Cast: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Gregory Ratoff, Barbara Bates, Marilyn Monroe
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Rating:
Enetertainment Quotient: 50%
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 138 min
MPAA rating: U

Synopsis:

Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is the leading heroine in the theater world. Eve (Anne Baxter) is a beautiful girl and a star-stuck devout fan of Margo. She manages to become an aide to Margo. She mingles with the friends’ circle of Margo. Then she pulls her final string by betraying and replacing Margo.

What is special in this film?
This film shows how desperately some women manipulate the people around them when they chase their career goals. This film is all about betrayal, over ambition and manipulation of women. I also liked the loyalty shown by Bill towards Margo despite her oversensitive and paranoiac attitude. Anne Baxter is great in the title role. Her histrionics are equally genuine – being it as a naïve fan or a manipulative woman. Dialogues in this film are very good. ‘All About Eve’ is a well-written and well-directed movie.

The scenes I liked in the film

1. When Margo fails to listen to what Bill has been saying, he pins her down and lies on her to tell what her mistake is (15th chapter at 1.10 minutes). This is quite a powerful way of telling your girl when her ego does not permit her to listen to you.

2. The conversation between Margo and Karen when car breaks down: Margo realizes her mistakes and tells how women tend to forget that they are women while chasing the career goals. The dialogues in that scene are as follows –

Margo: It is funny, a woman's career. The things you drop on your way up so you can move faster.
You forget you will need them again when you get back to being a woman.
That is one career all females have in common, whether we like it or not. Being a woman!

3. When Dewitt confronts Eve with her past.

4. The ending of the film where a new girl Phoebe enters into the life of Eve indicating that life is going to come full circle for Eve.

Tailpiece:
All about Eve was nominated for 14 Oscars and won six Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. Marilyn Monroe did an insignificant character in this film as it came much before her sensational film ‘The Seven Year Itch’.