All About Eve (1950): Life in the Theatre

All About Eve (1950)

Introduction

As the swansong for Bette Davis All About Eve (1950) highlights the intricacies of the theatre like no other. It highlights all the players in the theatre and has to go down as one of the best ensemble pieces ever put to the screen. Written and directed by Joseph L .Mankiewicz and produced by Daryl. F. Zanuck for twentieth century fox, this film has several important thematic elements that justifies its place in the pantheon of great films. The thematic elements include rites of succession and  how the predecessor or the one being succeeded finds it difficult to release the reins of power and to what extent successors are prepared to go to seize the reins of glory. The standard set by the predecessor represents a stepping stone for the successor who naturally aspires to attain the same level of success or even more. In order to dislodge the reins of power from the predecessor the successor in this case must be ruthlessly ambitious for the one they plan to supplant is beloved and adored although age has finally caught up with her. In this film the predecessor or standard bearer is Margo Channing (Bette Davis) and her eventual successor is EVE Harrington (Anne Baxter) who uses devious means to seize the reins of stardom. She is not alone however as she is aided by other characters in the ensemble cast who lead her along the path to conquer  her older rival and this is one of the reasons why the screenplay can be considered smart since all the various personalities have a hand in the story and ultimately work against Margo. The film also addresses the role of the critic in the art industry. In this case it is the theatre but it can easily apply to other artistic areas such as film, music and still art. The critic is normally the one who sees beyond the façade portrayed by the artist in the public eye. The success of the artist is determined by how much they can dazzle the public and attain some degree of artificial glory on earth. In order to do this the artist must find some way to captivate his or her audience in the particular genre in which he or she hopes to excel. This normally means they have to add a new face to the same subject and infuse it with some new vibrancy or they seek means to supplant their predecessor(s) who set a standard in the public eye. EVE in her final performance which is dubbed by Addison as the ‘performance of her life’  sets the stage alight and replaces the now fading star of Margo. The role of the critic is to determine to what extent the artist can get carried away with success. The critic is a check against excess for without the critic, who act in some way as a buffer between the artist and the public, the artist would thrive on his or her artificial glory and would grow so fat on success that it would be beyond the control of anyone else to stop him or her from releasing a low quality of art to the public. In some cases artistes are their own best critics (see my review of Amadeus) for without constructive criticism which can be construed as negative, the standard of art would remain at a very low level. It is important for the professional critic not to be bamboozled by the artist and his or her aficionados unless it is the wish of the public that the standard of art fall or remain the same.  If the work of art retains its high standard then it should be justly praised and if it is of a low standard it should be rightfully rebuked and purged. Never forget that at times it is the artist that is the best critic so that they can give shape to a new form of art. This is why the character of Addison Dewitt (George Sanders) is instrumental in this film and the advances made by EVE.  The final theme or element of the plot to be elaborated later on in this (ultimate) review is the connection between the theatre and Hollywood. Hollywood is normally associated with more prestige whereas the theatre is seen as mere stepping stone. A good movie can make a star renown forever whereas a star in a good dramatic production of the theatre is still seen as taking the next step forward to Holly wood; it is a mere promising start and nothing more. Wherever the theatre thrives the standards are quite low however a developed film industry is seen as the highest standard in dramatic production as the scale is much more far reaching due to the reliance on technology. The various players in the creation of a dramatic piece for the theatre are almost forgotten when compared to the glory of Hollywood. This review will therefore examine all the various players in this intermediate form called the theatre.

The basic plot of the film shows how Eve supplants Margo Channing through cunning and willful deceit. She is also aided by several characters on her rise to the top; none more important than the critic Addison Dewitt.  Margo also has to adjust to the fact that she is no longer the shining star in the pantheon due to the deteriorating effects of old age. Her other companions also have to get adjusted to the transition that will see Margo decline in the pantheon. Eve is the vehicle that effects the transition and it shows that on your rise to the top you must supplant your competitors. The idealist mentality will not serve you well you must have strong individualist and self preservationist ideas about yourself. Self preservation simply means that you think firstly of preserving yourself over the welfare of the group although once you have preserved yourself there is no problem in turning back to help the group. It is the creed when you seek to attain glory that you have to think of self preservation over your competitors and you do this by defeating them thoroughly. This ruthless ambition is the path taken by Eve and this film cleverly shows how she deceives the group and eventually rises above them leaving them desolate in the world of theatre.

