86 Joseph L. Mankiewicz Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

The plot of the movie, which is based on Mary Orr’s 1946 short story The Wisdom of Eve, follows Eve Harrington who meets her idol, Margo Channing, and is eventually taken into latter’s household. What Margo, a successful theatre actress, does not know is that Eve plans to use her and everyone around her to boost her own career and attain super stardom.

Slueth is a mystery thriller film, which tells the story of Andrew, who wants to divorce his wife without having to pay her any alimony. He, therefore, joins hands with her ex-lover, Milo, to plan a robbery. But their personal differences are the only obstacles in their plan. 

This 1940 romantic comedy revolves around a socialite named Tracy, who has split from her husband Dexter, due to his drinking and her overly demanding nature. Just before she is about to wed George Kittredge, she crosses path again with Dexter as well as a reporter Macaulay, which makes her confused regarding her feelings for all three men. 

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is a fantasy drama film which tells the story of Mrs. Lucy Muir, a widow, who moves to a village near the seaside, despite the disapproval of her in-laws. She rents a house which has a reputation of being haunted by the spirit of a seaman. However, it soon seems that not only the rumors about the ghost are true, but the ghost is quite harmless.   

Don "Wardaddy" Collier embarks on a mission with his crew of five members. The mission is sure to put many lives in danger. As they begin, they realize that the odds are against them, but they still decide to go on with the task of attacking the Nazi army.

A seductress living in a small town writes a letter to her three best friends notifying that she is going to run off with one of their husbands. However, she doesn’t inform them which one, which makes things more complicated.

The documentary film biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., constructed using original newsreels, chronicles the important events of his Civil Rights Movement. King’s journey from a regional activist to the world-renowned leader of non-violent campaign for racial equality is captured through events from the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott to the 1968 assassination in Memphis, and also includes rare footage of his speeches, arrests, and protest-marches. 

Suddenly, Last Summer is a mystery drama film which revolves around a young woman, who is being  evaluated for lobotomy by a psychiatric doctor, after she feels traumatized by the mysterious death of her cousin. It soon seems that her aunt is trying to hide something from her.

People Will Talk is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the story of a physician named Dr. Noah, who teaches in a medical school. Meanwhile, he has also founded a clinic, which is dedicated to provide holistic and humane treatment to patients. Meanwhile, another professor named Rodney becomes jealous and he decides to teach Dr. Noah a lesson.

This biographical drama film tells the story of Julius Caesar, who manages to defeat Pompey the Great, and returns to Rome. Do to his successful conquests, in tne eyes of other high-ranking Romans, he becomes a dictator. Therefore together they conspire to get rid of him.

Three Comrades is a romantic drama film which takes us to the time after the First World War, and revolves around three German soldiers Erich Lohkamp, Otto Koster and Gottfried Lenz. They share a close friendship which is strengthened by the fact that they all share love for the same woman, who is unfortunately dying due to tuberculosis.

Three Godfathers is a Western drama film which revolves around three fugitives who risk their lives to bring a newborn baby out of the desert to safety. 

Woman of the Year is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the story of Sam and Tess, two reporters working for a press who dislike each other. But eventually they fall for one another and get married. However, after Tess gets elected as ‘Woman of the Year’, her life gets busy and hectic and Sam begins to feel lonely.

A gambler in New York is challenged to take a female missionary to Havana. However, they fall for each other on the way.

Manhattan Melodrama is a romantic drama crime film which tells the story of a friendship between two orphans which survives even though they end up on opposite sides of the law, and also fall for the same woman.

Unemployment during the Great Depression makes city couple John and Mary Sims take up farming, though they have no clue about agricultural work. With help of a Swedish farmer, they make good progress and form a cooperative with others. But when a draught threatens to crumble their dreams, the community digs a miles long trench to get creek water for their crops.

