History YMMV / AllAboutEve

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Margo on the second watch. She's basically a victim of subtle emotional abuse, and everyone behaves as if she's completely irrational. Even before TheReveal, Eve does several things that would be out of line if everyone just listened to Margo and Birdie; arranging a call for Bill's birthday and planning a party behind her back (presumably charging Margo for both), while also passive aggressively rubbing it in her face that ''she'' remembered her boyfriend's birthday and sent him a private telegram. And Margo says she crossed Addison off her guest list for Bill's party, meaning Eve undermined her to invite him. Not to mention that Eve's sob story is designed to make Margo feel guilty for being annoyed with her. She also has every right to be annoyed that she wasn't told Eve was made her understudy for a whole week, and Lloyd's praise of Eve's performance is hard to defend as anything other than a dig at Margo herself (while Addison may have embellished, Lloyd's reaction indicates he still said it).

* FridgeBrilliance: Phoebe does the exact same thing that Eve did to Margo, waiting to meet her in person and become part of her household. Well, she's president of the first Eve Harrington fan club, so of course she'd know the story of how Eve first got her start - and was hoping to try the same thing.

** Creator/GeorgeSanders himself sees Eve as "the closest thing to a heroine" in the story and Margo as immensely dislikable and unrelatable. This is probably why ''{{Film/Showgirls}}'' - which is this except with Vegas showgirls - made the 'Eve' the main character (who then gets thought of as the DesignatedHero).
** Could Karen's sabotage of Margo's lift to the train station (making her miss her performance) be just her trying to give Eve a chance - or a moment of frustration wanting to knock Margo down a peg after weeks of her being unbearable. Probably a combination of both, since she wanted to help Eve but also get back at Margo. Given that she seems afraid of Eve telling on the stunt, it's possibly the former.

** Margo refers to her maid Bertie as a "fifth rate vaudeville star". Fast forward to ''Film/WhatEverHappenedToBabyJane'' where Creator/BetteDavis would play a formerly famous vaudeville child star, in the shadow of another woman who went on to become a noted film star.

** Playwright Creator/ArthurMiller is name-dropped in the film. Marilyn Monroe, who plays Miss Caswell, would eventually marry him.

* RonTheDeathEater: Some people go overboard with the hate towards Margo, painting her as an evil and superficial diva who deserved everything Eve did to her. This is ignoring that while Margo has an ego, she was genuinely moved by Eve's story and took her on as an assistant out of the goodness of her heart. And even when she starts getting paranoid about Eve, she still tries to get her a job [[ReassignedToAntarctica in Max's office]] as opposed to kicking her out on the street. Margo's stresses also come from still being expected to play young twentysomethings in her forties, and the fear that she'll be nothing without her career.

* UnfortunateImplications: It has been argued that this movie has anti-homosexual and sexist undertones. Addison and Eve are presented as villains, and, as noted, are often interpreted as homosexuals[[note]]Though this is strictly {{Fanon}} with no definite evidence in the film itself[[/note]]. Eve's focus on her career, in contrast to Karen's devotion to her husband, and Margo's eventual acceptance of Bill and of her fading career, [[AmbitionIsEvil is shown as devious]], and she eventually succumbs to Addison's domination. The greatest example within the movie itself is Margo's speech to Karen, where she outright says a woman is not a woman without a husband and having a career just leads to ending up alone. Wiki/TheOtherWiki has full [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_About_Eve#Thematic_content details]].

