Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Biography

Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (/ˈmæŋkəwɪts/ MANG-kə-wits; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American filmmaker. A four-time Academy Award winner, he is best known for his witty and literate dialogue and his preference for voice-over narration and narrative flashbacks. Also known as an actor's director, Mankiewicz directed several prominent actors, including Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart and Elizabeth Taylor, to several of their memorable onscreen performances. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Mankiewicz studied at Columbia University and graduated in 1928. He moved overseas to Europe, where he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and translated German intertitles into English for UFA. On the advice of his screenwriter brother Herman, Mankiewicz moved back to the United States, and was hired by Paramount Pictures as a dialogue writer. He then became a screenwriter, writing for numerous films starring Jack Oakie. He next moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), where he served as a producer for several films, including The Philadelphia Story (1940) and Woman of the Year (1942). Mankiewicz left MGM after a dispute with Louis B. Mayer. In 1944, Mankiewicz began w…

Movies & TV Shows

1. The Oscars (1953) — Self
2. The Dick Cavett Show (1968) — Self - Guest
3. Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006) — Self (archive footage)
4. George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1985) — Self
5. The Mike Douglas Show (1961) — Self
6. Woman Trap (1929) — Reporter (as Joseph Mankiewicz)
7. Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991) — Self
8. The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn (1986) — Self
9. Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano (1983) — Self
10. Hello Actors Studio (1988) — Self
11. The American Film Institute Salute to ... (1973) — Self
12. Night of 100 Stars III (1990) — Self
13. The Screen Director (1951) — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
14. In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton (1988) — Self
15. W.C. Fields: Straight Up (1986) — Self
16. Backstory: 'All About Eve' (2000) — Self (archive footage)
17. All About Mankiewicz (1983) — Self
18. Ciné regards (1978) — Self

Directed

1. All About Eve (1950) — Director
2. Cleopatra (1963) — Director
3. Sleuth (1972) — Director
4. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) — Director
5. Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) — Director
6. The Barefoot Contessa (1954) — Director
7. Guys and Dolls (1955) — Director
8. Julius Caesar (1953) — Director
9. A Letter to Three Wives (1949) — Director
10. There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) — Director
11. Dragonwyck (1946) — Director
12. No Way Out (1950) — Director
13. 5 Fingers (1952) — Director
14. People Will Talk (1951) — Director
15. House of Strangers (1949) — Director
16. Somewhere in the Night (1946) — Director
17. The Honey Pot (1967) — Director
18. The Quiet American (1958) — Director
19. Carol for Another Christmas (1964) — Director
20. Escape (1948) — Director
21. The Late George Apley (1947) — Director
22. King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970) — Director