The Story: I've done previous "Don't Make a Scene" features with All About Eve: "Eve's Story," and one featuring Marilyn Monroe and my favorite exchange from it. I could probably do one for just about every section of the film, as it crackles (and cackles) with good dialogue, good ideas, great performances, and is wickedly good fun. Then, there's this one that has been waiting in the wings for awhile, ending with the ninth greatest film dialogue of AFI's 100 Great Movie Quotes. The scene is full of great lines, zingers, bon mots and neat turns of phrase, zestily delivered, but that capper, timed for effect, presentation, and ominous portent has been embraced, borrowed, purloined, and championed by drama queens of both (and all) sexes. The Set-Up: Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is not in a role she wants to play. While beau Bill Simpson* (Gary Merrill) has been off to Hollywood to direct a film, Margo has been having issues with problem she's none too acquainted with—self-doubt. She's worried about her relationship with Simpson—that he might have been stepping out with younger women on the West Coast—and her personal assistant Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), who seems to be encroaching on Margo's life. Before Simpson's combination welcome home/birthday party there's a little pre-function friction after Margo happens upon him talking to Eve. Once she leaves, Margo and Bill are reunited (where's that seat belt?). Action!
(Eve)leaves. A short lull. Margo looks into cigarette boxes. Bill eyes her curiosity, crosses to the fire.
BILL Looks like I'm going to have a very fancy party... MARGO I thought you were going to be late- BILL When I'm guest of honor? MARGO I had no idea you were even here. BILL I ran into Eve on my way upstairs;
she told me you were dressing.
MARGO That never stopped you before.
BILL Well, we started talking, she
wanted to know all about Hollywood,
she seemed so interested... MARGO She's a girl of so many interests. BILL It's a pretty rare quality these
days. MARGO She's a girl of so many rare
qualities.
BILL So she seems. MARGO (the steel begins to
flash)
So you've pointed out, so often. So
many qualities, so often. Her
loyalty, efficiency, devotion,
warmth, affection - and so young.
So young and so fair...
Bill catches the drift. Incredulously. BILL I can't believe you're making this
up - it sounds like something out
of an old Clyde Fitch play...
MARGO Clyde Fitch, though you may not
think so, was well before my time!
BILL (laughs)
I've always denied the legend that
you were in 'Our American Cousin'
the night Lincoln was shot...
MARGO I don't think that's funny!
BILL Of course it's funny - this is all
too laughable to be anything else.
You know what I think about this -
this age obsession of yours - and
now this ridiculous attempt to whip
yourself up into a jealous froth
because I spent ten minutes with a
stage-struck kid- MARGO Twenty minutes! BILL Thirty minutes, forty minutes! What
of it? MARGO Stage-struck kid... she's a young
lady - of qualities.
MARGO And I'll have
you know I'm fed up with both the
young lady and her qualities!
Studying me as if - as if I were a
play or a set of blueprints!
MARGO How I
walk, talk, think, eat, sleep! BILL Now how can you take offense at a
kid trying in every way to be as
much like her ideal as possible!
MARGO Stop calling her a kid!
MARGO It so
happens there are particular
aspects of my life to which I would
like to maintain sole and exclusive
rights and privileges!
BILL For instance what?
MARGO For instance - you!
BILL This is my cue to take you in my
arms and reassure you - but I'm not
going to. I'm too mad-
MARGO - guilty. BILL
Mad!
BILL Darling, there are certain
characteristics for which you are
famous - on stage and off. I love
you for some of them - and in spite
of others. I haven't let those
become too important to me. They're
part of your equipment for getting
along in what is laughably called
out environment - you've got to
keep your teeth sharp. All right.
But you will not sharpen them on me
- or on Eve... MARGO What about her teeth? What about
her fangs? BILL She hasn't cut them yet, and you
know it! So when you start judging
an idealistic dreamy-eyed kid by
the barroom, Benzedrine standards
of this megalomaniac society - I
won't have it!
BILL Eve Harrington has
never by word, look, thought or
suggestion indicated anything to me
but her adoration for you and her
happiness at our being in love! And
to intimate anything else doesn't
spell jealousy to me - it spells a
paranoic insecurity that you should
be ashamed of!
MARGO Cut! Print it! What happens in the
next reel? Do I get dragged off
screaming to the snake pit?
EVE'S VOICE
(quietly)
Miss Channing?
Bill and Margo look off. Eve is in the room. They have no way
of knowing how long she's been there.
EVE
The hors d'oeuvres are here. Is
there anything else I can do?
MARGO Thank you, Eve. I'd like a Martini -
very dry.
BILL I'll get it. (he crosses to Eve)
BILL What'll you have? Eve, involuntarily, looks to Margo.
MARGO A milkshake?
Eve smiles, turns to Bill. EVE A Martini. Very dry, please...
Bill smiles back and starts across the landing toward the
pantry. As he crosses the stairs, Karen, Lloyd and Max come
up from the street level below. General greetings. Bill
continues up to pantry. Eve and then Margo come up to add
their welcome...
EVE (to Karen)
May I have your coat? KAREN Don't bother, I can take it up
myself... EVE Please... Karen yields with a "thank you, Eve-." Eve goes up with the
coat. Lloyd looks after her approvingly.
LLOYD I like that girl. That quality of
quiet graciousness... MARGO ... Among so many quiet qualities. They start for the living room.
KAREN Margo, nothing you've ever done has
made me as happy as your taking Eve
in... MARGO I'm so happy you're happy.
MAX
Look, you haven't been running a
settlement house exactly - the
kid's earned her way. You had a
pretty mixed-up inventory when she
took over - merchandise laying all
over the shop...
LLOYD You've got Margo mixed up with a
five-and-ten-cent store...
MARGO Make it Bergdorf Goodman... and now
everything is on its proper shelf,
eh, Max? Done up in little ribbons.
MARGO I could die right now and nobody'd
be confused. How about you, Max?
MAX How about me what? They've come to a halt near the fireplace.
MARGO Supposed you dropped dead. What
about your inventory?
MAX I ain't gonna die. Not with a hit. KAREN This is the most ghoulish
conversation... Bill brings two Martinis. He hands one to Margo.
MARGO (it drips ice)
Thank you. BILL Nothing, really...
MARGO The kid - junior, that is - will be
right down. Unless you'd like to
take her drink up to her... BILL (smiles)
I can always get a fresh one. Karen
- you're a Gibson girl... He hands Eve's drink to Karen. Max has wandered off. Other
guests are arriving. Margo gulps her drink, hands Bill the
empty glass. He puts it on a passing tray. Margo takes a
fresh one at the same time.
LLOYD
The general atmosphere is very
Macbethish. What has or is about to
happen?
MARGO (to Bill)
What is he talking about?
BILL Macbeth.
KAREN
(to Margo)
We know you, we've seen you before
like this. Is it over - or just
beginning?
* When I published this on another site it provoked a bit of a reaction. I had Gary Merrill's character's name as "Bill Simpson." Someone wrote in saying "Gary Merrill's name is Bill SAMPSON. It's hard to take you seriously when you make mistakes like that." Two things struck me about that: 1) anyone would take me seriously and 2) Although I recall the name being SAMPSON in the film, in IMDB it's SIMPSON (so I put it that way), Wikipedia has it as SAMPSON. TCM has it as Simpson [Sampson]. And in the film? Take a look.
Anyway, I'll stick with Simpson, even though it SOUNDS like Sampson in the film. SOME-body got it wrong...and I still take All About Eve seriously.
Anyway, I'll stick with Simpson, even though it SOUNDS like Sampson in the film. SOME-body got it wrong...and I still take All About Eve seriously.
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