Hold on tight because the making of All About Eve was nothing short of a wild ride. This iconic 1950 drama about an aging Broadway star, Margo Channing (played by the legendary Bette Davis), and her scheming fan Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), is a tale of backstage betrayal. The film not only swept the Academy Awards with six wins, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay, but it also carried its fair share of real-life drama. From on-set rivalries to a steamy extramarital romance, the story behind the scenes was just as captivating as the film itself.
A Star-Studded Cast and a Bumpy Ride
Even before the cameras rolled, screenwriter and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz had been tipped off about the "challenge" of working with Bette Davis. However, the seasoned actress, who stepped in after Claudette Colbert’s injury, absolutely adored the script. At 42, Bette was worried about her career fading as she aged, and she was genuinely grateful for the role. This gratitude created a harmonious working relationship between her and Mankiewicz, despite the warnings.
The Not-So-Perfect Pairing of Bette and Celeste
Not everyone got along as smoothly as Bette and Mankiewicz. Bette and Celeste Holm, who played Margot’s best friend, had a rocky relationship from the start. Celeste, known for her cheerful morning demeanor, rubbed Bette the wrong way early on. According to Sam Staggs, the author of All About All About Eve, Celeste greeted Bette one morning with enthusiasm, only to receive a curt and sarcastic response. “Celeste said, ‘Oh good morning! Isn’t it a wonderful day?’ And Bette glowered at her and said, ‘Oh s–t, good manners,’” recounts Staggs. This incident reportedly ended their communication. Even though both actresses received Oscar nominations for their roles, it didn’t mend fences. In the '80s, when Celeste’s name came up, Bette referred to her in less-than-flattering terms.
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Marilyn Monroe: The Rising Star
Among the seasoned Hollywood pros, All About Eve also featured a young and relatively unknown Marilyn Monroe. George Sanders, who won an Oscar for his role as a witty theater critic, claimed that Bette didn’t take kindly to Marilyn. According to Sanders, during a scene, Bette allegedly whispered within Marilyn’s hearing, “That little blonde can’t act her way out of a paper bag.” However, Staggs casts doubt on this story. At the time, Marilyn was just a starlet, and no one predicted her meteoric rise to fame. It seems unlikely that Bette would go out of her way to insult a timid young woman who clearly had potential.
Gary Merrill: Love Amidst the Chaos
Gary Merrill, who played Margot’s fiancé, saw beyond Bette’s diva reputation. Their connection began during a makeup test and only grew stronger as filming progressed. They fell in love despite the complications of their personal lives. Bette was in the process of divorcing her third husband, while Gary was still married. During Gary’s divorce proceedings, his wife accused him of planning an affair with co-star Anne Baxter while filming in San Francisco. Despite these allegations, the relationship between Bette and Gary was undeniably genuine. Their on-screen chemistry was palpable, making their characters’ relationship all the more believable.
