Best Picture Oscar Winners of the 1950s : 1.

20/03.2018

1. 1950, Best Picture – "All About Eve"

I.
Bette Davis’ performance in 'All About Eve' should skyrocket her screen stock :-

The 1950 film "All about Eve" received a record 14 Academy Award nominations, breaking the previous record of 13 nominations held by "Gone with the Wind" since 1939.

"All About Eve" is not only a brilliant and clever portrait of an actress, it is a downright funny film, from its opening scene to the final fadeout.

The 20th Century-Fox production, with Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm and George Sanders in the leading roles, is being shown only four times, daily at the Roxy Theater. As patrons will not be seated during the running of the film, it behooves them to consult the time table for the Roxy to be sure they get into the theatre at the beginning of the picture, or during the stage show. This system is being tried by management as an experiment.

"All About Eve" will be a smash hit, as everyone concerned in the making of the picture has put his and her best efforts into it, with the result that it is one of the outstanding screen entertainments of the year.

Bette and Anne vie for acting honors, each, in her own way, being superb in the role she plays. Bette may be Tallulah Bankhead, or any other beautiful, brilliant, erratic stage star whose temperamental outbursts have enriched the annals of the New York theatre. At any rate, Bette is a joy to watch as she sees a little mouse of a stage-struck girl gradually steal her place in the theatre and attract the attentions of her lover, the enthusiasm of her favorite author and the backing of the most acidulous and powerful critic of the town.

The war between the women is a cold one that excites much warm-hearted laughter from the audience whose sympathy gradually swerves from one to the other of the lovely contestants.

George Sanders gives an admirable portrait of the sharp-witted unprincipled drama critic, Addison DeWitt. Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter, Gary Merrill, Hug Marlowe and Gregory Ratoff add to the fun of watching a stage star of the first magnitude pale in the presence of a scintillating Nova.

Bette has never done anything better on the screen than her playing of Margo and the role should skyrocket her screen stock. Nor has Anne Baxter ever given a more telling performance than she does in the role of the eternal Eve.

A great deal of credit for the success of the picture must go to Joseph Mankiewicz, who not only did a beautiful directing job, but adapted Mary Orr's original story into a witty, delightfully funny screen play. It is sheer entertainment, that's all.

II.

Background :

All About Eve (1950), is a realistic, dramatic depiction of show business and backstage life of Broadway and the New York theater. The devastating debunking of stage and theatrical characters was based on the short story and radio play The Wisdom of Eve by Mary Orr. A cinematic masterpiece and one of the all-time classic films, this award winner has flawless acting, directing, an intelligent script and believable characters. The film is driven by Mankiewicz' witty, cynical and bitchy screenplay - through the character of Addison DeWitt, Mankiewicz represented his point of view and opinions about show business. Thematically, it provides an insightful diatribe against crafty, aspiring, glib, autonomous female thespians who seek success and ambition at any cost without regard to scruples or feelings. The acclaimed film also comments on the fear of aging and loss of power/fame.

It was nominated for fourteen awards - more than any other picture in Oscar history, until Titanic (1997) duplicated the same feat forty-seven years later. The skillful film won six Oscars: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (George Sanders), Best Director (Joseph L. Mankiewicz), Best Screenplay (Joseph L. Mankiewicz), Best Sound Recording, and Best B/W Costume Design. Four actresses in the film were nominated (and all lost). It holds the record for the film with the most female acting nominees:

Best Actress (two) - Bette Davis and Anne Baxter

Best Supporting Actress (two) - Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter

Bette Davis' leading (but not title) role as Margo Channing has generally been considered her greatest career performance and her most memorable, signature role. [Other choices for the role included Claudette Colbert, Gertrude Lawrence and Marlene Dietrich.] Her part as an aging, 40-year old Broadway actress fit the 42-year old Davis perfectly, at a time when acting roles were drying up for her. Davis played opposite co-star Gary Merrill - with whom she had an affair during filming, and soon married (it was her fourth - and last - marriage, that lasted from 1950-1960) after waiting for each other's divorce.

The film was adapted and transformed into a Broadway play called Applause in 1970, with Lauren Bacall (later replaced by Anne Baxter!) as Margo Channing. Eddie (Ed) Fisher's sole scene was cut from the final version, although he still received screen credit as Stage Manager. The film is often noted as a "three suicide movie," for the deaths of George Sanders, Marilyn Monroe (although it may have been an accidental overdose), and Barbara Bates.

III.

