classic corner

BY JAY BOBBIN

Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz has more than a casual connection to the famous 1950 drama “All About Eve”: It was written and directed by his great-uncle, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who earned Oscars for performing both tasks on the film. TCM shows the picture Sunday, May 7, and it’s always a guessing game whether Ben will invoke personal history in his surrounding segments under such circumstances.

The picture is the legendary backstage story of an ambitious newcomer (Anne Baxter) who takes advantage of a star (Bette Davis) whose career is on the downslide. Indeed, as said in it, it’s “going to be a bumpy night.” The superb cast also includes George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe and Thelma Ritter.