I continued with my mini festival about female actresses by watching the newly released Blu-ray of All About Eve. The digital transfer of picture and sound is amazing. The film is sharp and crisp in glorious black & white.
For forty seven years All About Eve held the record for the film with the most Oscar nominations. With a total of 14 nominations no film could touch it until Titanic came along in 1997 and tied with 14 noms of it's own. The difference being that Titanic earned nominations in technical categories while the entire female cast of All About Eve were nominated for their acting. To this day it is still the only film to receive four nominations for the lead and supporting actresses, Bette Davis and Anne Baxter for Best Actress and Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter for Best Supporting Actress. At the Oscars all four lost to new comer Judy Holiday.
I have seen All About Eve many times. It is one of my favorite films. This time I watched it paying close attention to Eve. Knowing her secrets, motives and desires it was interesting to watch Anne Baxter act, understanding what Eve is really doing. There is the scene early in the film, when Margo catches Eve holding the dress up to the mirror. Eve turns and the look on her face is someone who has been caught doing something seriously wrong. We later learn exactly what Eve was up to. I won't spoil that here for anyone who has not seen the film.
Just as Sunset Boulevard is the greatest movie about Hollywood, All About Eve is the greatest movie ever made about living and working on Broadway.
At The Movie House rating **** stars.
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