All About Eve

This is a fantastic black/white movie with about as good a supporting cast as possible. The movie was released in 1950 but don't let that fool you. It's the same story today as it was then for Hollywood.
Eve more or less stalks the famous theater actress, Margo Channing (Bette Davis) and befriends Margo's best friend, Karen (Celeste Holm). While the audience forms a soft spot for Eve, we slowly but surely start to feel the same way Margo does about that sweet little Eve. The movie takes jabs at both Hollywood (the film industry!) and Broadway's group of little actors with huge egos. Margo belongs to the latter group and through her tight knit association with actors, writers, directors and their spouses, Eve works her way in and changes their lives forever. Eve is masterfully played by Anne Baxter. I cannot see anyone else in this role. She was superb.
One of the first big debuts for Marilyn Monroe was in this movie. She played an actress, of course, who was quite sexual, girlish and of course, blond.
The movie reviewer in me loved-loved-loved that Edith Head did some of the wardrobe. If you don't know who she is, her likeness was the model for the costume maker in "The Incredibles." She was to costumes what Picasso is to paintings. She knew the material, shades best suited to the actors and how the director wanted to dress both the character and the actor. She didn't disappoint because the ball gowns are fabulous - I wanted one of Bette Davis' when I saw it. They are timeless.
Now enough gushing and on to the sour points. There is a LOT of smoking, so if you are sensitive to watching people light up, you don't need to see this. There are hints of sexuality, but no nudity. Of particular interest to me was the way in which Bette Davis and Anne Baxter referred to lesbianism without actually saying or suggesting it. It was in the tone and in the way the lines were read. I think that if you were to watch it, you may or may not catch it. I was actually looking for it because I had read something about Davis. There is a line in which Davis says something about wanting (her beau) to go upstairs, undress her, and change her into her gown for a long night's rest. But then she adds something like, "or would you rather do it, Eve?" I don't think the average person would pick that out, but I wanted to be sure to add here.
My favorite character was Celeste Holm's Karen. She was sweet, pretty and hopelessly faithful to everyone around her, which lead to her downfall. I identified with her helplessness when faced with two impossible options. I think you will too.
As if coming full circle, the movie ends on a creepy note; yet not as creepy as a lot of other 50s movies. You may get a chill after the super sly Addison DeWitt (George Sanders) shuts the door of Eve's hotel room, leaving one of Eve's belongings in the hands of a stranger.
If you like well-written movies with quick, funny banter and tight plots, this is for you. Again, this is a movie I'd let teens see but not smaller kids.