Film Review: "All About Eve" (1950)One-hundred-thirty-eight minutes of black & white cinematic splendor, up in smoke and booze as medicine of choice, produced by Hollywood's Golden Era prime producer Darryl F. Zanuck at 20th Century Fox in season 1949/1950 engages Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909-1993), who writes and directs for the pace of a beating vulnerable heart in business that like no other needs to cope with rise and fall of individuals in the shortest amount of time. Here it is the character of Eve Harrington, portrayed by actress Anne Baxter (1923-1985), who so famously gives life to a small town girl entering the New York society of theater production company, led by the star of the ensemble Margot, with ease and experience of a true Hollywood star playing actress Bette Davis (1908-1989) and her Director-husband Bill. The tactics of Eve to become the Star covers lies, pitch-perfect servant-work for Margot as the inner company scheming of betrayal and love-interest cheat-outs reach such sophistications that only the equally ruthless critic Addison DeWitt, performed with style and dignity by actor George Sanders (1906-1972), is left to come close enough to walls-building character of Eve in a climatic hotel room scene at running time 1h 57min 00sec, where from "killer-to-killer" the future role delegation gets sorted out in a game of power for the ultimate social recognition by award, before so-called friends realize that the award is the substitute for a heart.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

When I think of a great drama film, this is just about what comes to mind. A shy and naive theatre fan Eve (Anne Baxter) gets the chance of a lifetime to meet her idol, Margo Channing (Bette Davis). Through a few happy coincidences she ends up as Margo's assistant and proverbial lady-in-waiting. But slowly Margo starts to feel jealous towards this quiet and unassuming young lady with many hidden talents.All About Eve is above all else a beautifully acted film. There's only about ten characters in the whole film, but the group's inner dynamics, frictions and squabbles make the two and a half film feel at least an hour shorter. That's how interesting, dynamic and engaging the story and the characters are. Baxter and Davis are both brilliant in their role, although I do like Margo's character arc a bit more. She starts out almost as a Disney villain, lounging on a divan and smirking at Eve's sweet urge to please. But slowly something shifts and you start looking at her with sympathetic eyes. Whereas with Eve the journey is almost backwards.In general All About Eve is one of the better character studies I've seen in a while. To think that they manage to create two such complex women and make their individual journeys so fulfilling, believable and mutually supporting. Not to say the rest of the characters aren't good - they are - but this is clearly Baxter and Davis's show.Not really anything more I'd like to say. It's such a good film that the only thing I can say is that you should see it.

all what you suppose write about this film sounds fake. because it is more than a classic, a masterpiece or example of impeccable script and admirable performances. it is , sure, a film about show universe. about competition and envy and hate and transformations, about fundamental errors . but, first, it is a film about the love for yourself. egocentricity or selfishness or form of schizoid behavior. in fact, a film about solitude. the deeper and deeper solitude. and , across the decades, this film could become a mirror for yourself. or, only your reflection like in the story of Dorian Gray. because, at the first sigh, it is the image of a perfect mechanism, selecting the heroes by losers. in fact, "All about Eve" remains one of the most useful stories about life proposed by cinema ever.

There are not many films that I can just watch over and over again, and still appreciate. I'm also someone who is usually critical of even the most iconic of films- don't believe me? Well, everyone in my family seemed to love "The Quiet Man" yet I absolutely hate it! "All About Eve" though is a film that I can still watch over and over. Nearly everything about this film is perfect- Bette Davis is iconic as the fading actress, Ann Baxter is appropriately despicable as the young actress yearning (and eventually succeeding) to replace her, and Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter are wonderful as, respectively, Davis' supportive best friend and the maid who does not quite trust her employer's new protégé. Marilyn Monroe has a small role as a graduate of the Copacabana School for Dramatic Arts, and Barbara Bates plays a crucial role at the film's conclusion.However, George Sanders steals the show for me each time as the diabolical critic. His voice always gets me, and I want to watch what he will do each time.As much as I like Judy Holliday, I do think Bette Davis (or Gloria Swanson) should have won the Oscar for this film. Both of those were powerhouse performances while Holliday's was comedic and did not require much depth in my opinion. But I digress.'All About Eve" is a film that you should not miss.