All About Eve. (U.)
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. 1950
Starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, George Sanders, Gary Merrill, Thelma Ritter, and Marilyn Monroe. Out on Blu-ray and DVD from The Criterion Collection on August 23rd. 138 mins.
Readers of the Ham and High or numerous other Archant local papers may be expecting a review of the classic Bette Davis film, which remains, along with Titanic, the film with the most Oscar nominations. (Fourteen; won six.) I was expecting to be writing one but after I put the review disc into the player and patiently waited for the Criterion C to emerge from a dark screen to signify that the disc was now loaded (Criterion discs certainly take their own sweet time doing anything) I discovered it was a disc of extras and the actual film wasn't there.
So no review, I'm afraid. This backstage comedy-drama about an aspiring actress (Baxter) trying to undermine and steal the limelight from one (Davis) who is already feeling vulnerable about her stardom after reaching 40, is famed for its sharp and witty script by writer/ director Mankiewicz and its superb cast. A bit surprisingly, the extras mostly concentrate on him rather than the on-screen talent. Probably the pick of these is a feature-length interview with him conducted by French critic Michel Ciment (wrestling name: the Mixer), which is full of classic anecdotes and insights about the golden era of Hollywood.
Two audio commentaries from 2010, one featuring actor Celeste Holm, director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s son Christopher Mankiewicz, and author Kenneth L. Geist; the other featuring author Sam Staggs
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. 1950
Starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, George Sanders, Gary Merrill, Thelma Ritter, and Marilyn Monroe. Out on Blu-ray and DVD from The Criterion Collection on August 23rd. 138 mins.
Readers of the Ham and High or numerous other Archant local papers may be expecting a review of the classic Bette Davis film, which remains, along with Titanic, the film with the most Oscar nominations. (Fourteen; won six.) I was expecting to be writing one but after I put the review disc into the player and patiently waited for the Criterion C to emerge from a dark screen to signify that the disc was now loaded (Criterion discs certainly take their own sweet time doing anything) I discovered it was a disc of extras and the actual film wasn't there.
So no review, I'm afraid. This backstage comedy-drama about an aspiring actress (Baxter) trying to undermine and steal the limelight from one (Davis) who is already feeling vulnerable about her stardom after reaching 40, is famed for its sharp and witty script by writer/ director Mankiewicz and its superb cast. A bit surprisingly, the extras mostly concentrate on him rather than the on-screen talent. Probably the pick of these is a feature-length interview with him conducted by French critic Michel Ciment (wrestling name: the Mixer), which is full of classic anecdotes and insights about the golden era of Hollywood.
Two audio commentaries from 2010, one featuring actor Celeste Holm, director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s son Christopher Mankiewicz, and author Kenneth L. Geist; the other featuring author Sam Staggs
- All About Mankiewicz, a feature-length documentary from 1983 about the director
- Episodes of The Dick Cavett Show from 1969 and 1980 featuring actors Bette Davis and Gary Merrill
- New interview with costume historian Larry McQueen
- Hollywood Backstories: “All About Eve,” a 2001 documentary featuring interviews with Davis and others about the making of the film
- Documentaries from 2010 about Mankiewicz’s life and career; “The Wisdom of Eve,” the 1946 short story on which the film is based, and its real-world inspiration; and a real-life Sarah Siddons Society based on the film’s fictional organization
- Radio adaptation of the film from 1951
- Promotion for the film featuring Davis
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Plus: An essay by critic Terrence Rafferty and “The Wisdom of Eve”
