All About Eve
A 1950 drama about ambition and betrayal in the theater.
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In 1950, Joseph L. Mankiewicz wrote and directed the drama *All About Eve*, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. The film is drawn from Mary Orr's 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" (later adapted as a 1949 radio drama), though Orr is not credited on screen. Bette Davis plays Margo Channing, a celebrated but older Broadway star, while Anne Baxter portrays Eve Harrington, a driven young admirer who insinuates herself into Channing's life and eventually endangers both her career and personal relationships. The supporting cast includes George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, and Hugh Marlowe, with early roles for Thelma Ritter, Gregory Ratoff, Barbara Bates, Walter Hampden, and Marilyn Monroe.
The film premiered in New York City on October 13, 1950. Critics praised it upon release, and it earned a then-record 14 nominations at the 23rd Academy Awards. It remains the only film to receive four acting nominations for women (Davis and Baxter for Best Actress, Holm and Ritter for Best Supporting Actress). *All About Eve* won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay—Mankiewicz's second consecutive win in each category.
Regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, *All About Eve* was selected in 1990 for preservation in the United States Library of Congress's National Film Registry, one of 25 films chosen that year for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The American Film Institute ranked it No. 16 on its 1998 list of the 100 best American films.
**Plot**
The story opens at the Sarah Siddons Award ceremony for rising star Eve Harrington. Cynical theater critic Addison DeWitt narrates, introducing the attendees and suggesting Eve's success hides a darker truth.
The narrative shifts to Karen Richards, wife of playwright Lloyd Richards. She recalls the previous October, when she introduced Eve to Margo Channing, who was starring in a play by Lloyd. Eve tells Karen, Lloyd, and Margo's maid Birdie that she followed Margo's tour to New York after seeing her perform in San Francisco. She describes a poor childhood and losing her husband in the South Pacific during World War II. Moved, Margo takes Eve in as her assistant. Eve quickly manipulates her way into Margo's life as both secretary and devoted fan.
Margo worries about her relat
- release_year
- 1950
- director
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- producer
- Darryl F. Zanuck
- based_on
- The Wisdom of Eve by Mary Orr
- academy_award_nominations
- 14
- academy_award_wins
- 6
- national_film_registry_year
- 1990
Lore & Background
All About Eve originated from Mary Orr's short story 'The Wisdom of Eve,' published in Cosmopolitan in May 1946. The story was based on an anecdote from actress Elisabeth Bergner about a young woman who insinuated herself into Bergner's life as a secretary and understudy. Orr adapted the story into a radio play for NBC's Radio City Playhouse in 1949, and Twentieth Century-Fox optioned the film rights shortly after. Joseph L. Mankiewicz wrote an 82-page treatment titled Best Performance during summer and fall 1949, expanding it into a first draft at San Ysidro Ranch. He changed Margo's surname from Cranston to Channing, removed her husband, and created characters including Addison DeWitt, Birdie Coonan, Max Fabian, and Phoebe. Darryl F. Zanuck provided extensive notes, including suggesting that Birdie's early mistrust of Eve be diluted to keep Eve's villainy hidden longer.
Reader's Guide
All About Eve is widely considered among the greatest films of all time. It held its world premiere in New York City on October 13, 1950, and was highly praised by critics. At the 23rd Academy Awards, it received a record 14 nominations, becoming the only film in Oscar history to receive four female acting nominations: Bette Davis and Anne Baxter for Best Actress, and Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter for Best Supporting Actress. It won six awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay—Mankiewicz's second consecutive wins in both categories. In 1990, it was selected for preservation in the United States Library of Congress's National Film Registry as 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.' The film was ranked No. 16 on AFI's 1998 list of the 100 best American films. Its plot follows Eve Harrington's manipulation of Margo Channing, culminating in Eve's rise to stardom and the revelation of her false backstory by critic Addison DeWitt.
Did You Know?
- All About Eve is the only film in Oscar history to receive four female acting nominations.
- The film was based on a 1946 short story by Mary Orr, who did not receive a screen credit.
- Marilyn Monroe appears in one of her earliest roles in the film.
- The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
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