All About Eve was nominated for 14 academy awards (equaled by Titanic (1997)) and won six including Best picture, Best director, Best original screenplay, best supporting actor (George Anderson, Best Sound Recording and Costume Design (B/W). The 14 nominations were important because all the female actors were nominated: Anne Baxter and Bette Davis for Best Actress and Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter for best supporting actress. It is a record for the most female nominees in a single film.  It defeated the likes of Sunset Boulevard (1950) and there should not be any complaints there since the scope of All About EVE is more dynamic.  It is also famous for Bette Davis’s remark, as Margo Channing at Bill’s party, ‘Fasten your seat belts it’s going to be a bumpy night.’ The film remains relevant for all the themes discussed above and as an able discourse of lives in the theatre. Marilyn Monroe also plays to type (shallow, materialistic female) in this film in a small role as an aspiring actress under the tutelage of Addison.

I highlight EVE’s name in upper case since it is All about her.

Life in the Theatre

The film opens with a synopsis by the critic Addison Dewitt (George Sanders), who explains the context of the theatre and its more low key honours when compared with other artistic fields. The opening scene is also the penultimate scene in the film where EVE is collecting the Sarah Siddons Award for distinguished achievement which, according to Addison, is ‘the highest honor our (American) theatre knows.’  The award is handed out at the Sarah Siddons Society where all the prestigious personages of the theatre come annually to honour the achievement of the artistic performers associated with the theatre. He states that ‘these hallowed walls, indeed, many of these faces (camera highlights old gents to emphasize the age of the theatre which is older than moving picture or film) have looked upon Mojesca, Ada Rea and Minnie Fiske. Mansfield’s voice filled this room. It is unlikely that the windows have been opened since his death (again highlighting how old is the theatre scene).’ He says that the presentation of the Sarah Siddons Award in its dining hall has ‘been spared the sensational and commercial publicity that attends such questionable honors as the Pulitzer prize and those awards presented annually by that, uh, film society.’ This is why it is unknown to you who will watch the film for the first time and this technique is so important for Mankiewicz clearly wishes for you to understand that this is almost an age old tradition in the theatre; this is why a film going audience will be oblivious of it since the popularity of film outstrips the theatre because of sensationalism. The theatre through this society seems to be holding on to the vestiges of its tradition although it clearly does not have the pulling power it once had since the advent of the motion picture industry. If one is ambitious the theatre cannot be the final stepping stone if you wish to attain glory or popularity as it is only one step before you can truly shine in the public eye. Since Hollywood generates such enormous profits it can advertise its products (films) to such an extent where it becomes the new fad and the theatre is seen as something for the old timers, distinguished by the high standards it holds with regards to the performing arts.

