Anyone who knows me well is aware that I think All About Eve is one of, if not the best movie(s) ever made. 'Eve' was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (yeah, I spelled that without looking it up).

In some show on TV a while ago (maybe an intro to it on TCM or something), it was pointed out how Joe always had somewhat of a rivalry with his older brother, Herman (who wrote Citizen Kane, among other things). While Herman may have worked on the screenplay to the best movie of all time (according to a lot of people), Joe Mankiewicz is one of only two directors to win consecutive Best Director Oscars (the other being John Ford), and is the only person to win the best screenplay/best director pair twice in a row (1950 and 1951).

So we know that All About Eve (1950) took top honors for the 1951 ceremony, but what was Joe's previous winner? That movie was 'A Letter to Three Wives.'

'Letter' won Mankiewicz Director and Screenplay, but its only other nomination was Best Picture; unlike All About Eve, which had an enormous amount of nods, giving it huge potential (even over Billy Wilder's fantastic Sunset Blvd).

While 'Letter' is clearly no 'Eve,' it shares many similar themes that make it great on its own.

Opening with an invisible narrator (whom is never seen, but is voiced by Celeste Holm, who later appears in 'Eve') talking over the actions of three different women--their lives and husbands--she appears to be in total control, and it's clear that Addie Ross (the voice) is the principal conflict of the movie. As time progresses, and our three women are going on a riverboat without their husbands, they receive an ominous note addressed to the three of them from Addie saying that she has run off with one of their husbands; but the details end there. The women are stuck on this boat, each worrying that it may have been their husband that Addie's stolen.

The central chunk of the story is dealt with in three major flashbacks, one for each woman. Through these scenes, we see that Addie has played some form of previous love interest to their husbands, and that Addie Ross is also the epitome of 'class.' Reminiscent of Hitchcock's 'Rebecca,' the presence of Addie is felt strongly without her ever appearing on screen. We learn only of Addie through others' eyes, and her mystery would be seductive to the audience as well if we didn't see her ruining the main women's lives from an insider perspective.

Mankiewicz has always written sharp dialogue, with a high volume of references to literature, music, theater, movies, and even pop culture, and 'Letter' doesn't disappoint. He also has a talent for portraying women of all strengths and weaknesses, and while 'Letter' didn't churn out four Actress nominations ('Eve' had four women, and George Sanders), these women avoid stereotypes and outshine their male counterparts, except for possibly Kirk Douglas.

Not the classic movie that 'Eve' is, but definitely a solid picture, and a solid 9/10.