All About Eve

An ageing (forty!) Broadway powerhouse begins to regret admitting a meek acolyte to her inner circle. Witty and sophisticated, winner of Best Picture, Writer and Director Oscars, it’s been called the bitchiest film ever made. Crackling dialogue and a tart-tongued cast, including Thelma Ritter, George Sanders, and a young Marilyn Monroe helped bring Mankiewicz his three Oscars—for the second year in a row, a feat never yet repeated. Although not everyone got along on set, Davis and co-star Gary Merrill began a torrid affair, much to the embarrassment of the cast and crew. Mankiewicz had a simple direction for Davis, she said he told her Margo “’treats her mink coat like a poncho’ Pow! Lightning struck!”