Joseph L. Mankiewicz Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909 - 1993) After following in the footsteps of his brother Herman J. Mankiewicz in film, Joseph went from prominent writer to prolific producer and esteemed director over the course of his long career. Read the full biography

Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909 - 1993) After following in the footsteps of his brother Herman J. Mankiewicz in film, Joseph went from prominent writer to prolific producer and esteemed director over the course of his long career. Along the way, he won a total of four Academy Awards: two for screenwriting and two for directing. Mankiewicz entered the business as a screenwriter, working for Paramount Pictures and later MGM, where he moved into producing. After 20 years in Hollywood he was finally given the chance to direct and almost immediately earned a reputation as a literate director with films such as "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (1947) and "A Letter to Three Wives" (1948). He reached his directorial pinnacle with "All About Eve" (1950), a slice-of-life show business that earned a record 14 Oscar nominations and won six. From there, he directed the excellent but little-known spy film "5 Fingers" (1952) and guided Marlon Brando to a third Oscar nomination for his performance in "Julius Caesar" (1953). After directing "The Barefoot Contessa" (1954), he directed the musical "Guys and Dolls" (1955) and his favorite "The Quiet American" (1958). He later suffered a career setback due to "Cleopatra" (1963), a huge budget epic that nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox.