All About Eve

Far more eloquent people than I have extolled the virtues of this classic - not least, the Academy themselves who nominated it for an unbeaten 14 Oscar nominations (it won 6). It's not often one can say a movie is perfect, especially one over half a century old - and yet this movie does just that. It is a perfect fusion of cast, director, and above all, script. And what a genius screenplay it is - literate, without ever being elitist. Scathing and caustic yet never lacking warmth, it is remarkable that such an insightful movie about women was made by a man - Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The story revolves around Eve Harrington, a young woman who appears as an adoring fan at the theatre back door, waiting for Margo Channing, played by Bette Davis. At first doting and adoring, then insinuating into her affairs, and then showing her ultimate goal - to take her place, Anne Baxter plays Eve with great restraint - allowing her eyes to shine bright with a sincerity we soon come to realize is hollow. While Eve represents all the young ingénues that wait in the wings, Margo as played by Bette Davis is a unique and uniquely well rounded and believable character - not least because it mirrored her own character so much. Scathing, brassy, and yet increasingly vulnerable as her 40th birthday passes, it is the sort of role that even today Hollywood actresses complain there is not enough of, and brilliantly portrayed through an almost permanent haze of cigarette smoke, as much a part of her character as the script. That 40th birthday party, incidentally, contains the infamous line - `fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night..'. Then there is Celeste Holm (heard on one of the commentaries) and a small first screen role for Marilyn Monroe, who, as is often said, appeared to draw all the light on herself when she was on the screen. Let's not forget the men though - Gary Merrill, later to become Bette Davis real life husband, plays the object of Bette Davis attentions, and is no push-over. When Eve turns her attention on him, he rebuffs her with the harsh "What I go after, I want to go after. I don't want it to come after me.". And then most of all, George Sanders, his mellifluous speech purring out bemusement and cynicism in equal measure, and who turns out to have teeth to go with the purr. Every character and every line deserves a mention, but instead of reading this review- watch the movie! It's no screwball comedy, but rather a superb character study and ensemble piece, which glitters with wit and talent. As a bonus, this Cinema Reserve tin set do the movie some justice - the movie itself has two commentaries, and the second disc has a couple of period interviews (more amusing for the dated way in which the actresses spout prescripted answers, than they are educational) and a half hour documentary which though short, covers some of the fascinating backstory to the movie and its real life parallels pretty well. All in all, great movie, great package, highly recommended.

A film with two narrators: the insolently urbane George Sanders as Addison De Witt, suitably named acidic friend to aspiring starlets; and the recently deceased {at 96} Celeste Holm, superb in a perfectly poised performance as wife to the playwright of the hour who gets sidelined for a time through the softly spoken, butter-wouldn’t-melt machinations of Eve ... And we ‘all know all about Eve’, or we would if we inhabited the lightly fictionalised kingdom of Broadway in the forties in which Bette Davis/Margo Channing is the reigning queen, and woe betide any pretender who tries to wrest the crown from her drink-and-fame-befuddled head. All About Eve is, without too much sane argument, one of the most enjoyable and craftily written films of its era. We tend to think of it as a Bette Davis vehicle, but Anne Baxter is as essential to its success as anyone, and in fact it’s a kind of family affair, with Gary Merrill (Davis’s soon-to-be husband), the excellent Hugh Marlowe as the dashing playwright, a young Marilyn Monroe as a starlet from ‘the Copacabana School of Dramatic Arts’ ~ the Oscar-winning script by director Joseph Mankiewicz is full of such sardonic gems ~ and the prIceless Thelma Ritter given the chance to shine too. Ritter was nominated as best supporting actress four times in a row, and six times in all. Shamefully, she never won. Is that why she looks so long-suffering in so many of her roles? Of course not, but one wonders. A great actress whom, it has to be said, this film neglects after her first few scenes. She’s effortlessly good in them, and one longs to see more of her, a great actress who was never one of the Greats. Anne Baxter is perfectly poised as the oh-so-humble aspiring actress who latches onto her heroine, reminding one of just how good this actress was (who died in 1983 at little over sixty) and who more than holds her own against Davis, which can’t have been an easy job for even the most experienced of players. The ever-suave Sanders, who got the only acting Oscar, despite all of the three other leads being nominated, is addictively superb, in a few incisive, mildly depraved scenes in which his supercilious authority is deftly established, the actor’s laconic words spoken as if pre-ordained by some vaguely bored theatrical mandarin. Bette Davis is brilliant. This may be her best role in her best film. She seems to play her scenes with an odd mix of knowing theatricality and instinctive flair that is exactly right for the part. I can’t recall her ever being more effective, as well as moving, in a role. She triumphs here in a tremendous role. Mankiewicz’s literate, eloquent direction could, as with all his films, be said to be a touch static, but such is the dazzling dialogue and mercurial behaviour of the denizens of the film’s milieu that there is enough movement and interest without virtuoso camera angles. Bette Davis’s eyes alone are dangerous whirlpools. A great American film, to watch again and again, and one of the most entertaining two hours you’ll ever experience.

Great film

Really unique cinema, today probably even more valid than then. Pursuit to fame, to being somebody recognised by society, no matter on what costs is well known not from today. Eve, modest honest and shy girl is fascinated by the art of acting and theatre. Little by little audience and other heroes of the movie finds out the truth about Eve her possessiveness and vickedness, behind polite smiles and obedience. At the end Eve gets what she wants. We the audience watch how everybody in a movie knows the truth, but compromise and accept her success and industry recognition. Tough picture, heavy on dialog, little too much of voice over.

It's inconceivable that anyone else other than Bette Davis could possibly have taken the rôle of Margo Channing in ALL ABOUT EVE! The fact that she did not win the Best Actress Oscar, was a huge miscarriage of artistic justice. The film is worthy of all 14 nominations & eventual 6 wins. There are other more lengthy & detailed reviews with 5 stars, but I just like to put a few personal comments down. The cast is excellent, the young Marilyn Monroe given her first important part. The brilliant witty & intelligent script giving Bette Davis one of the most iconic phrases in all cinema! Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head created gowns for Davis, that the star apparently coveted like no others she had ever worn! This is a wonderful DVD & I'm thrilled to have this film in my collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Delivered in 3 days! Excellent value-for-money.

All About Eve is one of the finest Hollywood movies which takes a harshly realistic view of the theatre business. This multi Oscar winning film has finally received the hi def transfer it deserves. The detail is impressive and the image crystal clear. Fasten your seat-belts when you view this one - it may be a bumpy night for the film's characters but it will be a very smooth ride indeed for viewers. Bette Davis has rarely given a better performance in a movie which revived her fading career. I cannot endorse this blu-ray more strongly. The extras are first rate too. Please note it's presented in its original aspect ratio: 1.37:1 - so don't expect either colour or wide-screen. Video Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 1.37:1 Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1 Audio English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English: Dolby Digital Mono Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: DTS 5.1 ... Note: Latin & Castillian Spanis... English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English: Dolby Digital Mono Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: DTS 5.1 Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1 German: DTS 5.1 Italian: DTS 5.1 Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish: DTS 5.1 Thai: Dolby Digital 2.0 Japanese: DTS 5.1 Note: Latin & Castillian Spanish Subtitles English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German, Italian, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch...etc English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German, Italian, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Icelandic, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Thai Discs 50GB Blu-ray Disc Single disc (1 BD) Playback Region free

I only watched this because of Marilyn Monroe having a small part early in her, allegedly people would the movie again and again because of her presence.

This seller is amazing as the delivery was a bit late they went the full mile and I got my dvd . Very pleased with it