**************this might contain spoilers**********************
The movie Perfect Stranger opened today and as many critic noted the script was not up to standard. But then again one is always reading how today's script's just don't cut it. And one wonders why? Surly today's directors can draw upon previous movie scripts if no more than to see how well they are constructed. And no script was more in it's craft that Joseph L. Mankiewicz's All About Eve. I could also point out Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity and a few others but All About Eve is one one Mankiewicz's best, along with A Letter to Three Wives and the charming People Will Talk. But, as many a poster knows All About Eve garnered 14 academy award nominations, winning 6. Bette Davis was robbed! Sure, Gloria Swanson was dazzling in Sunset Boulevard but she didn't have the competition Miss Davis had in All About Eve. There was Anne Baxter reprising a similar role she played in the 1944 film Guest in the House. And George Sanders playing a variation of his role in The Picture of Dorian Gray. I think the academy members gave him his award for his magnificent body of work. His award was well deserved. But miss Baxter couldn't hold a candle to Miss Davis who essayed her role in 14 days. And out of sequence. The first scene filmed for the movie was Miss Davis encountering Addison De Witt in the lobby of the theatre. The producers could only get the theatre for a certain time not on it's schedule so did what it had to do. Film that scene. The interior of the theatre scene was filmed at a later date. Many people don't know that Hollywood is a very small town. And the academy award members is not a large body at all, maybe a little over two thousand. But at that time the members had long memories and since Miss Davis was no longer Queen of Hollywood let alone under a contract to a major studio they knew they had no allegiance to her. She had stepped on too many academy members toes, and some still felt the sting. Gloria Swanson, well, she just came out of retirement for this one film and so they felt no allegiance to her, either. Neither studio backed the two stars. And the award went to Judy Holliday for a very boring movie called Born Yesterday. A role that Miss Holliday had performed on Broadway many many time. It's hard to watch Born Yesterday today and you really wonder why the members didn't give the academy award to Miss Davis. All About Eve is a timeless movie, a classic and a gem and the towering performance in the entire film is by Bette Davis. To go further in the case of vendetta, the members did give Katherine Hepburn an award for her unforgettable performance in The Lion in Winter but to make sure Davis couldn't catch Hepburn she got another award for the insipid Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, a role not worthy of an academy award. Still, Miss Davis somehow comes out a true winner when all one has to do is to watch All About Eve. We are her academy award.
The movie Perfect Stranger opened today and as many critic noted the script was not up to standard. But then again one is always reading how today's script's just don't cut it. And one wonders why? Surly today's directors can draw upon previous movie scripts if no more than to see how well they are constructed. And no script was more in it's craft that Joseph L. Mankiewicz's All About Eve. I could also point out Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity and a few others but All About Eve is one one Mankiewicz's best, along with A Letter to Three Wives and the charming People Will Talk. But, as many a poster knows All About Eve garnered 14 academy award nominations, winning 6. Bette Davis was robbed! Sure, Gloria Swanson was dazzling in Sunset Boulevard but she didn't have the competition Miss Davis had in All About Eve. There was Anne Baxter reprising a similar role she played in the 1944 film Guest in the House. And George Sanders playing a variation of his role in The Picture of Dorian Gray. I think the academy members gave him his award for his magnificent body of work. His award was well deserved. But miss Baxter couldn't hold a candle to Miss Davis who essayed her role in 14 days. And out of sequence. The first scene filmed for the movie was Miss Davis encountering Addison De Witt in the lobby of the theatre. The producers could only get the theatre for a certain time not on it's schedule so did what it had to do. Film that scene. The interior of the theatre scene was filmed at a later date. Many people don't know that Hollywood is a very small town. And the academy award members is not a large body at all, maybe a little over two thousand. But at that time the members had long memories and since Miss Davis was no longer Queen of Hollywood let alone under a contract to a major studio they knew they had no allegiance to her. She had stepped on too many academy members toes, and some still felt the sting. Gloria Swanson, well, she just came out of retirement for this one film and so they felt no allegiance to her, either. Neither studio backed the two stars. And the award went to Judy Holliday for a very boring movie called Born Yesterday. A role that Miss Holliday had performed on Broadway many many time. It's hard to watch Born Yesterday today and you really wonder why the members didn't give the academy award to Miss Davis. All About Eve is a timeless movie, a classic and a gem and the towering performance in the entire film is by Bette Davis. To go further in the case of vendetta, the members did give Katherine Hepburn an award for her unforgettable performance in The Lion in Winter but to make sure Davis couldn't catch Hepburn she got another award for the insipid Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, a role not worthy of an academy award. Still, Miss Davis somehow comes out a true winner when all one has to do is to watch All About Eve. We are her academy award.