All About Eve (2 Disc Cinema Reserve Special Edition In Metal Case) [1950] [DVD] by Bette Davis

This is a fantastic film! Bette Davis is brilliant in the part of the fading film star. If you love old movies then this is a must for your collection!

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.

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.

This is brilliant. Love Bette Davies.

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.

Great film annoyed Amazon made me pay to watch it though

Betty Davis plays a great part as always. A Sunday afternoon movie. Loved it 💕

Perfect for a cold wet afternoon viewing.

La película llegó en perfecto estado y está subtitulada, si amas el cine no dudes en agregarla a tu colección.

A movie to watch before u die.

Das American Film Institute notierte "Alles über Eva" von Joseph L. Mankiewicz auf Platz 16 in seiner 1998 veröffentlichten Top 100 Liste der besten amerikanischen Filme aller Zeiten.Auch heute - nunmehr 62 Jahre nach seiner Enstehung im Jahr 1950 - wirkt der Film immer noch frisch und zeitlos. Keine Spur von irgendwelchen Alterserscheinungen lassen sich erkennen. Kein Wunder, denn die Geschichte, die erzählt wird, kann heute genauso wie damals passieren. "Alles über Eva" ist im Kosmos des Theatermilieus angesiedelt. diesem seit Jahrhunderten und damit traditionsreichsten Tempel der darstellenden Kunst. Die geistreiche Satire, in Hollywood inszeniert, schafft die fiese Gleichschaltung zwischen Filmbusiness und Theater. Wenn die Figuren in "Alles über Eva" mit Verachtung auf Hollywood blicken, so geben sie doch - nach und nach - preis, dass die Strukturen doch sehr identisch sind."Alles über Eva" ist die Geschichte des großen Theaterstars Margo Channing (Bette Davis) und ihrem größten Fan, der bescheiden wirkenden und äusserst sympathischen jungen Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), die jeden Abend vor dem Theater wartet und keine der Vorstellungen ihres Idols verpasst.Die erste Einstellung enführt den Zuschauer aber in die Festlichkeiten der Sarah Siddons Gesellschaft, die alljährlich die Sarah Siddons Awards für die besten Leistungen des Theaters vergibt.In diesem Jahr dreht sich alles um Eve, denn sie hat es geschafft. Sie bekommt den Hauptpreis. Erstmalig wird einer so jungen Darstellerin dieser Hauptpreis zugesprochen, denn ihre Darstellungen auf der Bühne waren grandios.Im Publikum sitzen ihre Freunde und Gönner. Sie ist nun der große Broadway Star. An ihrer Seite der einflussreiche Theaterkritiker Addison de Witt (George Sanders), der sie zum Star der Szene aufgebaut hat.Den durchschlagenden Erfolg hat sie aber auch vor allem ihrem Ehrgeiz und ganz am Beginn Karen Richards (Celeste Holm) zu verdanken, die wie jeden Abend nach der Vorstellung ins Theater in die Gemächer der Diva Margo Channnig geht und wie jeden Abend den jungen Fan Eve erblickt. An einem dieser Abende nimmt sie die junge Frau mit in den erlauchten Kreis der Theatergrößen und so lernt Eve die exzentrische Margo kennen. Aber auch Karens Ehemann Lloyd (Hugh Marlowe), der die besten Stücke am Broadway schreibt, den Regisseur Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill), gleichzeitig auch Margos jüngerer Liebhaber. Oder den reichen Producer Max Fabian (Gregory Ratoff), der sich immer mit schönen Frauen (Marilyn Monroe) umgibt.Ausser Margos Garderobiere Birdie (Thelma Ritter), sind alle gleich am ersten Abend von Eves naiver und liebeswerter Art faszniert, in Margo erwachen Beschützerinstinkte für den jungen Fan und sofort wird Eve in den engsten Kreis von Margos Freunden aufgenommen. Die junge Frau macht sich auch schnell unentbehrlich...Ein herrlicher Film, der wie bereits erwähnt, gar nichts von seiner Faszination eingebüsst hat. Brilliante Dialoge finden sich zuhauf und Bette Davis liefert neben "Die kleinen Füchse" und "Geheimnis von Malampur" ihre beste Rolle ihrer Karriere.Und mit Anne Baxter hat sie eine ebenbürtige Partnerin, die die Rolle der aufstrebenden, über Leichen gehenden Jungschauspielerin, die nur ein Ziel vor Augen hat, grandios und glaubwürdig spielt.Auch alle Nebenrollen sind brilliant besetzt. Kein Wunder, dass der Film bei solch einer großartigen Ensembleleistung von den insgesamt 14 Oscarnominerungen alleine 5 davon an die Schauspieler gingen: Davis, Baxter, Holmes, Ritter...gewinnen konnte allerdings nur George Sanders. Er erhielt einen der 6 Auszeichnugen.Trotz riesengroßer Konkurrenz durch "Sunset Boulevard" war "Alles über Eva" siegreich beim Hauptpreis bester Film des Jahres.Wer ihn noch nicht kennt (das werden allerdings wenige sein), der sollte dies schnell nachholen. Denn "Alles über Eva" ist auf alle Fälle eine der besten 100 Filme aller Zeiten.

Spedizione, perfetta..molto in anticipo rispetto alla data prevista! Soddisfatta

Un de mes films préférés, les dialogues de J. Mankiewicz sont tellement bien ciselés que même Bette Davis n'anotera pas le script. B. Davis donc, dans un rôle qui compte parmi ses plus célèbres, est parfaite en Margo Channing, actrice de théâtre vieillissante. "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" La critique du milieu théâtral est cinglante, le cynisme de mise. Anne Baxter est magnifiquement crédible dans le rôle difficile de Eve, la jeune louve aux dents longues. George Sanders est lui superbe dans le rôle du critique A. deWitt qui lui vaudra d'ailleurs un Oscar. Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill (il épousera B. Davis juste après le tournage) ou encore Thelma Ritter dans le rôle de Birdie complètent ce casting de rêve. Pas étonnant que le film ait été nominé pour 14 Oscars (il en recevra 6). Un must !