 It is the same standard that has been supposedly set by classical music when compared with the populist tendencies associated with commoditized music such as pop, rock n’ roll, reggae, hybrid or electronic, hip hop, rhythm and blues, dancehall and jazz etc.  The high standard associated with classical music is the composition of several musical instruments into a unified whole alongside the sonorous voices of the opera singers  on stage, performing for the audience, which can rarely be matched by pop singers. Some pop singers have high quality voices so it is not surprising to hear them sing in the operetta. (This structure is also exhibited in the African tradition with the use of the drums etc. This too has been subsumed by Dancehall and Reggae under a technological apparatus). With the advent of technology these instruments were assembled and synthesized although early on during the twentieth century they still used live bands. If you use a live band now to record a song you look like you are clinging to an old tradition although it is still relevant to have it on tour. The time will come when live bands won’t go on tour or will recede further  behind the scenes. The people who play the instruments still remain important because they are the only ones trained to play a particular instrument. If they continue to compose new melodies they will always be relevant but not as commercially relevant as those producers on the keyboard etc who take their melodies and synthesize it with other instruments similarly absorbed. They become like professors or retainers of knowledge but still powerless to affect the sensationalism of the craft. They will be consulted but only behind the scenes. This is why it is good to have an artist who can play an instrument since he or she will be bringing forth new melodies thereby making the instrument remain relevant. It is the same with the theatre and film for film utilizes the craft of the theatre and sensationalizes it to appeal to a mass market since technology is involved and is fixed capital for the film studios. The increased use of technology requires that profit be generated since someone has put up a lot of money to expand the scene. Film cheapens the performing arts to create a sensation however it still requires the theatre to exist since the new fresh stars will emerge from the theatre where they would have received the requisite training required to deliver a truly compelling dramatic performance. This is not the case these days as anyone seems to think they can act. In and around the mid twentieth century the best way to prove yourself to Hollywood was to have succeeded at the theatre or some form of stage performance such as stand up singing etc or dance choreography. This would demonstrate the extent your talent was capable of commanding an audience without the aid of artificial technology which would enhance that particular performance. This is why in the theatre the performance of the actor stands out. Today this is why they continue the tradition of the theatre through talent shows etc although they are now assigned to TV shows. Tv shows can be seen as a type of performance for it is supposedly filmed in front of a audience for at times laughs are manufactured by the studios. Look at the character played by Marilyn Monroe,Ms. Caswell, Addison’s pupil, who has failed at a recent audition for a role in a play. Addison tells her ‘Your next move it seems to me, should be towards television.’ ‘Do they have auditions for television?’, she asks. ‘That’s, uh, all television is my dear. Nothing but auditions.’ The most successful person is one who can command the audience. After you’re acknowledged as a certified star in the theatre or in the live performance scene the studios will inevitably gobble you up.   Addison says at the beginning, ‘The minor awards, as you can see, have already been presented. Minor awards are for such as the writer (playwright) and director (camera highlights both, smartly, since they are two main characters in the film itself) since their (main) function is merely to construct a tower  so that the world can applaud a light which flashes on top of it. And no brighter talent has ever dazzled the eye as EVE Harrington (Eve is a performer who will receive all the due recognition for her performance).’

I will get back to Addison as I now speak of the theatre scene. In one of the early scenes where EVE first meets Margo she is introduced to her boyfriend and director, Bill (Gary Merrill), who is about to leave for Hollywood for a one picture deal with the studio owned by, yes, Darryl Zanuck. EVE asks ‘Why you have to go out there?’ ‘I don’t have to. I want to.’ ‘Is it the money?’ ‘80% of it will go for taxes.’ ‘Then why? Why if you’re the best and most successful young director in the theatre?’ ‘The theater. The theater. What book of rules says the theater exists only within some ugly buildings crowded into one square mile of New York city? Or London, Paris or Vienna? Listen, junior, and learn. You want to know what the theater is? A flea circus. Also opera. Also rodeos, carnivals, ballets, Indian tribal dances, Punch and Judy, a one man band, all theater. Wherever there’s magic and make believe and an audience, there’s theater. Donald Duck. Ibsen and the Lone Ranger. Sarah Bernhardt and Poodles Hanneford; Lunt and Fontanne, Betty Grable. Rex the wild horse, Eleonora Duse, they’re all theater. You don’t understand them all. Why should you? The theater’s for everybody, you included, but not exclusively. So don’t approve or disapprove, it may not be your theater but it’s theater for somebody somewhere.’ (He means no offense) He continues, ‘Nothing personal junior, no offense. It’s just that there is so much bushwa (bourgeois) in this ivory greenroom they call theater, sometimes it gets up around my chin.’ ‘But Hollywood,’ says EVE ‘You mustn’t stay out there…So few come back.’ ‘Yes’ ‘ I read George Jean Nathan every week.’ ‘Also Addison Dewitt’ ‘Every Day’ ‘ You didn’t have to tell me.’ (the critic’s role I will discuss later). This discussion corresponds to my discussion earlier about Hollywood commoditizing the theater and cheapening it and diffusing the traditions of the stagnant upper crust personages of such groups as the Sarah Siddons Society for the movement of the theater has reached its apex and is now in the process of decline. Filmmaking now represents a new movement or thrust that will blaze into the future however the theatre would still survive through television in the form of comedies, soap operas and serial shows still vying for a share of the market. Bill wants to be a part of the new movement because he feels bogged down by the lofty traditions of the theater. Another reference to the decline of the theater is made by Addison right before EVE’s final performance in Lloyd’s (playwright) new play ‘Footsteps on the Ceiling’, when he says, ‘ To the theatre world New Haven Connecticut is a short stretch of sidewalk between the Shubert theatre and the Taft hotel, surrounded by what looks very much like a small city. It is here that managers have what are called ‘out of town openings’ which are openings for New Yorkers who want to go out of town.’ It seems that the theatre world is confined to New York much like film is associated with Hollywood in California and that it is crammed into a tight space; you can understand why Broadway in New York city appears like the pinnacle of the theatre. It cannot be commoditized like film which has cinemas in so many states and countries throughout the world. The drama then becomes increasingly an esoteric interest for the elite who try to uphold the high tradition of the performing arts.  Another clue into Hollywood’s dominance is its wealth and this is demonstrated at Bill’s party when Eve is putting away the fur coat of a guest who is a Hollywood movie star. Karen says ‘Women with fur (expensive) like that where it never gets cold.’ 

