurance scam with his wife's lover – but things aren't exactly as they seem.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Laurence Olivier  •  Michael Caine  •  Alec Cawthorne  •  John Matthews

A mystery novelist devises an insurance scam with his wife's lover – but things aren't exactly as they seem.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Laurence Olivier  •  Michael Caine  •  Alec Cawthorne  •  John Matthews

Somewhere in the Night (1946)

George Taylor returns from WWII with amnesia. Back home in Los Angeles, he tries to track down his old identity, stumbling into a 3-year old murder case and a hunt for a missing $2 million.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  John Hodiak  •  Nancy Guild  •  Lloyd Nolan  •  Richard Conte

George Taylor returns from WWII with amnesia. Back home in Los Angeles, he tries to track down his old identity, stumbling into a 3-year old murder case and a hunt for a missing $2 million.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  John Hodiak  •  Nancy Guild  •  Lloyd Nolan  •  Richard Conte

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

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A young British widow rents a seaside cottage and soon becomes haunted by the ghost of its former owner.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Gene Tierney  •  Rex Harrison  •  George Sanders  •  Edna Best

A young British widow rents a seaside cottage and soon becomes haunted by the ghost of its former owner.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Gene Tierney  •  Rex Harrison  •  George Sanders  •  Edna Best

The Quiet American (1958)

Cynical British journalist Fowler falls in love with a young Vietnamese woman but is dismayed when a naïve U.S. official also begins vying for her attention. In retaliation, Fowler informs the communists that the American is selling arms to their enemy.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Audie Murphy  •  Michael Redgrave  •  Claude Dauphin  •  Giorgia Moll

Cynical British journalist Fowler falls in love with a young Vietnamese woman but is dismayed when a naïve U.S. official also begins vying for her attention. In retaliation, Fowler informs the communists that the American is selling arms to their enemy.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Audie Murphy  •  Michael Redgrave  •  Claude Dauphin  •  Giorgia Moll

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1969)

Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, the documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare footage of King's speeches, protests, and arrests ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Lumet  •  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Paul Newman  •  Coretta Scott King  •  Joanne Woodward  •  Ralph Abernathy

Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, the documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. Rare footage of King's speeches, protests, and arrests ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Lumet  •  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Paul Newman  •  Coretta Scott King  •  Joanne Woodward  •  Ralph Abernathy

The Barefoot Contessa (1954)

Has-been director Harry Dawes gets a new lease on his career when independently wealthy Kirk Edwards hires him to write and direct a film. They go to Madrid to find Maria Vargas, a dancer who will star in the film.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Humphrey Bogart  •  Ava Gardner  •  Edmond O'Brien  •  Marius Goring

Has-been director Harry Dawes gets a new lease on his career when independently wealthy Kirk Edwards hires him to write and direct a film. They go to Madrid to find Maria Vargas, a dancer who will star in the film.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Humphrey Bogart  •  Ava Gardner  •  Edmond O'Brien  •  Marius Goring

Carol for Another Christmas (1964)

Daniel Grudge, a wealthy industrialist and fierce isolationist long embittered by the loss of his son in World War II, is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who lead him to reconsider his attitude toward his fellow man.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Sterling Hayden  •  Percy Rodriguez  •  Eva Marie Saint  •  Ben Gazzara

Daniel Grudge, a wealthy industrialist and fierce isolationist long embittered by the loss of his son in World War II, is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who lead him to reconsider his attitude toward his fellow man.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Sterling Hayden  •  Percy Rodriguez  •  Eva Marie Saint  •  Ben Gazzara

No Way Out (1950)

Robbers Ray Biddle and his brother are shot and taken to the local hospital. There, the two are treated by Dr. Brooks, the hospital's only black doctor. The brothers assault Brooks with racist slurs. And, when his brother ends up dying on the operating table, Ray ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Richard Widmark  •  Linda Darnell  •  Stephen McNally  •  Sidney Poitier

Robbers Ray Biddle and his brother are shot and taken to the local hospital. There, the two are treated by Dr. Brooks, the hospital's only black doctor. The brothers assault Brooks with racist slurs. And, when his brother ends up dying on the operating table, Ray ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Richard Widmark  •  Linda Darnell  •  Stephen McNally  •  Sidney Poitier

