so she made it into an "off-the-shoulder"........... and looked great.
Posted on 01/11/2026 8:38:41 AM PST by Twotone
In her autobiography A Lonely Life, Bette Davis remembers making All About Eve with none of the rancour or drama that should provide all the dirt an essayist would look for when writing about the film. Her part was supposed to go to someone else, but when Claudette Colbert injured her back while filming Three Came Home, director Joseph L. Mankiewicz had producer Darryl F. Zanuck call Davis. "I can think of no project that from the outset was as rewarding from the first day to the last," she writes.
"It is easy to understand why. It was a great script, had a great director, and was a cast of professionals all with parts they liked. It was a charmed production from the word go. After the picture was released I told Joe 'he had resurrected me from the dead.' He had in more ways than one. He handed me the beginning of a new life professionally and personally. I also say a thank-you to Claudette Colbert for hurting her back. Claudette's loss was my gain. On what strange circumstances are whole lives changed."
But when my dear friend, the late Kathy Shaidle, wrote about the film on this site – one of her all-time favourites – she managed to discover something that would have drawn a black cloud over Davis' own memory of All About Eve, if she were still alive. Having upgraded her DVD reissue of the film with the then-new Criterion double disc Blu-ray (which Kathy left to me after her too-early death, five years ago this week), she noticed the 4K digital transfer "has mostly unveiled something Mankiewicz and company were likely trying to camouflage – namely, Bette Davis' appearance."
(Excerpt) Read more at steynonline.com ...
I love that movie. 😁
A great read, thanks for sharing. One of my favorite movies too.
Trump Kennedy Center
https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/d/da-dn/bette-davis/
https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/c/co-cz/claudette-colbert/
IMDB
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000581/
“A lonely life”
Just shows that no matter how wealthy and famous you may be we all need our friends and family. Sure I would like more money, but I have so much fun and love from all my friends doing our weekly music gig together. Burry me with my mandolin.....
It was a great movie, I’ve loved it many times. My sister died in 2013 from cancer like Kathy Shaidle. We watched it together, and now from the excellent prose of Mark and Kathys on her obituary, I am right back with her.
Mark Steyn is a natural treasure. Revel in him while he is here. Loved him on Rush, follow his writings forever.
My sister was a Saint, unlke me, I was the Kathy Shaidle in that relationship. Black cloud, Donny downer, but we laughed.... a LOT.
Thanks for posting these threads. They are a highlight of FR.
My sister was a Saint......... unlke me........
Not a saint. But surely you’ve been beatified?.......chuckle.
One of the greatest classics of all time. Love it.
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