SPOILER ALERT! The plot will be discussed.
Margo has been a success for quite a while in Lloyd's plays,
which are directed by Margo's lover, Bill Simpson (Gary Merrill). She is a
star, but realizes that she is an aging one, and has self-doubts about
sustaining her success. Her best friend, Karen, encounters Eve, who says in
sweet, humble, devotional adoration, that she has seen every performance of the
play, and even saw Margo perform in San
Francisco . Karen invites Eve into Margo's dressing
room. Eve then tells her sad tale of her poor parents and husband who died in
the war. She now occupies herself seeing Margo perform. The film says that
great actors need to be loved, and so does Margo. Perhaps this characteristic
is also a great flaw, and Margo is susceptible to it. She hires Eve as her
business secretary. She does a great
job. But, Margo's wardrobe woman, Birdie (Thelma Ritter), doesn't trust her. She
doesn't see unselfish loyalty in Eve, but rather someone who is studying Margo,
artistically stealing from her, not admiring the great actress' attributes. I
would have liked to have seen more of Birdie's candid humor in the film.
We start to see that Birdie is right about Eve wanting
to replace Margo when she checks her hair in Margo's mirror, and holds up the
star's dress in front of herself, taking a pretend bow on the empty stage of
the theater. Eve first tries to undermine Margo by putting the moves on Bill.
He dismisses her with a sports-romance metaphor by saying she made "an
incomplete forward pass." Eve's true
envious nature is seen when she starts to tear at Margo's wig after the
rejection. She then tries to drive a wedge between Karen and her husband Lloyd,
who have been having marital problems. There is a scene where Eve gets someone to
ask Lloyd to see about her because she is distraught. When Karen gets the call,
the audience can note problems with the marriage because she and Lloyd are
sleeping in separate beds. This action occurs after Karen delays Margo's return
from a countryside trip so that Eve can act as Margo's understudy. To her
acting credit, she makes the most of the opportunity. DeWitt makes sure that
all the critics take notice that Eve now surpasses Margo. Margo, seeing how Eve
has gone behind her back, tries to get her a job with the producer, but Eve has
already staked her claim.
Eve threatens Karen with revealing how she gave
her the chance at being the understudy unless she uses her influence with Lloyd
to cast her in his new play whose main character is in her 20's. But, Margo, happy with Bill's marriage
proposal, her performance in the current play, and her friends, accepts that
she is too old for the new part. In the end, although Eve's acting is rewarded, she has met her match in
DeWitt, who does know all about Eve. He
tells her that he found out about her lies: she was never in San Francisco , since the theater she
mentioned doesn't exist; and she was never married. He says he found out that
she slept with her previous boss and was paid to leave town. He tells her that
they are the same – they are unable to love or be loved and share a dislike for
humanity. All they have is their talent. He has the goods on her, and tells her
that she belongs to him. In contrast, despite Eve's professional success,
Margo's life is much richer.
The film falters with its inconsistent use of the
voice-overs. But, the dialogue is great.
Some favorite lines: "Peace
and quite are for libraries."; "Actors are like infants. They scream
at the top of their voices."; "Eve would ask Abbot for
Costello." And, at the end, Margo tells Eve to put her award where her
heart should be. Also, the film has a great supporting performance by Marilyn
Monroe, who is trying to use DeWitt to get her acting career going. Despite the
talent surrounding her, she steals the scene.
Next week’s film is Blade
Runner.
did Eve have an affair with Lloyd ?
ReplyDeleteGood question. I don't think the audience really finds out, but it is definitely possible.
ReplyDelete