All About Eve
1950, Joseph L Mankeiwicz, USA
| Director: Joseph L Mankiewicz Producer: Darryl F Zanuck Screenplay: Joseph L Mankiewicz, from a story by Mary Orr Cinematography: Milton Krasner Editor: Barbara McLean Music: Alfred Newman | Bette Davis (Margo) Anne Baxter (Eve) George Sanders (Addison DeWitt) Celeste Holm (Karen) Gary Merrill (Bill Simpson) Marilyn Monroe (Miss Casswell) Thelma Ritter (Birdie) |
Rating: PG Runtime: 138 minutes
Step into the competitive world of the literal drama queens of Broadway, featuring the iconic Bette Davis as the veteran actress Margo Channing, and spot an as-yet unknown Marilyn Monroe as a timid understudy.
All About Eve’s narrative orbits around the ambitious and cunning Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), who ingratiates herself into the life of esteemed actress Margo Channing. As Eve’s seemingly innocent intentions turn into something more calculated, the film delves into the complexities of female ambition, ageing in Hollywood, and the blurred lines between adulation and envy.
The timeless story of fame and ambition is elevated by the witty script and brilliant performances. All About Eve was nominated for a record 14 Academy Awards (a record equalled only by Titanic in 1997), and won Best Picture for Twentieth Century Fox mogul Darryl F. Zanuck, while Joseph L. Mankiewicz won Best Director and Best Screenplay. Mankiewicz went on to direct other Hollywood classics, including Cleopatra and Guys and Dolls, as well as co-directing (with Sidney Lumet) a 1970 television documentary film about Martin Luther King Jr, King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis
Join us to celebrate and close out our 2024 programme of cinema with a true Hollywood classic on the biggest screen in town.