“All About Eve” is another one of those movies that is always in the discussion of classic movies. Released in 1950 the movie takes an interesting look at a young actress trying to replace an older actress and what she will do to get the older actress out of the way. The real power in this movie comes from the acting of its two leading ladies. Both of whom give a master class in acting, not only through their lines but through the emotion that they wear on their face.
The plot of the movie focuses on an older actress currently in a play on Broadway. She meets a younger woman claiming to be her biggest fan and invites her to work for her. Eventually the young woman becomes an understudy and arranges it so that she gets to perform while many reviewers are in the audience. From here we learn that the young actress has been lying the whole time and this has all been a scheme to become a famous actress. At the end of the movie she has achieved fame but is hated by all those who helped her get there. The end of the movie also suggests that a young actress is already in line to replace her. The plot of the movie has a lot of potential, but the confrontation is missing. There is no big dramatic moment between the two stars; these moments are instead had with their lesser male counterparts. The entire film builds up to a confrontation that never happens.
This movie was all about acting. Both Bette Davis and Anne Baxter put in monster performances. This was an epic battle between two heavyweights. In the end I think age beat out youth and Bette Davis put in the stronger performance. But it is great watching these two dive so deeply into their characters. Baxter’s Eve made you very sympathetic for her before turning on her and then feeling sorry for her by the end of the film. But Davis just owned the screen with every scene she was in. I can’t say enough about the acting job that these two did. It is unfortunate that the script didn’t give them a final confrontation scene. Having these two fully go at each other would have been something to watch. The rest of the production efforts were good but nothing to really marvel at. The director, Mankiewicz, last shot of the young actress in the room of mirrors was terrific, but the rest of the film was fairly standard from a directing standpoint.
This movie could work today but it would need more closure between the two female leads than what we got in the film. Otherwise it was solid. 4 out of 5 stars.
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