Nut Butter Island: Fasten Your Seabelts . . . Miss Bette Davis on the Big Screen

Last night, we saw "All About Eve" on the big screen at the Ohio Theatre. What an experience! This was the one film that I really wanted to see on the big screen and it was just as wonderful as I hoped that it would be. I was wishing that they would play a Bette Davis film, and you couldn't get a better one than "All About Eve". There were so many good scenes, the time flew by and it was over before I really realized it. The reel was in really good shape, without a lot of flicks and spots. Even though we have seen it twice on our TV at home, there is nothing that compares with seeing them on the big screen.

"Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." When Bette Davis said this line, the whole theatre erupted in applause! It was very cool. It was fun to listen to all the different laughs, gasps, etc. You could tell that most people had never seen it before. Especially during the big scene at the end where Addison Dewitt tells Eve that he knows all about her, people were shocked. It was fun to experience an audience of people viewing a film for the first time.

One great part of the film happens very early on when Gary Merrill delivers a very good "soliloquy" about how people should not be snobbish about their preferred form of entertainment. It still holds true today. When Bette Davis talks about being a woman is another great part. This scene is when Margo and Karen are sitting in the car, after running out of gasoline. In the film, it is Winter and they are freezing. When they filmed it, it was early Summer and, with the heat and the lights, it was over 100 degrees in the sound stage while they were acting this scene! Another great scene is when the four friends are in the Cub Room and Bill and Margo announce their upcoming wedding. The film is cast superbly and everyone works so well with each other.

Thelma Ritter is one of my personal favorites, although her character in "Eve" is more of a plot device than an actual role. She is essential to the story in the fact that she is the one who sees through Eve from the very beginning, while the principle characters are too caught up in the sentiment of Eve's story. She is so good, and what an actress. My favorite part of the film is the scene between Margo and Birdie when Margo finally realizes that Birdie is right about Eve. Eve leaves the room, Bette Davis looks over at Thelma Ritter, who backs up out the door - not saying a word - just looking at her from across the room, and the scene ends with Bette Davis sitting in bed. Not a word is spoken by either of them, yet you know the whole conversation that just passed between the two characters. Fabulous acting and Thelma Ritter has no trouble keeping up with Bette Davis. Sadly, after the main characters have been alerted to Eve's real intentions, her character is dropped and Birdie makes an understated exit with a sable coat. Another great Thelma Ritter film is "Rear Window", where she has a very similar role and great lines.

"All About Eve" was nominated for fourteen Academy Awards, a record that hasn't been beaten since, and won six of them, including Best Picture! Considered one of Bette Davis' best roles, she was not, however, the first choice for the role of Margo Channing. Susan Hayward and Barbara Stanwyck were considered, but the studio actually signed Claudette Colbert to play it. However, while filming a different movie, she sustained a back injury that caused her to give up the role. Then producer Darryl Zanuck went personally to Bette Davis with a script, and asked her to play Margo.

This was definitely one of the best films so far on the big screen, right up there with "Singin' in the Rain". Bette Davis was made to be seen on the big screen. It was a very enjoyable way to end such a hot day! Since it started at 7:30pm, we didn't get home until after 11, but it is worth being a little tired this morning. What fun! This is definitely getting a page in my scrapbook.