There is also Max Fabian, the producer, and here is how Addison describes his role: ‘There are, in general, two types of producers: One has a great wealthy friends who will risk a tax deductible loss. This type is interested in art. The other is one to whom each production means potential ruin or fortune. This type is out to make a buck. Meet Max Fabian (out to make a buck). He is the producer of the play which has won for EVE Harrington the Sarah Siddons Award.' This means Max has no artistic credibility and that is how he is portrayed. He is more than grateful that EVE will receive the award for it will add more prestige to his productions and increase ticket sales in the future.

How do the actors relate to the writer and director? Margo has an argument with the playwright Lloyd and one can understand this relationship when he says to her ‘I shall never understand the weird process by which a body with a voice suddenly fancies itself a mind. Just when exactly does an actress decide they’re her words she’s saying and her thoughts she’s expressing?’ ‘ Usually when she has to rewrite and rethink them to keep the audience from leaving the theater,’ says Margo. ‘It’s about time  the piano realized it has not written the concerto,’ he responds. This tension shows the extent that playwrights and others are overshadowed behind the scenes by the stars which the public sees when it watches a play. Few casual viewers care about behind the scenes unless a particular set of works have a distinct brand such as a Coppola, a Welles or a Scorsese. The film does not highlight the role of the director directly although Margo’s boyfriend does land a job in Hollywood presumably because he has fashioned such a great performance out of his girlfriend, Margo.

Lastly, there is Karen (Celeste Holm) wife of the playwright Lloyd. As Addison describes her she merely married into the theatre and is completely unaware of the artistry of the theatre. She is quite biased and in her can be seen female naiveté where according to Addison, ‘she spoke  more than she learned.’ There is also Birdie (Thelma Ritter), a former vaudevillian who due to the circumstances surrounding her artistic endeavour (vaudeville becomes less relevant), which is also a form of stage performance,is now an assistant to Margo.

