All About Eve (1950)

My Review

The Best Picture of 1950 is…..”All About Eve.” This is a classic show business melodrama about a young actress who maneuvers her way into the life and circle of friends of a veteran Broadway star with the intent of promoting her own career. Director-screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz (“Woman of the Year” 1942) put together a riveting drama with great writing, memorable performances, and strong character development. It was based on a 1944 short story “The Wisdom of Eve” by Mary Orr, published in Cosmopolitan magazine.

The cast is headed by Bette Davis as the aging star Margo Channing and Anne Baxter as the young and manipulative Eve Harrington. Both delivered stunning performances. Co-stars include George Sanders as a theater critic, Gary Merrill as Margo’s boy friend (Merrill and Davis wed after “Eve” wrapped, a marriage that would last ten years), Hugh Marlowe as a playwright, Celeste Holm as Mrs. Richards, Thelma Ritter as Margo’s assistant, and Marilyn Monroe in a small part which was an early important film appearance for her.

The watchable “All About Eve” was a big hit at the box office for producer Darryl F. Zanuck and 20th Century Fox. It was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winning six: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Sanders), Best Screenplay, Best Costume Design (Edith Head), and Best Sound. Non-winners include Best Actress (Davis and Baxter), Best Supporting Actress (Holm and Ritter), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography (Milton R. Krasner), Best Scoring (Alfred Newman), and Best Film Editing. It was primarily filmed at the 20th Century Fox Studios in the Century City area of Los Angeles.