Only Film Where 4 Actresses Received Oscar Nominations

Female-driven films were still very new when one stand out changed the way we understood how women’s stories were told.

All About Eve was released on Oct. 27, 1960, just 11 years after the first film with an all-female cast was made. The 20th Century Fox production was based on the short story “The Wisdom of Eve” written by Mary Orr for Cosmopolitan in May 1946 and told the story of Margo Channing (Bette Davis), a beloved Broadway actress who is enjoying the spoils of her success while worrying what the future holds after turning 40.

Orr’s own story is based in real life, telling the story of  Elisabeth Bergner, who hired a fan as an assistant and watched her try to claw her way into besting Bergner in every area of her life and career.

Margo’s assistant, Birdie Coonan (Thelma Ritter), tries to help her keep her life together. Karen Richards (Celeste Holm), the wife of a playwright, marvels at the drama between entertainers, which amps up as Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) goes from young superfan to slowly inching her way into the industry, with her sights set on Margo’s career, her man (Bill, played by Gary Merrill) and more. The film even featured Marilyn Monroe in a small role.

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The actress’ create a world that engulfs you into their faux-showbusiness drama, a world of women vacillating between supporting each other and backstabbing to get themselves ahead, with striking performances that led to Oscar nominations for Davis, Ritter, Holm and Baxter.

Further, there was some of the cattiness and conniving that played out on screen happening offscreen. Davis and Holm didn’t see eye to eye, escalating to Holm avoiding her in the film’s downtime. Davis and her on-screen rival, Baxter, on the other hand, reportedly hit it off.

The perfect storm of chemistry made for an unforgettable experience for viewers. The film altogether brought in 14 Academy Award nominations — Best Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Best Actress nominations for Baxter and Davis, Best Supporting Actor for George Sanders, Best Supporting Actress for Holm and Ritter, Best Art Direction, Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture and Best Sound Recording — winning in half those categories.

All About Eve impacted so many, both inside and outside of the business, for its singularity in the moment it was released. It would inspire Applause on Broadway two decades later. The plot served as inspiration in countless films and television shows that followed, from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to Magic Mike.

In July 2025, Molly Smith Metzler, the creator of Netflix’s Sirens told Variety had a “subconscious influence” on the series.

“[Eve is] a sort of traditional villain, and I think Simone has ingredients of that, but we try to have more fun,” she added. “We find out that Eve has been lying about her backstory and kind of covering up a darker, sadder story. And with Simone in Sirens, she is lying about her past, but it’s actually a really sad [story], and it’s almost kind of opposite,” McKenna said.

“She’s trying to hide the darkness ’cause she doesn’t want to talk about it, while I think Eve is manipulating her background to get a foot in the door.”

Even earlier this year, Julia Garner picked the film during her time in the Criterion Closet, “The first film that I’m going to pick is my favorite film, All About Eve. Bette Davis is incredible. Anne Baxter, who plays Eve Harrington, is incredible,” Garner said during the March 2025 visit.

“I watch this movie at least once a year, sometimes multiple times a year. I just think this is a perfect film, and I think everybody should watch this.”

Lindsay Lohan also hailed the film as “perfect” while speaking to Letterboxd during promotions for Freakier Friday.

“Bette Davis, in that movie, you just can’t take your eyes off her. It’s one of those movies you can never remake because it’s so perfect,” she shared, adding “But that would be the dream role to play. Just the dialogue in it…”