1950 - ALL ABOUT EVE, high point in the career of Joseph Mankiewicz

Joseph Mankiewicz's career high as a writer/director.  This bitchy drama about the various shenanigans on Broadway featured Bette Davis in her last important role as Margo Channing reigning theatrical diva of the New York stage.  Little does Margo know, her personal assistant Eve Harrington is maneuvering to steal her boyfriend and her career.

Mankiewicz was a big fan of the theater so his screenplay is filled with lots of references to actors and plays that probably the average viewer wouldn't even remotely have a clue about.  The dialog in the film is sharp and the cast knows they have the advantage of a great script and talented director.  However it should probably be noted that the producer of the film Darryl Zanuck had considerable influence on the film.  He had Mankiewicz pare down his 3 hour plus script to a more manageable 138 minutes.  Zanuck was an excellent editor and tightened the film's story.

 The assembled cast is good particularly George Sanders as critic Addison DeWitt and Anne Baxter as the villainous Eve Harrington.  Most people watching the film are usually aware that this was one of Marilynn Monroe's early film.  She has a small part and she's pretty good in it.

Over the years this film has at times gotten the reputation as a camp classic and it's easy to see why,  the film is a little over the top and it's hard to believe a tough cookie like Margo Channing wouldn't see through Eve's scheming.  Still, a very good film.