Based in part on a short story by Mary Orr called “The Wisdom of Eve,” which was itself based on a story told to her by an actress acquaintance, the final script for All About Eve by Joseph L. Mankiewicz hit the screen with wit, economy, and passion in October of 1950. When you take a look at the list of nominations and wins for this Oscar darling, you can see its fingerprints all over the awards strategies of studios in years to come. Anne Baxter, who played the eponymous Eve, demanded to be put up in the lead category alongside Bette Davis, and against their better judgement the studio relented. So, when the award was presented the night of the ceremony, one of the most unexpected upsets in Academy history occurred, as Judy Holliday took home the Oscar for her role in Born Yesterday over Baxter, Davis, and Gloria Swanson who was up for her portrayal of Norma Desmond. Not only that, but in the Supporting Actress category, two more women from All About Eve appeared to cancel one another out. Only George Sanders, who had the Supporting Actor category to himself, brought home an acting award for the film which had set the record for most Oscar nominations by a single film.

IV.

Storyline :

Eve (Anne Baxter) is waiting backstage to meet her idol, aging Broadway star Margo Channing (Bette Davis). It seems innocent enough as Eve explains that she has seen Margo in EVERY performance of her current play. Only playwright/critic DeWitt (George Sanders) sees through Eve's evil plan, which is to take her parts and her fiancé, Bill Simpson (Gary Merrill). When the fiancé shows no interest, she tries for playwright Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe), but DeWitt stops her. After she accepts her award, she decides to skip the after-party and goes to her room, where a young woman named Phoebe has sneaked into her room and fallen asleep. This is where the "Circle of Life" now comes to fruition as Eve will get played like she played Margo.

Plot :

Summaries :

Backstage story revolving around aspiring actress Eve Harrington. Tattered and forlorn, Eve shows up in the dressing room of Broadway mega-star Margo Channing and tells Margo and her friends a melancholy life story. Margo takes Eve under her wing, only to have Eve use her and connive against her.

—Jwelch5742

Aspiring actress Eve Harrington maneuvers her way into the lives of Broadway star Margo Channing, playwright Lloyd Richards, and director Bill Simpson. This classic story of ambition and betrayal has become part of American folklore. Bette Davis claims to have based her character on the persona of film actress Tallulah Bankhead. Davis' line "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night" is legendary, but all of the film's dialogue sparkles with equal brilliance.

—Jeanne Baker

The ambitious Eve Harrington gets close to the great and temperamental stage artist Margo Channing and her friends Karen Richards and her playwright husband Lloyd Richards, her director boyfriend Bill Simpson, and producer Max Fabian. Everybody except cynical critic Addison DeWitt believes that Eve is simply a naïve, obsessed Margo fan and they try to help her. Actually, Eve is a cynical, manipulative snake that uses the lives of Margo and her friends to reach her show- business goals.

—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Stage star Margo Channing is friend to playwright Lloyd Richards and his wife Karen, in love with director Bill Simpson, and the idol of Eve Harrington. When Eve becomes Margo's secretary-aide, she starts to dominate, sending Bill Margo's birthday wishes and arranging a party for him, at which Margo explodes. Eve becomes Margo's understudy and when Margo misses a performance, critic Addison DeWitt gives Eve rave reviews while making acerbic remarks about aging actresses like Margo. At Margo and Bill's engagement party Eve tries to force Karen to get her the lead in Lloyd's new play. Margo tells Lloyd she is going to retire. Eve gets the part but Addison announces to her that he knows the lies and schemes she used to get where she is.

—Ed Stephan

An ingenue insinuates herself into the company of an established but aging stage actress and her circle of theater friends.

—LVJeff

Spoilers

The synopsis below may give away important plot points.

Synopsis

At a prestigious awards ceremony, the celebrities of the theatrical world gather to honor one of their brightest new stars: the amazing young Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), whose meteoric rise to fame is unprecedented. Looking on from the audience are many other famous thespians and figures of the theater: the well known director Bill Simpson (Gary Merrill), the successful playwright Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe) and his wife Karen (Celeste Holm), and one of the brightest stars of Broadway, the incomparable Margo Channing (Bette Davis). All look upon Miss Harrington with a mixture of distaste and disgust on their faces, while off to the side sits the well known and often reviled theater critic Addison DeWitt (George Sanders), who, with a bemused look on his face, begins to recount Eve's recent past. He, better than anyone else, knows all about Eve.

Not so long ago, Eve was just a star-struck young woman, waiting outside the stage door night after night, hoping to catch a glimpse of her idol Margo Channing. Finally noticed and brought in by Margo's friend Karen, Eve gushes her unworthiness and gratitude, and manages to ingratiate herself quickly into Margo's life as a general assistant. She also impresses Margo's long-time mate Bill as a helpful and guileless girl who wants nothing more than to be of use. Before long, Eve is living in Margo's home, answering telephones and bringing her breakfast in bed. Birdie, Margo's maid (Thema Ritter) begins to dislike Eve, and tells Margo that it's unnerving the way Eve studies her every move. She can sense trouble brewing.

