ALL ABOUT EVE, 1950, 20th Century Fox, 138 min. A scintillating showbiz yarn laced with bitchiness and back-stabbing, director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's multi-Oscar-winning masterpiece pits middle-aged Broadway mega-star Margo Channing (Bette Davis) against smooth-talking, two-faced wannabe Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). A timid, mousy fan who ingratiates her way into Margo's inner circle, ambitious Eve wastes no time stealing Margo's spotlight and her man. Never fear: Margo takes nothing lying down, and Bette's arsenal of immortal lines is unmatched -- not to mention costumes and make-up that cemented her place as a drag icon.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, 1962, Warner Bros. 134 min. Forget about its reputation as a camp classic; this first-rate study of the most dysfunctional siblings in cinema history is a classic, period. Bette Davis is chilling as a washed-up child star who passes the time by torturing her invalid sister Joan Crawford.