All About Eve (1950)

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Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Starring Anne Baxter, Bette Davis, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, George Sanders.

Based on the story The Wisdom of Eve by Mary Orr, All About Eve is an elegantly bitchy backstage story revolving around aspiring actress Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). Tattered and forlorn, Eve shows up in the dressing room of Broadway mega-star Margo Channing (Bette Davis), weaving a melancholy life story to Margo and her friends. Taking pity on the girl, Margo takes Eve as her personal assistant. Before long, it becomes apparent that naïve Eve is a Machiavellian conniver who cold-bloodedly uses Margo, her director Bill Sampson (Gary Merill), Lloyd's wife Karen (Celeste Holm), and waspish critic Addison De Witt (George Sanders) to rise to the top of the theatrical heap. Also appearing in All About Eve is Marilyn Monroe, introduced by Addison De Witt as "a graduate of the Copacabana school of dramatic art." This is but one of the hundreds of unforgettable lines penned by writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the most famous of which is Margo Channing's lip-sneering admonition, "Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night." All About Eve received 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Reviews and discussions

Viewing All About Eve for the A ...
by pippin06 in Reel Thoughts

loved it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"What's the AFI Project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here: http://www.spout.com/blogs/pip pin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.a spx All About Eve is on the following AFI lists:The Original Top 100 (#16)100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains (Eve Harrington is the #23 villain)100 Movie Quotes (#9 - Margo Channing: "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.")The Revised Top 100 (#28) Thanks to Netflix, I moved right along down the AFI Original list to the next entry, All About Eve, which I had never seen before. I knew about it only vaguely and mostly knew only random factoids, such as the short but memorable turn by Marilyn Monroe as an aspiring, ditzy actress of questionable talent. By the way, she was far less annoying and much funnier in this picture than she was in Some Like It Hot, but I digress. I also knew the famous quote uttered by Bette Davis' Margo Channing, diva extraordinaire, about fastening some seatbelts. I lo ... " [More]

Re:Top 5 Antagonists
by mercurial in Top 5

liked it.

"Top 5 Antagonists: Human1.) Dazed and Confused - O'Bannon - Ben Affleck's character takes the cake as the biggest a**hole and eventually gets what he deserves.2.) Mutiny on the Bounty - Captain Bligh - Sadistic and unflinchingly evil, Captain Bligh is undoubtedly one of cinemas most hated antagonists.3.) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? - Jane - Bette Davis oozes nastiness from her caked on makeup to her hoarse, smokers voice.4.) Se7en - John Doe - The unseen serial killer in this film intensifies the terror and dread the viewer feels throughout this film, even more so when he reveals himself and his final acts of brutality.5.) Groundhog Day - Phil "like the groundhog!" Connors - Bill Murray is incredibly noxious for most of the film as a jaded weather man forced to relive the same day over and over again.Runner's Up: Strangeland, Misery, All About Eve, Man Bites Dog, Lemony Snicket's, Dogville Top 5 Antagonists: Supernatural / Science Fiction1.) The Wizard of Oz ... " [More]

Yowza!
by JakeStevens in JakeStevens Blog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Take that, theater denizens! One of the most biting satires I've ever seen, I was hesitant to see it because of it's age, but apart from some dated dialogue, it holds up wonderfully to this day, thanks to a sharp script, deft acting and more-than-able direction and cinematography. I'd say it's mostly for people who have been around the theater crowd, but really, anyone who's worked in an office can relate to the characters portrayed here. Watch it! " [More]

Summer Cramp : Camp
by jlgdrd in Wicked Fun

loved it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Camp is a less polished cousin to Alan Parker’s Fame, and a film that pushes all my queer consciousness buttons. Once I knew the premise, I wanted to love the movie, and it spoke to me in a way that other movies, from their heterosexual world-view, could not. What teenager wouldn’t want to attend a retreat (like Camp Ovation) where all summer long you get to sing, dance and act in stage plays and musicals? As far as I’m concerned it would have been Mecca. And how delicious is it, that for once, the yummy, manly, straight guy is at the disadvantage? Feels like the freak? So, yes, when a movie like Camp comes along and I see an instance when Michael eyes Vlad (Daniel Letterle ) unapologetically, explaining, “I’m only human,” I can only say I’m deeply, sincerely grateful. But it helps no one if we pretend something is better than it is because we applaud the message. When we expect heterosexuals to make allowances, as if we were five-year-olds ... " [More]

All About Eve
by apfradella in apfradella Blog

loved it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"It doesn't get much better than this. This movie has one of the best screenplays ever written. This is a must see for all film fans. " [More]

Short Survey
by SwingDancingRed in Black And White

loved it.

"Hello B&W Friends!To better know who's out there & what you guys want from the B&W community, I've put together a little survey.1. Name or alias2. Why you joined B&W3. Any lists you'd like to see added4. What you feel you uniquely bring to the table5. What film(s) sparked your love for the classics?6. What would you like to gain from this group?7. Something random/interesting/or just plain weird about yourself... " [More]

Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

loved it.

A skewering satire of the theatre world, All About Eve entertains while it eviscerates. This is a film that really does have it all: Joseph L. Mankiewicz's sure-handed direction and gloriously poisonous screenplay, celluloid diva Bette Davis at her disdainful best, uniformly excellent performances from the supporting cast, and costumes that further demonstrate that designer Edith Head did indeed give good wardrobe. The fact that All About Eve swept the 1950 Academy Awards speaks to all of these qualities, but a great deal of the film's historical and cinematic importance lies in its content. For years, Broadway had taken aim at Hollywood, and now the tables were turned with considerable venom. Mankiewicz's script summoned into existence a whole array of painfully recognizable theatre types, from the aging, egomaniacal grand dame to the outwardly docile, inwardly scheming ingenue to the powerful critic who reeks of malignant charm. The fact that the film succeeds in delivering such a wallop without descending into bitchy tirade makes it an enduring testament to the powers of elegant satire, further proof that there is no more dangerous combination than wit and a typewriter. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Tags: Classic , drama , manipulation , theater , davis
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