All About Eve (1950)

I like going to the theater as much as the next person. The only problem with going to the theater is that you might be forced to watch a terrible display of acting. One time I went to see a performance of "Into the Woods" and the kid playing the baker was constantly hunched over. It was similar to the way that David Caruso always leans his head when he says his "scene buttoners" on CSI: Miami.



The plus side to the theater, however, is that you might see a really great performance. I once went to see "The Drowsy Chaperone" (It's just a coincidence that both of my examples are musicals...I don't like musicals if that's what you're thinking.) and the guy playing the groom sang his big solo number while blindfolded and roller skating across the stage. I was amazed. Why am I talking in great length about the theater? Well All About Eve is about an aging broadway diva and her number one fan.

Bette Davis plays Margo Channing who is considered one of the greatest stage performers of all time. When she meets Eve (played by Anne Baxter), a humble starstruck fan who has lived a difficult life, she gives Eve a job as her assistant. Eve is everything that Margo could have dreamed of until it turns out that Eve is not who she claims to be. Her only goal is to become a big star for herself, and it doesn't matter who she has to step on to get there.

As I said earlier, I like the theater. I, however, think it's a load of crap when someone puts theater on a pedestal above movies simply because it's theater. I have seen amazing performances in movies, and isn't that what's important? All throughout this movie everyone talked about the inferiority of movies, and the ultimate senority of the theater. It goes without saying that they also dogged on television. Interestingly enough, most of Anne Baxter's career was in television. Didn't think about that one did you A-holes?

The thing that I found most interesting about this movie is that Bette Davis actually has Bette Davis Eyes:



All in all this movie was ok. A little boring at times, and like most old movie a little over the top, but nothing I would call terrible. Chalk this one up to another so-so movie that has found it's way onto the list of the greatest movies of all time. Bette Davis did a great job playing a diva, which makes me wonder if she really was one. Anne Baxter did a good job as well. Come to think of it everyone gave a satisfactory performance, but the plot was lacking something. I found it hard to care about the movie when so much time was spent on talking about great acting without a stunning performance from the actors themselves. This movie wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great.

The bottom line:
Rating: 3.3
Would I own it? I don't plan on it.
Would I recommend it? Sure, why not?