Bjorn Federer's ALL ABOUT EVE
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| All About Eve (1950) |
ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)...just saying those words in my head gives me pleasure. It's about The Theatre (sic), a world unto itself having very little to do with the "ordinary" person's daily existence. And insofar as the theater is concerned, it's a sparkling exploration. Better yet, it explores humans' fears, betrayals of others, self-betrayal, self-effacement, bravado, confidence, honesty, jealousies, pettiness, generosity. There's a maid/companion who sees through crap in an instant and wants none of it but also wants to keep her friends. There's a lady from Bryn Mawr (or its equivalent) who grapples with feelings of inadequacy. There's a columnist who cares nothing for anyone but himself...yet there's plenty to like and admire about him. There's a woman having one hell of a time dealing with aging. There's a woman with the nerve to, as one character puts it, "ask Abbott (to give her) Costello." There's a showgirl from the Copacabana who'd like to be in the theater...if only she could stop throwing up at auditions. There's a producer who needs a personal box of baking soda. They weave in and out and around one another and others to exhilarating effect on the viewer. The opening of the movie introduces the main characters in astounding fashion...quite memorable...one closeup and you feel you know them already (of course you don't). I hope this makes you want to see it...I don't want to divulge more, but I promise you that there's much more to love and enjoy. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the director and screenwriter, takes your breath away every few minutes, right after he's either made you laugh outloud or feel sick with disgust. A wonderful movie about wonderful characters all of whom I think you'll love. Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Marilyn Monroe, Gregory Ratoff, Walter Hampden.
*Contributed by: Bjorn Federer Date: Thu, 8 Sept 2005 / 04:18:31 PDT
posted by Elizabeth Van Cleve Randolph at
13:31
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4 Comments:
This is my fave movie of all time. So many layers to these characters. So many great lines. I can watch it again and again and notice something new.
Remember, you can always put that award where you're heart ought to be... LOL
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Anonymous, at Thu Sep 08, 04:39:00 PM PDT
Isn't this notable for being Marilyn Monroe's first movie as well? I thought it was her first role.
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Anonymous, at Thu Sep 08, 04:40:00 PM PDT
It wasn't Marilyn Monroe's first role. Previously she had appeared to fine effect in The Asphalt Jungle and had had very small parts in other films.
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Anonymous, at Fri Sep 09, 07:17:00 AM PDT
This is definitely one of my favorites of all-time, too. May be the best dialogue ever in a movie. I was SOO glad that I had never heard it discussed before seeing it, so I knew nothing about what the characters would be doing later on. Needless to say, on second viewing (which was IMMEDIATELY after the first viewing!), I had a much different take as I watched it unfold!
I had recently turned 40 when I saw it for the first time, so the line, "I'm not 20-something, I'm not 30-something, Six months ago I gurned 40. FOUR-OOOH!" was especially meaningful to me!
--MarkMyWord
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Anonymous, at Mon Jan 16, 08:22:00 PM PST