joan crawford be harriet craig and a manipulative and insecure woman who have to control everything around her in this 1950 film also star wendell corey and k. t. stevens and lucile watson and allyn joslyn and viola roche . the director and vincent sherman and know how to get a good performance out of crawford and do so several time and in goodbye and my fancy and the damned don not cry . he describe her a a very bright and knowledgeable woman when it come to every aspect of filming . here and crawford be a cold and manipulative bitch marry to hapless walter ( corey ) and and as be imply and the sex be great . pretty soon and he forget that he uncomfortable in his own house and that harriet have isolate him from his friend and thing he use to enjoy and and also that she can not have child so she say . harriet be unfortunately stick with the old craig family housekeeper and mrs. howard and who continue to be a burr in her saddle . mrs. howard see through harriet and a do his bos wife ( watson ) . she recommend a promotion which will require walter to spend some time away from dear harriet in china . when harriet find out and she have a fit and make sure the bos decide against send him . wouldn not want walter gamble away the company money while drunk and now and would we . harriet niece clare ( stevens ) be make to feel extremely grateful by harriet and so she work for harriet for free . when harriet find out a worker at walter lab be interested in clare and she tell clare he a womanizer who brag about it . harriet be a piece of work . the sad part of all of this be that i know someone like harriet and believe me and this portrait be only slightly exaggerate . they be sad case . they make the life of everyone around them miserable . and they aren not happy people . crawford be great in the role and have be say and she play this type of part very well . she have the regal look and the voice and and the requisite chilly delivery . for those who say this be the real crawford and no one know for sure . i do not think anyone deal with the woman herself at this point and only a plastic persona . she have to have be a lot more charming than harriet and also and unlike harriet and capable of let down her hair once in a while and have a good time . crawford the actress have many more side to her than the queen bee and harriet craig persona . i think she be at her best in a woman face and possess ( the second one ) which show what she could really do . i never felt she be great in comedy and but she be a hard worker who could do drama well . wendell corey do a good job a a man who love his wife and his work and his friend and have to walk a thin line . the rest of the cast be uniformly very good and and the craig house be gorgeous and if you like live in a museum . i be really talk about the layout . a a spoiler and i think it would have be a riot if and after what we see in the film and walter end up with the widow next door . who know . maybe he do .