All About Eve (1950)

An ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an established but aging stage actress and her circle of theater friends.

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writer:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders

Top Rated Movies #130 | Won 6 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Davis	...	Margo Channing
Anne Baxter	...	Eve Harrington
George Sanders	...	Addison DeWitt
Celeste Holm	...	Karen Richards
Gary Merrill	...	Bill Simpson
Hugh Marlowe	...	Lloyd Richards
Gregory Ratoff	...	Max Fabian
Barbara Bates	...	Phoebe
Marilyn Monroe	...	Miss Casswell
Thelma Ritter	...	Birdie Coonan
Walter Hampden	...	Aged Actor
Randy Stuart	...	Girl
Craig Hill	...	Leading Man
Leland Harris	...	Doorman
Barbara White	...	Autograph Seeker

Storyline

Eve (Anne Baxter) is waiting backstage to meet her idol, aging Broadway star Margo Channing (Bette Davis). It seems innocent enough as Eve explains that she has seen Margo in EVERY performance of her current play. Only playwright/critic DeWitt (George Sanders) sees through Eve's evil plan, which is to take her parts and her fiancé, Bill Simpson (Gary Merrill). When the fiancé shows no interest, she tries for playwright Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe), but DeWitt stops her. After she accepts her award, she decides to skip the after-party and goes to her room, where a young woman named Phoebe has sneaked into her room and fallen asleep. This is where the "Circle of Life" now comes to fruition as Eve will get played like she played Margo.

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Plot Keywords:

man slaps woman | theater | starlet | meta film | based on short story | 

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Taglines:

It's all about women---and their men!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 October 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Best Performance

Filming Locations:

242 West 45th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,177, 8 October 2000

Gross USA:

$10,177

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 1, 1951 with Bette Davis and Gary Merrill reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

Sitting on the stair step behind Eve, Bill leans his right arm on his legs. In the subsequent shot, when she stands up, his right hand appears high about his head.

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Quotes

Margo: [as she's getting ready for the party] The extra help get here?
Birdie: There's some loose characters dressed as maids and butlers. Who'd you call, the William Morris Agency?
Margo: You're not being funny: I could *get* actors for less.

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Crazy Credits

Eddie Fisher is credited in the cast as 'Stage Manager,' although all of his scenes were cut from the released print. This is not the the singer Eddie Fisher, but another actor.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: LeBron James/Kanye West (2007)

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Soundtracks

Manhattan
(1925) (uncredited)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Played on the piano at the party when Margo and Max are in the kitchen

User Reviews

A Miracle Of A Movie

What a genius Joseph L Manckiewicz was. A literary script that is totally accessible. A melodrama for the thinking man. A film that is as engrossing and entertaining every time you see it. Bette Davis touches all the raw nerves of her mythological career. Anne Baxter never went this far. Thelma Ritter became a sort of icon. Marilyn Monroe gives us a preview of forthcoming attractions as a graduated from the "Copacabana" academy of dramatic arts. Celeste Holm represents us, all of us and George Sanders creates a prototype for a cultured monster that is immediately recognizable. I don't recall another film in which the nature of selfishness is so wittily dissected. A total triumph.