Thus alerted to Eve's behavior, Margo become's suspicious, and while all around assure her that Eve is an innocent kid just trying to help, she begins to see plots and schemes everywhere. Holding a party for Bill's birthday, Margo gets a little too drunk and angrily abuses everyone. Confiding in Karen after Margo's stinging accusations, Eve asks a favor: could Karen possibly put in a good word for her with her playwright husband? She's consider it the greatest thing in her life if she could serve as Margo's unworthy understudy the new play he's writing.

Karen gladly assents, and all too soon Eve gets her chance to show her own abilities. Margo is famous for being late, and at an ordinary read-through which she fails to attend, Eve upstages Margo badly, astonishing the critic DeWitt with her wonderful abilities. Suddenly there's a new kid in town, and under her very nose Eve is stealing all of Margo's attention. Stunned by Eve, Margo has an angry confrontation with Bill, who decides it's time he said goodbye. Karen and Lloyd have also become fed up with Margo's attitude towards Eve, and Karen decides to teach her old friend a lesson. A suspiciously empty gas tank prevents Margo from returning from a weekend getaway in time for that night's performance, and Eve takes the stage. The performance is very good, and Addison DeWitt begins to take more than a passing interest in the career of Miss Harrington. Waiting outside her dressing room, he overhears Eve as she tries to seduce Bill away from Margo. Bill refuses her advances, and DeWitt steps in to the opportunity.

His review in the paper lauds Eve and quotes her as saying some rather nasty things about Margo Channing. Shaken into the realization that Margo has been justly suspicious of Eve all along, Bill returns and Lloyd and Karen rally around their old friend. Bill even proposes marriage to Margo, and they all celebrate over dinner, but a note arrives for Karen during the meal. Eve is waiting in the ladies room, begging Karen to listen to what she has to say. Curious but armed with complete distrust, she finds Eve lamenting this terrible turn of events. DeWitt has twisted her words she claims, and the last thing in the world Eve wanted was to hurt her idol Margo.

For a moment, Karen believes Eve is sincere, and reassures her that Margo will recover. Rising to leave, Eve asks another favor. She wants Karen to make sure the lead in her husband's next play is given to her. Eve is suddenly hard and cold, and Karen, confused, refuses at first. Eve however has a nasty threat to hold over Karen. She'll reveal to DeWitt just who it was that arranged that empty gas tank, and kept Margo out of the city. Stunned, Karen must assent, and returns to the table not knowing just what to do. Margo announces she's decided not to be in that new play Lloyd's writing anyway, and Karen is forced to laugh at the bizarre turn of events while the others wonder just what is so funny.

Soon Eve is on stage as the lead in Lloyd's play, with Bill reluctantly directing. Everyone is fighting backstage, but Eve reveals herself as a master at manipulation, coddling and soothing everyone to keep them working together, all the while driving wedges into their relationships. She also begins to work on stealing Lloyd away from Karen, and by the time they are ready to open off Broadway, Eve has set the stage for her greatest triumph. Addison DeWitt has followed events closely and has become Eve's closest adviser, attending the rehearsals. Walking her back to the hotel in the afternoon before opening night, he implements a plan of his own. Telling Eve that he will be taking control of her career, she becomes angry with him and tells him to get out. She announces that Lloyd is leaving Karen for her, and once she has him under her control, there will be no limit to what she can achieve.

DeWitt has other plans. He has had a long talk with Lloyd's wife Karen, and he know much more than Eve thinks. He also knows that Eve herself is nothing what she seems; she has lied about her past, her name, everything in fact, and he now has the power to wreck her career before it really starts. Also, Lloyd is not leaving his wife for her. Eve will now do as he says.

"You're an improbable person, Eve," he says, "but so am I. We have that in common. Also a contempt for humanity, an inability to love or be loved, insatiable ambition - and talent. We deserve each other." Finding her own manipulations turned against her, Eve is forced to accept DeWitt's terms. She collapses on the bed in tears.

And so we return to the prestigious ceremony where the wonderful Eve Harrington is accepting an award from a room full of her peers. Cold and calculating, she has achieved all her ambitions at the cost of all trust or friendship. Margo Channing will go on being Margo Channing, and Eve will be left to her own bitterness at being under Addison DeWitt's control. Returning to her empty hotel room, she pours a drink, and is startled to see a young woman sleeping in a chair behind her.

"Who are you?" demands Eve angrily. The young woman is Phoebe, a high-school girl who admires her immensely. The doorbell rings, and Eve, too tired to answer it, accepts Phoebe's offer of help. At the door is DeWitt, returning with Eve's forgotten award. In a glance, he takes in Phoebe and all her shallow ambition, and as he leaves he smiles sardonically, knowing that the cycle is beginning all over again.