Migg Tweeny falls in love with the daughter of the president of the mythical but bankrupt country Klopstokia. Following Tweeny’s plan, Klopstokia enters the 1932 Olympics to win all the money. Unfortunately, the president’s own cabinet sends ‘Mata Machree, the Woman No Man Can Resist’ to break up the team. 

George Apley is a wealthy man living in Boston, who takes pride in the superiority of his hometown and his family. His life takes a turn when he learns that both his son as well as his daughter has fallen in love with people from outside Boston. 

Harry is a film director going through hard-times and he is forced to work for an abusive business tycoon named Kirk Edwards, who wants to produce a film just to boost his monumental ego. While working on the film, Harry meets a dancer and takes a liking to her.       

Double Wedding is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of a free-spirited bohemian named Charles Lodge. He convinces a young woman named Irene that she should pursue acting as a career. This infuriates her older sister Margit, and she tries to confront Charles. Things get complicated when she instead falls for him.

During WWI, a youthful Texan soldier Bill Pettigrew gets knocked down by Broadway revue star Daisy Heath’s car. As he boasts to his friends about Daisy being his date, she agrees to play along. But her rich boyfriend and show’s financier Sam Baily doesn’t approve. When Bill’s unit is being sent to France, he decides to propose to Daisy. Will she accept?

Based on Mark Twain’s classic, the film follows Huckleberry Finn, a boisterous youngster who flees from his obnoxious father to travel down the Mississippi River on a raft. He is joined by Jim, a slave trying to run away from being sold. During the journey, they face troubles with devious people, and experience exciting escapades where the two save each other’s lives.  

A ranch foreman hires his old friend for a job, but the two eventually become competing suitors. After the foreman succeeds, his friend joins a local gang of cattle thieves, after which the foreman is forced to have his friend lynched. But later saddled with guilt, he swears to kill the leader of the gang as well. 

During the Boxer Rebellion in China, during the early 20th century, a Chinese secret society began attacking all westerners and anyone associated with them. Retaliation follows in which Dr Fu Manchu loses his family, and vows revenge on the British army officers whom he regards as the ones who are responsible for the murders.  

This epic historical drama film chronicles the story of Queen Cleopatra, who in order to save her kingdom from the imperial ambitions of Rome, became the mistress of Julius Caesar.

Night after Night is a romantic drama film, which tells the story of Joe Anton, who falls in love with Miss Healy, a wealthy socialite. Therefore, he eventually starts taking grooming lessons in order to please her. However, when his ex-girlfriends appear in his life, several complications arise

Gordon is a Broadway producer who is working on his new Broadway show, but unfortunately he finds himself short of funds. His former high school sweetheart Irene Foster tries to convince him to give her a role, and in exchange, she would back his show. However, Gordon refuses her offer. Therefore, she impersonates a French dancer in order to get a role in the show.

Johann ‘Schani’ Strauss II, son of the great composer, initially struggles to find success as a composer until gaining the attention of opera singers Carla Donner and Fritz Schiller. Success means he can marry Poldi Vogelhuber, the love of his life but his closeness to Donner tests his marriage and reputation. 

Professor of psychology, John Hathaway, who doesn’t believe in jealousy, moves to New York with wife Julie to publish his book on jealousy. They meet publisher Elliot Morgan who totally falls for Julie, while John’s working with Elliot’s assistant, Nellie, irks Julie. She wants John to get jealous and teach Elliot a good lesson. Will John feel what he thinks doesn’t exist?

Escape is a thriller film which tells the story of a convict who is sentenced to prison for three years, after he kills a detective. However, he soon manages to escape from prison, and is aided by a local girl. They fall for each other, but she eventually persuades him to surrender himself to the law.

Musical on-stage star, Mona Leslie. marries Bob Harrison Jr., the president of S.A.M.L. or the Society for the Admiration of Mona Leslie, and gets embroiled in scandal after Bob’s suicide. Mona’s friend Ned Riley who is in love with her stands by her through everything. 

