All About Eve (1950)
October 13, 2022 7:27 AM - Subscribe

From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) is determined to take the reins of power away from the great actress Margo Channing (Bette Davis). Eve maneuvers her way into Margo's Broadway role, becomes a sensation and even causes turmoil in the lives of Margo's director boyfriend, her playwright and his wife. Only the cynical drama critic sees through Eve, admiring her audacity and perfect pattern of deceit.

Also starring George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Gregory Ratoff, Thelma Ritter, Marilyn Monroe, Barbara Bates, Walter Hampden, Randy Stuart, Craig Hill, Leland Harris, Barbara White, William Pullen, Claude Stroud, Eugene Borden, Helen Mowery, Steven Geray, Bess Flowers, Colin Kenny, Harold Miller, Frank Baker, Franklyn Farnum, William H. O'Brien.

Written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

99% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently available for digital rental in the US on multiple outlets. JustWatch listing.
posted by DirtyOldTown (6 comments total)
 
Anything with George Sanders is worth a watch.

My favorite bit of trivia about this movie is that Bette Davis's iconic off-the-shoulder cocktail dress wasn't meant to be off-the-shoulder. The costume department got her shoulder measurements slightly wrong, but there wasn't time to fix it without putting shooting behind schedule. So they just pulled it down and she wore it that way, and it worked.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:45 AM on October 13, 2022 [2 favorites]


(getting in touch with my inner fangirl psycho as I head to rotten tomatoes in horrified curiosity over the 1% dissenting opinion)
posted by grandiloquiet at 8:56 AM on October 13, 2022 [4 favorites]


That one is a a vintage review from Sight & Sound.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:01 AM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]


Endlessly rewatchable. Davis and Baxter get all the attention (as they should), but special notice should be given to Gary Merrill, whose delivery of the punchline "A Cowboy?" always makes me laugh.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 9:16 AM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]


My great aunt claimed that she was the inspiration for Margo Channing but I think that this has to be taken with a grain of salt.

The story Barbara told was that Mary Orr was up for an audition, claimed that she was in several plays and the director told her "I directed Barbara in those"

The credited with search on the internet broadway database isn't working so I can't tell if they ever performed together
posted by brujita at 2:07 PM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]


Barbara
Barondess
posted by brujita at 2:16 PM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]


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