Happy Birthday Duke Ellington and Celeste Holm
To celebrate Celeste Holm’s birthday I watched All About Eve. It is a film that I have tried to watch several times but just could not get into. When it aired recently I was able to see the last half hour. That got me intrigued and I decided to give the film another try. I am glad I did it is very well acted and a cohesive plot.
The film starts off at an award banquet. The final award has Eve Harrington’s name listed. George Sanders introduces the characters in a voice over. Celeste Holms is a playwrights wife. She is in the theater by marriage. A housewife with a very soft spoken voice (my description not George Sanders). Eve (Anne Baxter) is given the award and every one but Celeste Holms and Bette Davis applaud. The rest is a flashback. Celeste is the person who first meets Eve outside of the stage door and takes her backstage to meet Bette Davis a 40 year old living legend actress. Eve gets a job working as an assistant to Bette. Celeste and Eve talk at a party. Eve asks Celeste to talk with the producer to get him to hire her as the understudy for the play, which she gets. There is a great scene where people sit on the stairs at the party and talk. It is very intimate. Celeste sits at the top. She is part of the crowd but separate. Eve talks about what acting means to her and Celeste is very taken and sympatric with her. At rehearsal the playwright and Bette argue. Celeste has an idea that will give Eve her chance. When Bette is driven to the station after a visit out of town the car runs out of gas. A strange look comes over Celeste’s face. As she and Bette talk waiting for assistance she realizes how wrong about Bette and is racked in guilt. Eve plays the role that night. Which the critics knew she would before Bette even started for the station. The next day there is a piece in the paper about the performance and Celeste goes to console Bette, guilt and shame in her face and body movements. Eve then goes for the playwright. The playwright has a new play ready which he may give to Eve, but Eve wouldn’t ask for that. Celeste states “Eve would ask Abbott to give her Costello”. That is a great line. She has seen through Eve and her loyalties have changed.
At a restaurant after a performance Eve asks Celeste to meet her in the ladies lounge. As Eve explains what happened Celeste does not believe her and is very cynical. Then Eve talks her over again and Celeste starts to defend Eve to Eve. Eve wins her over again. Celeste is to tell her husband that Eve is the best for the lead in the new play. Eve blackmails Celeste “simple exchange of favors” by threatening to tell Bette about what really happened to cause her to miss the performance. Eve leaves and the camera stays on Celeste as she sits for a few moments trying to compose herself. When she goes back to the table she is not herself. When Bette states that she does not want the role in the new play Celeste starts laughing hysterically. Bette moves the glass of Champaign away from Celeste. Back to the opening banquet Celeste congratulates Eve politely then leaves.
Bette Davis has the best lines and gives a wonderful performance. All the actors were great. There is almost a subtext story of woman vs. man. Some of the lines repeat from character to character and they are said when the other characters are not present making it somewhat universal.
No comments:
Post a Comment