All About Eve (1950)

Star Rating: 3
Length of Film: 138 minutes
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Cast: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Gregory Ratoff, Barbara Bates, Marilyn Monroe, Thelma Ritter, Walter Hampden, Randy Stuart, Craig Hill, leland Harris, Barbara White
Oscars: Darryl F. Zanuck (best picture), Joseph L. Mankiewicz (director), Joseph L. Mankiewicz (screenplay), George Sanders (actor in support role), Edith head, Charles Le Maire (costume)
Oscar Nominations: Anne Baxter, Bette Davis (actress), Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter (actoress in support role), Lyle R. Wheeler, George W. Davis, Thomas Little, Walter M. Scott (art direction), Milton R. Krasner (photography), Barbara McLean (editing), Alfred Neuman (music)
Cannes Film Festival: Joseph L. Mankiewicz (special jury prize), Better Davis (actress)


There are 6 main characters in this film. All the guys look the same, and frankly, I wish I would have had a cheat sheet to tell them apart. Hopefully this will help you.



                        Bette Davis- Margo Channing     Gary Merrill- Bill Sampson



These two actors were actually married in real life. 1950-1960


Anne Baxter- Eve Harrington

George Sanders- Addison DeWitt

George Sander with a young Marilyn Monroe

Celeste Holm- Karen Richards

Hugh Marlowe- Lloyd Richards



Lloyd and Karen Richards are married.

Margo Channing and Bill Sampson are boyfriend and girlfriend (later in the movie, husband and wife).

The movie starts out at an award show, narrated by theater critic Addison DeWitt (George Sanders) who's the voice of Shere Kahn in Disney's animated movie, The Jungle Book. We later on, flash backs to the past, getting the real story. Margo Channing is the queen of theater, an aging actress (40 years old). She's dating a director, Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill) who's 8 years younger than Margo. Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe) is the play writer.

The movie is about a young, naive girl, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter)  who was brought by Lloyd Richards wife, Karen (Celeste Holm) to meet her hero, Margo Channing. They meet in her dressing room and Eve tells Margo her sob story, and how she has seen her show ever night. Margo gives Eve a job as her assistant, and after time, she is hesitant that Eve is up to no good. Margo's boyfriend tries to make her see that Eve is innocent and does not have a personal agenda. At Bill's birthday party, Margo gets really drunk and makes a big scene. You see...Eve DOES have a personal agenda.

Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!- Margo Channing

The ending comes full circle, inventing a new "Eve Harrington". It's quite a good twist to the ending of a movie. Eve will get what she deserves!