5 Fingers (1952)

During WWII, the valet to the British Ambassador to Ankara sells British secrets to the Germans while trying to romance a refugee Polish countess.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  James Mason  •  Michael Rennie  •  Walter Hampden  •  Oskar Karlweis

During WWII, the valet to the British Ambassador to Ankara sells British secrets to the Germans while trying to romance a refugee Polish countess.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  James Mason  •  Michael Rennie  •  Walter Hampden  •  Oskar Karlweis

There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)

Arizona Territorial Prison inmate Paris Pitman, Jr. is a schemer, a charmer, and quite popular among his fellow convicts — especially with $500,000 in stolen loot hidden away and a plan to escape and recover it. New warden Woodward Lopeman has other ideas about ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Kirk Douglas  •  Henry Fonda  •  Hume Cronyn  •  Warren Oates

Arizona Territorial Prison inmate Paris Pitman, Jr. is a schemer, a charmer, and quite popular among his fellow convicts — especially with $500,000 in stolen loot hidden away and a plan to escape and recover it. New warden Woodward Lopeman has other ideas about ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Kirk Douglas  •  Henry Fonda  •  Hume Cronyn  •  Warren Oates

The Honey Pot (1967)

A millionaire fakes a terminal illness to fleece his former girlfriends.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Rex Harrison  •  Susan Hayward  •  Capucine  •  Maggie Smith

A millionaire fakes a terminal illness to fleece his former girlfriends.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph L. Mankiewicz
CAST:  Rex Harrison  •  Susan Hayward  •  Capucine  •  Maggie Smith

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1985)

Biography of the legendary filmmaker directed by his son.  (more)

DIRECTION:  George Stevens Jr.
CAST:  Fred Astaire  •  Rock Hudson  •  Hermes Pan  •  Warren Beatty

Biography of the legendary filmmaker directed by his son.  (more)

DIRECTION:  George Stevens Jr.
CAST:  Fred Astaire  •  Rock Hudson  •  Hermes Pan  •  Warren Beatty

Woman Trap (1929)

In Woman Trap, Hal Skelly is hard-bitten police sergeant Dan Malone, whose mission in life is to rid his community of gangsters. The revelation that Dan's own brother Ray is the secret head of all local criminal activities does not weaken Dan's resolve in the least ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William A. Wellman
CAST:  Hal Skelly  •  Chester Morris  •  Evelyn Brent  •  William B. Davidson

In Woman Trap, Hal Skelly is hard-bitten police sergeant Dan Malone, whose mission in life is to rid his community of gangsters. The revelation that Dan's own brother Ray is the secret head of all local criminal activities does not weaken Dan's resolve in the least ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William A. Wellman
CAST:  Hal Skelly  •  Chester Morris  •  Evelyn Brent  •  William B. Davidson

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991)

This documentary, hosted by actor Burgess Meredith, explores the life and career of movie director Otto Preminger, whose body of work includes such memorable films as Anatomy of a Murder, Exodus, Laura, Forever Amber, Advise and Consent, In Harm's Way, The Moon Is ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Valerie A. Robins
CAST:  Otto Preminger  •  Burgess Meredith  •  Saul Bass  •  Peter Bogdanovich

This documentary, hosted by actor Burgess Meredith, explores the life and career of movie director Otto Preminger, whose body of work includes such memorable films as Anatomy of a Murder, Exodus, Laura, Forever Amber, Advise and Consent, In Harm's Way, The Moon Is ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Valerie A. Robins
CAST:  Otto Preminger  •  Burgess Meredith  •  Saul Bass  •  Peter Bogdanovich

W.C. Fields: Straight Up (1986)

Documentary directed by Joseph Adamson.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph Adamson
CAST:  Dudley Moore  •  W.C. Fields  •  Harry Caplan  •  Ronald J. Fields

Documentary directed by Joseph Adamson.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph Adamson
CAST:  Dudley Moore  •  W.C. Fields  •  Harry Caplan  •  Ronald J. Fields
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