All About Eve
1950
****
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Cast: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Thelma Ritter, Gregory Ratoff, Marilyn Monroe
Margo Channing, the biggest star on Broadway, takes Eve Harrington, an unworldly fan, under her wing. However, Eve's tragic and innocent facade hides a fiendish and manipulative performer at par with her idol. This Hollywood classic is a subtle psychological drama and a great showcase for its female stars, especially Bette Davis, who is on fire. The film is stagy, there probably isn't a scene that was shot outdoors, but it's entertaining all the same, and the dialogue in particular is deliciously sharp. The six Academy Awards include Joseph L. Mankiewicz for directing and writing (from Mary Orr's short story The Wisdom of Eve), and George Sanders for acting.