EVE vs. Margo: Rites of Succession

Rites of succession is where the predecessor makes way for an up and coming talent who will, hopefully, breathe fresh light into a particular product or any artistic, intellectual or athletic endeavour. When EVE enters the scene Margo is, according to Addison, ‘a star of the theatre. She made her first stage appearance at the age of 4 in Midsummer Night’s Dream. She played a fairy and entered, quite unexpectedly, stark naked. She has been a star ever since.’ This shows us that to be a star you have to dazzle the audience and give them something unexpected however when the film opens Margo is now 40 and with EVE encroaching on her territory she grows increasingly insecure as she is aware that EVE will do anything to reach the top thereby supplanting her as the star of the theatre. When we first meet her she is so assured of herself having performed over a hundred times in her latest production and every night, after each performance, she receives standing ovations for  she has dazzled the audience although we are never shown how she performs on stage; we are merely to assume that she is the consummate actress and so unable to see why she dazzles the audience. Everyone is at her beck and call and it seems she will be performing even when she has Alzheimer’s disease. She is unstoppable until EVE comes along. EVE’s first maneuver is to ingratiate herself with Margo and her friends with a pitiful fabricated story and by offering to be Margo’s assistant. At first she is introduced to Margo by Karen who discovers her night after night hoping to get a glimpse of Margo as she exits from the theatre house backstage; that is how determined EVE is. She strategically places herself to be closer to Margo so that she is able study her movements thereby subsuming her characteristics. When you are about to supersede someone you must first study their actions since imitation is the best form of flattery. In this case you have to imitate your predecessor if you are to build on  what they have achieved since their achievements represents a substantial amount of objective knowledge that one must always take with you whether you like it or not. Margo’s achievements are objective for she acts like a true star by dazzling her audience and so this is why EVE tries to study her. Secondly Eve must now try and seize the reins from Margo and this is done by targeting the weak link in her entourage which happens to be Karen. Karen is the one to introduce EVE to Margo and she is the one who also plots against Margo in an attempt to derail, if only temporarily, her lofty ideas about herself. She believes that because Margo is so caught up in her position as a star she treats people disrespectfully since everyone is supposed to be at her beck and call. Her actions are also significant since the new play that her husband, Lloyd, wants to be produced has Margo down to be the star however he would prefer EVE to have it since she is right for the part due to the appropriateness of her age (24); however he won’t cast EVE without his wife’s permission since she originally wished for Margo to play the part.  EVE convinces Karen to convince her husband to cast her in the lead role after EVE realizes that Karen sought to undermine Margo so that she would miss her performance and threatens to expose her. Prior to this it was instrumental for EVE to first be Margo’s understudy or a filler should Margo not be able to perform. Karen again arranges, at EVE’s behest, that she speak to the producer, Max Fabian, about EVE becoming  Margo’s understudy for the play that she is currently in. It seems that Margo was right to get upset when she discovers that EVE is now her understudy because it seems she has never had need for one being , supposedly, at the peak of her powers. It is then she becomes self conscious of her age and fearful of being supplanted. When Margo argues with Lloyd watch as EVE slinks away fully aware of the web of deception that she has weaved.  When Karen undermines Margo by having her miss a performance EVE takes up the call and invites all the top critics, including Addison, to witness a star being born as she performs on Margo’s behalf. It plays into EVE’s hands since she aligns with Addison to do an interview and his damning commentary is published in the papers where he criticizes Margo for being one of those unwilling to let go even though their time has come and gone.  It is after this that EVE threatens Karen. Eve also tries to seduce Karen’s husband not because she hates her personally but because Lloyd, Karen’s husband, is, artistically,  the most ‘promising playwright in America’ and 'commercially the most successful'. She is unsuccessful and prior to this she failed to seduce Margo’s director boyfriend who is also a prominent director. EVE strategically tries to seduce these two men because she knows that they will help her in attaining her goals. EVE gives the ‘performance of her life’ in the new play written by Karen’s husband and is awarded the Sarah Siddons Award for her efforts.

Eve then took  the right route to success: she targeted the weak link which was Karen and weaved a web of deceit while all the time defending herself with a false show of innocence. She first attempts to be Margo’s understudy so that she can master her mentor’s characteristics before taking off on her own in Lloyd’s new play. She also aligned with the critic Addison so that he would write damning remarks about Margo’s age in the papers thereby bringing her issues public: the fear about getting old. She gives the performance of her life and  takes the next step to Hollywood. Remember at first that when she first meets Bill she tries to convince him not to go out to Hollywood yet at the end of the film she decides to take the journey out there to attain even more success. Could it be that she wished Bill would content himself as a director in the theatre, while she herself sets sights on Hollywood, and in the meantime use him to build that tower from which she will shine so brightly in the theatre so that Hollywood would take notice? Her deceit rests on her appearing helpless and innocent which is the trap most men fall for.

