Joseph Leo Mankiewicz, often recognized as Joseph L. Mankiewicz, was an acclaimed American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His career spanned over four decades during which he won consecutive Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for A Letter to Three Wives (1949) and All About Eve (1950). He was applauded for his mastery across various genres and his unmatched ability to draw out memorable performances from his actors. Mankiewicz also had a reputation for his sophisticated, ironic scripts and a precise, sometimes stylized mise en scène. Mankiewicz spent 17 years as a screenwriter for Paramount Pictures and as a writer and producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer before directing at 20th Century Fox. During his career, he wrote approximately 48 screenplays and produced more than 20 films including 'The Philadelphia Story' (1940) and 'Woman of the Year' (1942).

Born to Jewish immigrants from Germany and Courland, Mankiewicz was brought to Hollywood by his older brother, Herman J. Mankiewicz (co-writer of Citizen Kane). He began his career in 1929 at Paramount, where he contributed to a plethora of screenplays. Later, he joined MGM and had a series of successes as a film producer. In 1941, he achieved massive success with 'The Philadelphia Story', starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart. Mankiewicz also produced 'Woman of the Year' (1942), which introduced Katharine Hepburn to Spencer Tracy. This subsequently marked a beginning of a legendary on-screen pairing.