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments:
** Margo being woken up at midnight because of a call Eve arranged for her to Bill on his birthday. Margo has forgotten that it's his birthday, and assumes that him asking for her to say "it" means "I love you". Bill says she can sing it if she prefers, and Margo does a magnificent DoubleTake.
** Margo's magnificent SnarkToSnarkCombat to Addison when he arrives at Bill's party with Miss Caswell.
--> '''Margo:''' I distinctly remember crossing you off my guest list. What are you doing here?
--> '''Addison:''' Dear Margo. You were an unforgettable Literature/PeterPan. You must play it again soon. You remember Miss Caswell?
--> '''Margo:''' [[BluntNo I do not]]. How do you do?
--> '''Miss Caswell:''' We've never met, maybe that's why.
** Eve tries to play up the humble routine when Margo has her talk to Addison, claiming he would find her boring. Miss Caswell says she won't bore him, because she likely won't even get a chance to talk.
** As she gets drunker and drunker at the party, Margo keeps making the pianist play a sombre rendition of "Leibelstrom". Cut to a while later when Bill asks if they're suddenly at a wake.
** SweetAndSourGrapes kicking in for Karen. Eve blackmails her to get Lloyd to give her the part of Cora, or else she'll go to the papers and reveal that Karen sabotaged Margo's car to allow her to go on for her one night (thereby ruining Karen and Margo's friendship). As soon as she gets back to the table, Margo announces that she's taking a break from her career and turns down the part of Cora. Karen bursts into a laughing fit extremely out of character for someone so soft-spoken. Margo, who spent a good portion of the second act being a LadyDrunk herself, [[HypocriticalHumor takes Karen's glass away]].
** Karen sassing Eve 1950s style when Lloyd tries to defend her.
--> '''Lloyd:''' She apologised.
--> '''Karen:''' On her knees, I've no doubt.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Don't make your whole life about just your career, or you'll end up lonely and bitter.

* {{Fanon}}: Eve and Addison are often interpreted to be really gay. However unlike films such as ''Film/RebelWithoutACause'', ''{{Film/Rope}}'' or ''Film/TheHaunting1963'' where the subtext is much more obvious, there's no definite evidence beyond WildMassGuessing. Eve has an obsession with Margo, but is set on ''becoming'' her rather than being romantically involved in her. She also attempts to seduce two men (to further her career yes) and it's revealed [[spoiler: she was run out of town for having an affair with a married man]]. Addison meanwhile only has his IAmVeryBritish way of speaking, and viewers often forget that he [[spoiler: blackmails Eve into marrying him]].

* MagnificentBastard: [[ManOfWealthAndTaste Addison DeWitt]] is a brilliant and manipulative [[CausticCritic critic]]. Spotting the ascent of the titular [[BitchInSheepsClothing Eve Harrington]] through the acting industry at the expense of others, [=DeWitt=] aids her in her rise to fame while pretending to be her ally and underling. Playing along with her, he effortlessly creates a paranoia which undermines Eve's rival Margo Channing and turns the tables, netting Eve a profitable career. However, when Eve decides to marry Lloyd Richards and rise to fame, [=DeWitt=] [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech verbally breaks her down]], making it clear that he alone is responsible for his career and that she has been outplayed, taking control of her life. As the film ends, [=DeWitt=] meets a similar woman to Eve and invites her into her home, [[HereWeGoAgain beginning the cycle once again]] and always coming out on top.

** Eve's backstory is that she [[spoiler: was paid off to leave town to avoid a scandal after having an affair with a married man]]. This is treated as information that would destroy her career and reputation. If that happened today, she might get some negative press from MoralGuardians but would otherwise not have to worry as much. In fact, given her obvious youth when [[spoiler: the affair happened]], the public might view her more sympathetically. She certainly wouldn't have to resort to [[spoiler: becoming Addison's trophy wife to keep the story from spreading]].

** Creator/GeorgeSanders himself sees Eve as a "the closest thing to a heroine" in the story and Margo as immensely dislikable and unrelatable. This is probably why ''{{Film/Showgirls}}'' - which is this except with Vegas showgirls - made the 'Eve' the main character (who then gets thought of as the DesignatedHero).

** Addison Freaking [=DeWitt=]! Not only for practically ''driving'' the film with his wit, cynic and smarts, he's also the only person who was capable off {{Out Gambitt|ed}}ing the title character herself. His actor even won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his performance.

* AwardSnub: With both Creator/BetteDavis and Creator/AnneBaxter competing for Best Actress at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s that year, they canceled each other out - and Creator/JudyHolliday ended up winning for ''Film/BornYesterday''. This is considered a great snub for another nominee - Creator/GloriaSwanson for ''Film/SunsetBoulevard''. These days it's felt that Anne Baxter should have gone for Best Supporting Actress instead - as neither Creator/CelesteHolm nor Creator/ThelmaRitter's nominated performances have stood the test of time.

