All About Eve

Joseph L. Mankiewicz, , 1950, 138 minutes

All About Eve is a 1950 drama film, written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr. It features Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Thelma Ritter, Hugh Marlowe, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill and Marilyn Monroe.

The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway actress. Anne Baxter plays Eve Harrington, a willingly helpful young fan who insinuates herself into Channing's life, ultimately threatening Channing's career and her personal relationships. Gary Merrill, George Sanders, Hugh Marlowe, Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter also appear, and the film provided one of Marilyn Monroe's earliest important roles.

Praised by critics at the time of its release, All About Eve was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won six, including Best Picture. Widely regarded as a classic in cinema history, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1990, and appeared on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 best American films of the 20th century.

Review by Wikipedia
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2007