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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Growing older did wonders for Bette Davis' career. Considered a has-been by the time she reached 40, Warner Brothers unceremoniously canceled her studio contract. It was a fortuitous departure, salvaged by Joseph L Mankewicz commitment to a new project at Fox and his unflinching determination that Bette Davis was in fact right for a part in his new film. That film was "All About Eve" and, as Davis would later claim, it resurrected her career from oblivion.
She plays Margo Channing, an aging theatrical diva who's about to be upstaged by backstabbing, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). Eve presents herself as an ingénue to Margo's best friend, Karen Richards (Celeste Holm) but easily eschews into the role of the scheming understudy. Eve's treachery is aided by poison pen columnist, Addison DeWitt (George Sanders at his diabolically charming best). The film costars Gary Merrill, as playwright and Margo's fiancée, Bill Samson and Hugh Marlowe as the director and Karen's husband, Lloyd Richards. Perhaps best remembered for its catchy one liner, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night," this movie is so brilliantly written that 50 years later it continues to hold the top spot on hundreds of critic's all time favorite lists.
Fox has remastered "All About Eve" but with mixed results. Although this edition does not suffer from the obtrusive chips and scratches inherent in the previously issued DVD, there is an overall soft quality to the image that is, at times, unflattering and hard on the eyes. Fine detail in costumes and faces are occasionally lost and black levels at times retain a sickly gray tint. This version of the film also contains a making-of featurette, theatrical trailers and stills gallery. These are all nice touches but the integrity of the print is what disappoints me. It is an average, not outstanding, transfer -- something a film as witty, charming and revealing as this most definitely deserves. |
