Evan D. As a project this year we are taking a trip through time to revisit all of the Best Picture winners in history, Wings to Anora. All About Eve is the twentythird film in that series, to see all the other Best Picture reviews, click here.
Art has always been, to some degree or other, enamored with itself. The dramatic narratives that unfold on stage and screen seep into the way we perceive actors, players and the realities they inhabit. However much narrative and reality truly intertwine for storytellers, Hollywood loves to dramatize itself. In the case of Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s All About Eve, we see the drama of the stage infect the lives of the cast and crew. Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is Broadway’s biggest star and has been for longer than even she would like to admit. Her life is upended when a young fan named Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) begins to ingrain herself into Margo’s routines and relationships. Initially everyone is enamored with Eve, she diligently manages Margo’s affairs with a kind smile and winning humility. Soon though, the veteran actress begins to wonder if this fan is really out for something more. Mankiewicz’s script soars in All About Eve, pairing cracking dialogue with a plot that keeps you guessing about the titular character’s intentions until very late in the film. Is she really the sweet, innocent midwestern girl that she claims to be? Are Margo and her friends letting the sensationalism of their work convince them that real life is following suit? Or is there something more sinister at play? None of this would work without the standout performances at the center of the film. None of Eve’s actions through the first two thirds of the story betray any sort of ill intention but there’s this fiery glint in Baxter’s eyes that burns through the facade just enough to create doubt. On the other hand Davis masterfully projects the doubtful insecurity of an aging actress fearing usurpation. Her character is clearly worried, but her performance allows the audience to wonder whether those concerns are mere fantasy. The supporting cast is equally mesmerizing. Celeste Holm, just a few years removed from an Oscar for Gentleman’s Agreement is delightful as Margo’s friend and a Broadway outsider who first takes Eve under her wing. Thelma Ritter, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe and Marilyn Monroe — in one of her earliest roles — all steal scenes as well. Then there is George Sanders, the only cast member to win an Oscar for his role in the film, pulling strings as a conniving theater journalist. All About Eve is a wonderfully entertaining Hollywood classic. As well written as anything that has come since, Mankiewicz’s film is a knockout and one of the absolute best to win Best Picture. 9/10
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