All About Eve (1950)

Genre:

Drama

Description:

In All About Eve Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is a highly successful but aging star on Broadway. After a show, her best friend Karen (Celeste Holm) introduces her to her biggest fan: Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). Margot hires Eve as her assistant, but as time goes by it becomes apparent that Eve is a conniving woman who is using Margot to become a star herself.

Cast:

Bette Davis                        –                      Margot Channing
Anne Baxter                      –                      Eve Harrington
Gary Merrill                      –                      Bill Sampson
Celeste Holm                    –                      Karen
Hugh Marlowe                 –                      Lloyd Richards
Goerge Sanders                –                      Addison DeWitt
Thelma Ritter                    –                      Birdie
Marilyn Monroe               –                      Miss Casswell

The original trailer of All About Eve:

Facts:

–          The film was based on the short story ‘The Wisdom of Eve’ by Mary Orr. The character of Margot was believed to be based on Tallulah Bankhead. But Mary Orr later revealed it was based on an anecdote that actress Elisabeth Bergner told her.

–          A lot of actresses were considered for the part of Margot Channing. Such as Susan Hayward, Gertrude Lawrence and Marlene Dietrich. Ultimately, Claudette Colbert got the part. But she suffered a ruptured disc before filming and had to withdraw. Bette Davis got the part instead.

–          This is one of the first important parts of Marilyn Monroe’s career. She is said to have been very nervous to act opposite Bette Davis and therefore forgot her lines regularly.

–          Although Celeste Holm and Bette Davis played best friends, they did not get along in real life. Incidentally, Anne Baxter and Bette David played rivals, but became good friends.

–          The character of Birdie Coonan was written especially for actress Thelma Ritter.

–          Bette Davis and Gary Merrill did not only play lovers on screen, they also became an item off screen. They married a couple of months after shooting wrapped and stayed together for ten years.

–          Bette Davis’ career was in a downward spiral before All About Eve and she had just ended an 18-year association with Warner Brothers when she got the part of Margot Channing. She later said the film had ‘resurrected me from the dead’.

–          In 1970 All About Eve was turned into a Broadway play called Applause. Lauren Bacall initially played the part of Margot, but when she left, Anne Baxter (who played Eve in the film) came full circle and took over as Margot.

–          The film ranks first in the Most Academy Award Nominated Films with 14 nominations.

Awards:

Wins:

Best Picture – All About Eve – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Supporting Actor – George Sanders – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Director – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Costume Design – Edith Head and Charles Le Maire – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Writing – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Sound – All About Eve – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Screenplay – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1951 Golden Globes
Best Film – All About Eve – British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Best Actress – Bette Davis – 1951 Cannes Film Festival
Jury Special Prize – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1951 Cannes Film Festival
Best Film – All About Eve – 1950 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Actress – Bette Davis – 1950 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Director – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1950 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Written American Comedy – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1951 Writers Guild of America

Nominations:

Best Actress – Anne Baxter – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Actress – Bette Davis – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Supporting Actress – Celeste Holm – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Supporting Actress – Thelma Ritter – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Art Direction – Lyle R. Wheeler, George W. Davis, Thomas Little and Walter M. Scott – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Cinematography – Milton R. Krasner – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Film Editing – Barbara McLean – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Music – Alfred Newman – 1951 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
Best Drama Film – All About Eve – 1951 Golden Globes
Best Actress in a Drama – Bette Davis – 1951 Golden Globes
Best Director – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1951 Golden Globes
Best Supporting Actor – George Sanders – 1951 Golden Globes
Best Supporting Actress – Thelma Ritter – 1951 Golden Globes
Grand Prize of the Festival – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1951 Cannes Film Festival
best Written American Drama – Joseph L. Mankiewicz – 1951 Writers Guild of America

Influence:

All About Eve is seen by many as one of the best films of all time. It is a classic with fans all over the world. It is a timeless film that is therefore appreciated by older and younger generations alike. In 1990, All About Eve was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’ and in 1997 it received a placement on the Producers Guild of America Hall of Fame.
But it is not only appreciated by the audience and critics, the cast and crew also knew that they were working on something special during filming. Actors like Bette Davis and George Sanders have admitted later on that All About Eve was the best film in their career and that they were proud to have been a part of it.

Read more about Marilyn Monroe’s or Bette Davis’ life.