My favorite Actress of all time is Meryl Streep. My second favorite is Bette Davis. Interestingly enough, Ms Streep's favorite Actress of all time is Ms Davis. I have made it a point over the past 3 or 4 years to see every Bette Davis film that is still possible to see thru TCM, DVD, and VHS. There was just simply no one like her. So when I woke up this morning and realized that it was Bette Davis' birthday, I figured there was no better way to spend my day off than celebrating Ms Davis by watching her all time greatest role and greatest film, ALL ABOUT EVE. I first saw ALL ABOUT EVE when I was barely a teenager. My mother rented it from Movies To Go (remember those?) and I watched it with her. Might be where my Bette Davis obsession started, actually. I was completely taken with the tale of Margo Channing and her greatest fan, Eve Harrington. Through the years, I have seen the film several times and it's one of maybe 4 or 5 movies that I can see over and over and still find something new about it to love. It goes without saying that Bette Davis is sublime as Margo and Anne Baxter is deliciously devious as Eve, but on today's viewing I paid particularly close attention to the supporting performances. The glorious Celeste Holm as Karen, who unknowingly starts the trouble by introducing Eve to Ms Channing. The incomparable Thelma Ritter as Margo's dresser and confidante who quickly figures out what Eve is up to, but to no avail. The handsome Gary Merrill as Bill Sampson, Margo's director and lover. Marilyn Monroe in one of her first major roles. Barbara Bates as Phoebe, the young girl who plays center in one of Hollywood's all time great endings. And of course the incredible George Sanders as influential critic Addison DeWitt. Sanders is amazingly the only performer in the film who took home an Oscar for ALL ABOUT EVE. The screenplay by Joseph l. Mankiewicz is pitch perfect and remains one of the most praised in Hollywood history. Mankiewicz also directed the film to the Academy Award for Best Picture. If there is such a thing as a perfect film, ALL ABOUT EVE comes about as close as you can get. The perfect way to spend an afternoon off. Happy Birthday, Bette!!!
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