“I am essentially an iconoclast,” said Joseph L. Mankiewicz to critic Michel Ciment in 1973, “and I take pleasure in observing the way in which humanity constantly abuses itself.” The observations of “the most intelligent man in contemporary cinema,” to quote Jean-Luc Godard in 1958, led to 20 of the sharpest, toughest, wittiest, and most intricate films to come out of Hollywood at its peak. Why pay tribute to Mankiewicz now? Because High Hollywood is receding into the historical distance, and its greatest films, many of which are signed by Mankiewicz, should be seen and reseen within the rapidly changing context of movies. Because those films, each and every one immaculately crafted, should be seen on a big screen. Because, to put it simply, Joseph L. Mankiewicz matters—to cinema, and to you.