Margo has a saving grace with her love for Bill for being in the limelight for so long she gives the impression that she will live forever. With Bill to reassure her of his love she is able to cushion herself and fall silently out of the limelight and give EVE her chance at success. The moment she finds that EVE is her understudy Margo gets into an argument with Bill and there we realize how much her age is a issue or the prospect of being replaced by a younger female. He tries to reassure her that he is not taken with EVE and eventually marries her especially after  Addison’s damning comment about older actresses unwilling to give the younger girls a chance. It is now time for Margo to relinquish the spotlight for in the public’s eye, influenced by Addison’s comments, she will be forced to accept the inevitable. The famous scene where she tells Lloyd that she has no intentions of playing Cora in his new play is a relief to Karen,   blackmailed by  EVE to convince her husband to give her the part, who gives a sudden burst of laughter thereby earning Celeste Holm an Oscar nomination. The main reason Margo relinquishes her talent is because she is now about to be married for it is a big responsibility being a woman. Here is what she says to Karen (in the car without gas thanks to Karen) when she is about to miss her performance, due to Karen’s underhandedness, where EVE will be revealed to the public for the first time as Margo’s understudy, ‘So many people know me. I wish I did. I wish someone would tell me about me.’ ‘You’re Margo. Just Margo.’ ‘And what is that, besides something spelled out in light bulbs, I mean? Besides something called a temperament which consists mostly of sweeping about on a broomstick and screaming at the top of my voice. Infants behave the way I do. They carry on and misbehave. They’d get drunk if they knew how – when they can’t have what they want. When they feel unwanted or insecure or loved.’ ‘What about Bill?’ ‘What about Bill?’ ‘He’s in Love with you.’ ‘I want him to want me not Margo Channing. And if I can’t tell them apart how can he?...Bill’s in love with Margo Channing . He’s fought with her, worked with her , and loved her. But 10 years from now Margo Channing will have ceased to exist . And what’s left will be  what?..About Eve I’ve acted pretty disgracefully towards her too. Don’t fumble for excuses, not here and now with my hair down. At best , lets say I’ve been oversensitive to well, to the fact that she’s so young, so feminine and so helpless to so many things I want to be for Bill. Funny business a woman’s career. The things you drop on your way up  the ladder so you can move faster you forget you’ll need them again when you get back to being a woman . that’s one career all females have in common, whether we like it or not, being a woman. Sooner or later we’ve got to work at it no matter how many other careers we’ve had or wanted. And in the last analysis nothing’s any good unless you can look up just before dinner or turn around in bed and there he is. Without that you’re not a woman. You’re something with a French provincial office or a book full of clippings. But you’re not a woman. Slow curtain the end.’ Let us hope that when EVE is on the rise she will learn this important lesson when she too fades in the spotlight. She tried to seduce the men on her way to the top because she thought it would bolster her career however  the time will come when, like Margo, she will need a man just to feel secure with who she is. At this point in her life EVE cares only for her career and it will be difficult for her to love any man without her ambitious nature destroying the relationship. Margo it seems was like EVE once with many lovers yet none of them staying because she never needed them or they felt she never needed them. She was only settled by her career until the point comes when the lights begin to fade and then you find out that no one is there. Margo was fortunate to have Bill will EVE be so lucky. Addison describes what the fresh new talent of  EVE in her prime seems like ‘And no  brighter light has ever dazzled the eye.’ This is what people always say about the next bright new talent which in this case happens to be EVE. She does supersede Margo by making the trek to Hollywood.

