Development as Miss Casswell in a scene with
Anne Baxter,
Bette Davis and
George Sanders All About Eve originated from the short story "The Wisdom of Eve" written by
Mary Orr, published in
Cosmopolitan magazine in May 1946. The story was a highly fictionalized account based on an anecdote, as related by Austrian actress
Elisabeth Bergner. Orr's story idea began when Bergner told her about a young Englishwoman who stood outside the
Booth Theatre for several days. Bergner invited the woman into her dressing room and later gave her a job as her secretary to her husband. The woman later became Bergner's understudy and tried to take control of Bergner's life. Bergner confirmed the basis of the story in her autobiography
Bewundert viel und viel gescholten (translated as
Greatly Admired and Greatly Scolded), devoting five pages to her anecdote. On January 24, 1949, "The Wisdom of Eve" was adapted into a radio episode broadcast on
NBC's
Radio City Playhouse. Orr wrote the radio play, changing the name of lead character Margola to Margo.
Claudia Morgan was cast as Margo,
Marilyn Erskine played Eve and Orr portrayed Karen Richards. A few days later, Twentieth Century-Fox optioned the film rights to Orr's story for $5,000 (). The story caught the attention of James Fisher, the head of the studio's story department, and he sent the story to several contracted producers, writers and directors. On April 29,
Joseph L. Mankiewicz sent a memo to studio president
Darryl F. Zanuck suggesting that they exercise their option on Orr's story. He stated that the story "fits in with an original idea [of mine] and can be combined. Superb starring role for
Susan Hayward." in 1950 As he was filming
No Way Out (1950), Mankiewicz wrote a 82-page
film treatment titled
Best Performance during the summer and early fall of 1949. Over the course of six weeks at the
San Ysidro Ranch, he expanded his treatment into a first draft. Mankiewicz changed Margo's surname from Cranston to Channing, but Mankiewicz retained Orr's characters Eve Harrington and Lloyd and Karen Richards. He also removed Margo's husband from the original story and replaced him with a new love interest, Bill Simpson. Mankiewicz also created the characters Addison DeWitt, Birdie Coonan, Max Fabian and Phoebe. By January 1950, Zanuck had received Mankiewicz's draft, and he provided numerous suggestions for improving the screenplay. Zanuck underlined a phrase in Addison DeWitt's voiceover narration: "Eve ... but more of Eve, later. All about Eve, in fact." Zanuck also suggested diluting Birdie Coonan's early mistrust of Eve so that the audience would not recognize Eve as a villainess until much later in the story. After inserting several of Zanuck's suggestions, Mankiewicz delivered another revised draft—dubbed the "temporary draft"—on March 1. On March 7, Zanuck wrote in a memo to Mankiewicz: "Without any question of a doubt you have done a remarkable job. The holes that were present in certain sections of the original treatment have disappeared." However, Zanuck sent nine pages of notes, detailing recommended cuts or revisions: "I have tried to sincerely point out the spots that appeared dull or overdrawn. I have not let the length of the script influence me. I have tried to cut it as I am sure I would cut if I were in the projection room." Mankiewicz's draft, which had run 223 pages, was truncated to 180. According to Fox records, Mankiewicz's writing services on the project were terminated on March 24, and by April, he started his official assignment as director.
All About Eve was the first film to have its screenplay published in hardcover format when it was published by
Random House in 1951. Mankiewicz wrote the book's dedication: "To
Rosa—the critic on my hearth" (a pun on "
cricket on the hearth".) ,
Bette Davis,
George Sanders,
Anne Baxter,
Hugh Marlowe and
Celeste Holm Casting Several actresses were considered for the role of Margo Channing. Mankiewicz's original choice was
Susan Hayward, but at 32 years old, she was deemed too young. As the script was being written, Zanuck was favorable to casting
Claudette Colbert or
Barbara Stanwyck. By February 1950, the role had been awarded to Claudette Colbert, but while filming
Three Came Home (1950), she was hospitalized indefinitely for an injured back. With a San Francisco studio already leased for two weeks, Zanuck could not wait for Colbert to recover and sought to quickly replace her. Mankiewicz suggested
Gertrude Lawrence, but Lawrence's attorney
Fanny Holtzmann insisted that the screenplay be changed so that Lawrence would not smoke or drink in the film and would sing a
torch song (instead of "
Liebesträume" by
Franz Liszt) about Bill in the party scene. Mankiewicz declined her proposed script alterations. Mankiewicz and Zanuck briefly considered
Marlene Dietrich, but Mankiewicz felt that her German dialect would be incompatible with the dialogue. In 1972, Mankiewicz stated: "I was, and am, a great admirer of Marlene. But from what I knew of her work and equipment as an actress, I simply could not visualize—or hear—her as a possible Margo." Zanuck contacted
Ingrid Bergman to replace Colbert, but Bergman refused to leave
Italy for the production. At least a dozen actress, including
Sheree North, had tested for the role of Miss Casswell.
Marilyn Monroe auditioned for the part and had been Mankiewicz's first choice. Decades later, Mankiewicz described "a breathlessness and sort-of glued on innocence about her that I found appealing." Monroe appears in only two scenes. On her first day of shooting for the party scene, with most of the cast present, she arrived one hour late. According
Gary Merrill, there were 25 takes for the scene with Miss Casswell and Addison DeWitt in the theater lobby. Mankiewicz wrote the character of Birdie Coonan for
Thelma Ritter, having worked with her on
A Letter to Three Wives.
José Ferrer was Zanuck's first choice for Addison DeWitt, but he was replaced by
George Sanders.
Barbara Bates won the part of the minor character Phoebe. ==Reception==