Jessie Cassidy plans to escape the poverty at her home and pushes her boyfriend Eddie Miller to marry her. But Eddie is a crook and convinces Jessie to work as a shopgirl. When shipping tycoon John L. Hennessey falls in love with Jessie, Eddie proposes a devious plan to steal Hennessey’s money. 

Based on comic strip ‘Skippy,’ the film follows Skippy, spirited son of stern Dr. Herbert Skinner, who ignores his parents’ rules and goes to play in poverty-ridden shantytown. He befriends Sooky, a poor boy who can’t afford the license fee for his pet dog Penny. When City’s dog catchers capture Penny, Skippy tries various ventures to raise money for the license fee.

A fast-talking no-nonsense editor is determined to dig up a juicy story about a millionaire. When he discovers that a wealthy socialite reporter has a close connection to the story, he uses her to get to the bottom and has a terrible disagreement with her when the millionaire’s wife dies. But by then, he has also fallen for her. 

The Saturday Night is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of two sisters Mayme and Janie, who work as salesgirls in a Departmental Store. Although Mayme is attracted to Bill, the clerk of the store, Janie tries to steal him.

Eddie Bronson, a Broadway star, is stranded with his plane in Ohio. He comes across a variety act performed by two men named Dixon and Day, assisted by Ruth, Day’s fiancée. Upon returning to New York, Bronson decides to arrange a show for them, thus providing the small-town stars an opportunity to perform in Broadway.    

This musical film involves several stars such as Maurice Chevalier, Clara Bow, Skeets Gallagher, William Powell, and multiple stars, who appear in musical numbers.

Jeff Williams has been in love with his best-friend Mary Clay ever since they were children. But Mary is marrying their other best friend Dill Todd. When Dill runs away the night before the wedding and marries Connie Barnes, Jeff finally has a chance of winning Mary’s heart. But Mary still has feelings for Dill. 

Tired of her fast life, Olivia Ridley, a New York night club dancer, agrees to marry Harry Linden, a wealthy farmer from Wisconsin, a match not at all approved by Henry’s dominating sister, Hannah. Nonetheless, they get married and move to the farm, where Olivia faces opposition from Hannah. To make matter worse, her brother-in-law falls in love with her, while his wife becomes her ally. 

The Studio Murder Mystery is a mystery crime film which tells the story of a womanizing actor named Richard Hardell, who is murdered at a film studio. Suspicion falls on his wife Blanche, his director Rupert, and a girl whom he had mistreated, as all of them seem to have a motive.

To prove that there is no basic difference between a peasant and an aristocrat, Count Armalia sends club singer Anni to an upper class resort hotel in the Alps, where she must masquerade as his wealthy friend. There she meets Rudi Pal, one of Armalia’s snobbish friends. Although engaged to another aristocrat, Rudi falls in love with Anni. Anni too begins to take her role much too seriously. 

A burglar’s life turns upside down when he is mistaken for a baron. He keeps up the facade, although he is constantly under the fear of being found out. Things get even more complicated when he falls in love with a pretty girl.  

Two rival journalists, Mike and Barney, are given two boring assignments. One is to cover the wedding of a millionairess while the other is to interview an aviator couple. The plot takes up a drastic turn when the millionairess bride runs away from the wedding venue with Mike in her toe. Eventually they lead a merry chase across Europe with the aviator couple and Barney following them. 

This historical fiction based on Samuel Hopkins Adams 1934 novel - The Gorgeous Hussy - centres around Peggy Eaton, an inn keeper’s daughter, who works her way up and gains influence in the White House during the tenure of President Andrew Jackson. The friendship generates huge controversy and results in trouble for both.

The story revolves around a socialite bored with her life in New York and an adventurous Irish archeologist, whom she meets on a trip to Greece. Although ill suited to each other, they fall in love and he follows her to New York, where her social life makes him uneasy. Yet, they become engaged to be married. But will they finally marry?