The Role of the Critic

Lastly I will discuss the role of the critic and in this film it is represented by the character, Addison Dewitt, ‘To those of you who do not read, attend the theatre, listen to unsponsored radio programs or know anything of the world in which you live, it is perhaps necessary for me to introduce my self. My name is Addison Dewitt. My native habitat is the theatre. In it, I toil not, neither do I spin. I am a critic and commentator. I am essential to the theater.’ Why is he essential to the theatre? Or Why are critics important, generally, to the artistic industry? Firstly, critics are the buffers between the artist and the public eye. It is important that the critic not be dazzled like a common fan that is unable to criticize since he or she is simply bamboozled by the artist’s manipulation.  It is the critic who ensures that the artistes retain a high standard in their craft and not fall below it. If a artist falls below that standard it is clear that they either have to pick themselves up or that they are undergoing a persistent decline and will never rise to the heights which saw them take the world by storm.  There are times when some artistes claim that they do not care what the critics say since they are confident in the support of the fan boys who worship the ground they walk on or who will buy into any phony act that they put on so as to stay relevant. They might not have been listening to the critic but if it turns out that the critic was right people will become interested in what he or she has to say about a particular piece of art and its players. When that critic gains a following it is clear that there will be a group of people who will rely on what this critic says. It is foolish therefore for some artists to say that they do not care what the critic thinks. This is why these two groups go hand in hand and are essential for each other. Without art there can be no critic to criticize the craft of a particular artist. The dichotomy of artist and critic centres on the fact that the critic is not dazzled foolishly by the artist. For a fan boy anything the artist does will seem magnificent since they are hooked and slavishly toil to endlessly kiss the ass of the artist. Look at the scene in this film at Bill’s welcome home party, when Margo is throwing a tantrum about EVE and the attention she receives from Bill, here is what Addison says,’ Every now and then, some elder statesmen of the theatre or cinema assures the public that actors and actresses are just plain folks ignoring the fact that their greatest attraction to the public is their complete lack of resemblance to normal human beings. We all have abnormality in common. We’re a breed apart from the rest of humanity, we theatre folk. We are the original displaced personalities .’ I don’t agree Addison,’ says Bill (the artist), ‘I’ll admit there is a screwball element in the theater. It sticks out. It’s got spotlights on it and a brass band. But it isn’t basic, it isn’t standard. If it were the theatre couldn’t survive.’  It is a good point since it is the subjective portrayal of the artist. ‘The theater is 9/10 hard work (rehearsals, drafts of music  or scripts etc) work done the hard way (since the artist has to fashion it in such a way that it makes sense to the audience) by sweat, application and craftsmanship. I’ll agree to this to be a good actor or actress means wanting to be that more than anything else in the world. (Yes it does , says EVE)It means a concentration of desire, ambition, and sacrifice as no other profession demands. I’ll agree that the man or woman who accepts these terms can’t be ordinary, can’t be just someone, to give so much for almost always so little.’ EVE counters Bill by saying, ‘If there is nothing, there’s applause. I’ve listened backstage to people applaud. It’s like waves of light coming over the footlights and wrapping you up. Imagine to know every night that different hundreds of people love you. Just that alone is worth everything.’ This is the conflict of artist and critic for the artist believes in his toil through the theatre and the critic can only hold him to that high standard having ‘neither to toil nor spin.’ In order to entertain you have to toil to discover something that will dazzle the audience and make them love you. The critic cannot be dazzled since he is aware of the show being put on by the artist because he is aware of the manipulation involved whereas the artist will tell you it is hard work to manipulate people. When Margo storms into the room and is acting up towards EVE only Addison sees beyond the façade when he says, ‘You’re maudlin and full of self-pity. You’re magnificent.’ His damning comments about the unwillingness of older actresses to give the younger actresses a chance, is significant in sobering  Margo who is drunk with stardom. 

 A good critic normally ensures that the high standard that is established be maintained. The critics correspond to the standard of the time and when a new standard is raised by the artist himself following criticism of his peers. This is why when a new standard is created in art it is normally as a result of the artist criticizing his own peers; the artist becomes the critic. He has to criticize in order to raise the standard since he or she is aware of the inadequacies of the craft at present. It is upon him therefore to raise the bar of the craft. (See my review of Amadeus (1984)). Initially when the artist makes the breakthrough some critics, stuck to the old, lower standard, will be reluctant to accept and will criticize the breakthrough of the artist as merely avant-garde with no substance behind it. This is until the subjective breakthrough of the artist become increasingly influential for later generations and becomes acknowledged as the new objective standard (see my review of Amadeus (1984)). A new style of criticism will have emerged where critics will now have to embrace this new technique as a part of their analysis of art. Some artists strive to overturn tradition but they only ensure that they repeat it and so what they thought was original is in fact not.  The successful critic must be able to make this distinction; so when a new standard is set the critic must adjust quickly and understand the merits of the breakthrough so that he or she remains relevant. If they continually criticize the breakthrough it will seem as if they are clinging to an old tradition; they must acknowledge that the artistic standard has been raised and criticize the craft of art based on this new addition. 3D for instance is not going down well with some critics but a film will come along that will utilize 3D technology to its fullest extent and film will not be the same. Recently while watching a premier league game in a London pub 3D televisions gave an option  to the spectators and many took up the offer. So don’t be too hasty to condemn 3D when in 20 years it will be the new standard of viewing films when the lower price of 3D televisions makes it available to the mass market at a cheaper cost. You will know when the children only want to watch their cartoons in 3D. In any case EVE is the foremost critic of Margo for she is the one who sets about undermining her stature in the theatre. Another important role of the critic involves him or her tackling the abstract created by the artist. When the artist creates a piece of work it stands apart from him independently and is subject to many interpretations. A critic, who is the one to see through the impressionism of the artist, gives the independent creation a structure within which, those who are dazzled, can interpret the work. Those who are dazzled can then temper their enthusiasm with the knowledge that they are being manipulated in some way. Whether this manipulation is well intentioned or not is the job of the critic. How does the artist want the audience to feel? Is there any merit to his manipulation or subjective interpretation of the objective world? 