** Birdie Coonan is a pretty popular character despite her limited screentime due to being the only one who initially saw through Eve's lies and deceptions, even if everyone thought she was just jealous. Thelma Ritter likewise took home the Best Supporting Actress award over her more prominent co-star Celeste Holm.

* AwardSnub: With both Bette Davis and Anne Baxter competing for Best Actress at the Oscars that year, they canceled each other out - and Judy Holliday ended up winning for ''Born Yesterday''. This is considered a great snub for another nominee - Gloria Swanson for ''Film/SunsetBoulevard''. These days it's felt that Anne Baxter should have gone for Best Supporting Actress instead - as neither Celeste Holm nor Thelma Ritter's nominated performances have stood the test of time.

* MagnificentBastard:
** [[ManOfWealthAndTaste Addison DeWitt]] is a brilliant and manipulative [[CausticCritic critic]]. Spotting the ascent of the titular [[BitchInSheepsClothing Eve Harrington]] through the acting industry at the expense of others, [=DeWitt=] aids her in her rise to fame while pretending to be her ally and underling. Playing along with her, he effortlessly creates a paranoia which undermines Eve's rival Margo Channing and turns the tables, netting Eve a profitable career. However, when Eve decides to marry Lloyd Richards and rise to fame, [=DeWitt=] [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech verbally breaks her down]], making it clear that he alone is responsible for his career and that she has been outplayed, taking control of her life. As the film ends, [=DeWitt=] meets a similar woman to Eve and invites her into her home, [[HereWeGoAgain beginning the cycle once again]] and always coming out on top.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Margo on the second watch and due to SocietyMarchesOn. She's basically a victim of subtle emotional abuse, and everyone behaves as if she's completely irrational. Even before TheReveal, Eve does several things that would be out of line if everyone just listened to Margo and Birdie; arranging a call for Bill's birthday and planning a party behind her back (presumably charging Margo for both), while also passive aggressively rubbing it in her face that ''she'' remembered her boyfriend's birthday and sent him a private telegram. And Margo says she crossed Addison off her guest list for Bill's party, meaning Eve undermined her to invite him. Not to mention that Eve's sob story is designed to make Margo feel guilty for being annoyed with her. She also has every right to be annoyed that she wasn't told Eve was made her understudy for a whole week, and Lloyd's praise of Eve's performance is hard to defend as anything other than a dig at Margo herself (while Addison may have embellished, Lloyd's reaction indicates he still said it).

** Birdie Coonan is a pretty popular character despite her limited screentime due to being the only one who initially saw through Eve's lies and deceptions, even if everyone thought she was just jealous.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Margo on the second watch and due to SocietyMarchesOn. She's basically a victim of subtle emotional abuse, and everyone behaves as if she's completely irrational. Even before TheReveal, Eve does several things that would be out of line if everyone just listened to Margo and Birdie; arranging a call for Bill's birthday and planning a party behind her back (presumably charging Margo for both), while also passive aggressively rubbing it in her face that ''she'' remembered her boyfriend's birthday and sent him a private telegram. Not to mention that Eve's sob story is designed to make Margo feel guilty for being annoyed with her. She also has every right to be annoyed that she wasn't told Eve was made her understudy for a whole week, and Lloyd's praise of Eve's performance is hard to defend as anything other than a dig at Margo herself (while Addison may have embellished, Lloyd's reaction indicates he still said it).

** Technically, Addison doesn't outright force Eve to marry him; he says she ''belongs'' to him. What, exactly, this ''means'', is ambiguous. Given the era, they couldn't have him explicitly blackmailing her for sex, but they could easily imply that with them being married in the epilogue, and in the final scene, Eve appears to live alone. There's also little to indicate that Addison is sexually interested in her at all. We know for certain he's keeping her on a short leash, but what exactly that entails is a mystery--besides plain old psychological torture.

* OneSceneWonder: Creator/MarilynMonroe makes one of her first film appearances, playing a DumbBlonde.