# "All about Eve" - What's up with this old movie - Is it worth seeing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013 "2006-06-01T14:26:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/1 "2006-06-01T14:26:18Z")
Someone I know said this old movie was worth renting - Is it? ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/2 "2006-06-01T14:30:37Z")
Yes. But know that it is not about everybody’s favorite Doper, Eve Golden. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/3 "2006-06-01T15:36:40Z")
Yes! Bette Davis in one of her best roles. Great ensemble cast. Snappy dialog. “Fasten your seatbelts–it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” “Bill’s 32. He looks 32. He looked it 8 years ago and he’ll look it 20 years from now. I. Hate. Men.” “Everybody has a heart… except _some_ people.” ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/4 "2006-06-01T15:46:39Z")
Worth seeing, worth buying, worth reading the book _All About “All About Eve”_ for the backstory. Amazing performances, sparkling dialog, my favorite character actress ever (Thelma Ritter) is in it, and it features Marilyn Monroe’s first significant role. Nominated for 14 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (winner), Best Actress (Bette Davis and Anne Baxter, who lost in an unfathomable decision to Judy Holliday), Best Supporting Actor (George Sanders - winner), Best Supporting Actress (Ritter and Celeste Holm). One of the best movies ever made and (even though it’s about stage actresses) one of the best movies about Hollywood ever made. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/5 "2006-06-01T16:09:03Z")
One of my favorite (non-musical 😉 ) movies _evah_. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/6 "2006-06-01T16:25:30Z")
Yes, it’s in that small circle of films that you absolutely _must_ see if you give a rat’s ass about movies at all. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/7 "2006-06-01T16:38:54Z")
Anything with George Sanders in it is, by definition, worth seeing. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/8 "2006-06-01T16:42:22Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Anything with George Sanders in it is, by definition, worth seeing. Zsa Zsa Gabor’s vagina had George Sanders in it, so I must respectfully disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/9 "2006-06-01T16:45:13Z")
Ten points, **Otto**. Zing! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/10 "2006-06-01T16:49:46Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Zsa Zsa Gabor’s vagina had George Sanders in it, so I must respectfully disagree. Depends on what period (tee-hee) we’re talking about. Young Zsa Zsa was [hot](http://hamoblo.com/kinren/img/92/zsa-zsa-gabor.jpg) and I don’t believe there would have been anything offensive about her Hungarian coochie. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/11 "2006-06-01T17:24:23Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > . . . Best Actress (Bette Davis and Anne Baxter, who lost in an unfathomable decision to Judy Holliday). . . Not only did Judy Holliday win over Bette Davis that year, she won over Gloria Swanson in _Sunset Boulevard_. Unbelievable. Yes, definitely watch this movie. It’s one of my favorites. Every actress/actor delivers up a sterling performance, the story is good, and the direction is great. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/12 "2006-06-01T20:10:24Z")
> [@teela brown](#): > > Not only did Judy Holliday win over Bette Davis that year, she won over Gloria Swanson in _Sunset Boulevard_. Unbelievable. > > Yes, definitely watch this movie. It’s one of my favorites. Every actress/actor delivers up a sterling performance, the story is good, and the direction is great. It was a tough year. Judy Holliday absolutely earned that Oscar, but so did Swanson and Davis. To answer the OP, _All About Eve_ is one of the best. Movies. Ever. Plus it’s an absolutely essential item on my \*Showgirls \*Seminar syllabus. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/13 "2006-06-01T21:19:32Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > It was a tough year. Judy Holliday absolutely earned that Oscar, but so did Swanson and Davis. I was so underwhelmed by Judy Holliday’s performance… Seriously, I’ve managed to make it through _Born Yesterday_ twice and I’m at a complete loss as to why people rave about either the movie in general or her performance in particular. And then to compare her performance to Swanson’s in _Sunset Blvd._ and Davis’s in _All About Eve_ and decide that Holliday was the best of the three? No. Sorry, but no. The only comparable robbery in the history of the Academy was Kelly over Garland in 1954. (Baxter was out of her league and nominated in the wrong category. Eleanor Parker, I saw _Caged_ but don’t remember anything except “Pipe the new fish.”) ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/14 "2006-06-01T21:25:03Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Zsa Zsa Gabor’s vagina had George Sanders in it, so I must respectfully disagree. If for no other reason than the historical perspective, Zsa Zsa’s vagina should be inspected. Briefly. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/15 "2006-06-01T21:53:19Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I was so underwhelmed by Judy Holliday’s performance… > > Seriously, I’ve managed to make it through _Born Yesterday_ twice and I’m at a complete loss as to why people rave about either the movie in general or her performance in particular. > > And then to compare her performance to Swanson’s in _Sunset Blvd._ and Davis’s in _All About Eve_ and decide that Holliday was the best of the three? No. Sorry, but no. The only comparable robbery in the history of the Academy was Kelly over Garland in 1954. > > (Baxter was out of her league and nominated in the wrong category. Eleanor Parker, I saw _Caged_ but don’t remember anything except “Pipe the new fish.”) Mileage varies a lot. Judy Holliday’s performance in _Born Yesterday_ might be one of my, say, 10 favorite screen performances of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/16 "2006-06-01T22:01:14Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Amazing performances, sparkling dialog, my favorite character actress ever (Thelma Ritter) is in it Ritter has better lines in _Rear Window_, though. “Must have splattered a lot.” But yeah, Ritter was one of the greats. > [@Otto](#): > > Nominated for 14 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (winner), Best Actress (Bette Davis and Anne Baxter, who lost in an unfathomable decision to Judy Holliday), Common wisdom has Davis and Baxter splitting the vote to the peril of both. Bad decision on the part of the studio to put both up for the category, but there was a lot of real-life strife between them (and indeed, between Davis and pretty much everyone else). A great film, and well worth seeing, but I could name half a dozen other from the same era that I’d hold over it. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/17 "2006-06-01T22:07:23Z")
That movie is worth owning. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/18 "2006-06-01T23:01:22Z")
I’m not sure how to say this without sounding condescending…but what the hell. It’s quite possible that someone who comes upon AAE without knowing anything about it (to the extent of not knowing whether it’s worth seeing) may not be accustomed to black & white, dialog-driven movies, and may experience culture shock. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/19 "2006-06-01T23:09:34Z")
It’s one of those movies that is so iconic you sort of _have_ to see it. At the same time, each time I watch it I see something new. It still has some of the best dialogue ever. MM: Oh, waiter! Saunders: He’s not a waiter, he’s a butler. MM: Well, I can’t just call out ‘oh, butler!’ Somebody’s name might be Butler. Saunders: You have a point. An idiotic one, but a point. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013/20 "2006-06-02T01:18:26Z")
The only possible problem with All About Eve is that you’ve seen it. Not done as well, not with the great dialogue, not with the great actors - but if you’ve watched TV or movies in the past 25 years, you’ve seen the plot because it’s a good plot and people have attempted to redo it many, many times. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-about-eve-whats-up-with-this-old-movie-is-it-worth-seeing/359013.md?page=2)