Lastly Addison and another critic, from a unlikely place, Birdie(Thelma Ritter), are the only two to see beyond Eve's facade. Birdie, a former vaudevillian (stage performer) who is now Margo’s maid, is not taken with EVE’s fabricated sob story about her lowly origins and the loss of her husband during the war. She does not buy into cheap sentiment which is the trademark of most artists. She is even aware of EVE’s deceit since she understands clearly that EVE is trying to gain the upper hand. She says to Margo, ‘it’s as if she’s studying you.’ Whereas Birdie can only speculate Addison can confirm that EVE is being deceitful. On the night of her final performance he reveals to her that he is aware of her deceit. He knows her name is not EVE Harrington since she took that from the name of a school. She never saw Margo at the Shubert theatre in San Francisco since there is no Shubert theatre there (only New York, simple trap for EVE) and he knows of her attempts to seduce Bill, Margo’s boyfriend. He also knows that she will not marry Lloyd since he is not in love with her. Lloyd only visited her house at 3 in the morning since he thought EVE was ill and he couldn’t risk anything happening to his star performer.  Addison says, ‘There never was and never will be another like you. Is it possible, even conceivable, that you’ve confused me with that gang of backward children you play tricks on? That you have the same contempt for me as you have for them? I am Addison Dewitt. I am nobody’s fool least of all yours. It’s important right now that we talk; killer to killer.’ 'Champion to champion,’ says EVE. ‘Not with me,’ says Addison, ‘ You’re no champion. You’re stepping way up in class. Lloyd may leave Karen but he will not leave Karen for you. I have not come to New Haven to see the play, discuss your dreams or pull the ivy from the walls of yale. I have come here to tell you that you will not marry Lloyd or anyone else because I will not permit it…After tonight you will belong to me. ‘ ‘Belong to you? That sounds medieval something out of a old melodrama.’ ‘So does the history of the world for the last 20 years.’  She laughs and he slaps her. He claims that no one laughs at him. This suggests that Addison’s contempt for people arises out of his being mocked by people in earlier years. She runs to the phone to call for security to have Addison removed. He tells her 'Don't pick up that phone.' She does not and Addison is impressed. 'Something told you to do as I say. Cherish that instinct EVE it can be worth millions.' He reveals that he knows the cover for her deceit and that she was asked to leave her hometown by the wife of the husband she was in a relationship with. After he breaks her down and she is in tears he says, ‘You’re an improbable person EVE  and so am I. We have that in common. Also our contempt for humanity and inability to love and be loved. Insatiable ambition and talent. We deserve each other.' EVE finally  realizes that the two of them belong together because for her to supersede Margo she had to be critical of her lifestyle and therefore seek to destroy it.  The artist is as heartless as the critic yet that is required when that said artist wants to set new standards. After she says she cannot go on Addison says, ‘My dear you’ll give the performance of your life’ which she does and also wins the award and goes off to Hollywood.

Phoebe

After EVE returns home after receiving the award she encounters Phoebe who, just like EVE, will do anything to reach the top. She was attracted by EVE’s blistering performance and that her fabricated name is from her school. She is prepared to help EVE just as EVE was once eager to help Margo. The cycle has begun again and this is highlighted by the final shot with Phoebe clasping the award in a hall of mirrors. This final shot ensures that the film remains timeless since it highlights that this episode will go on and on.