All About Eve

:01:05

The Sarah Siddons Award
is perhaps unknown to you.

:01:09

It has been spared the sensational publicity

:01:12

of such questionable honours
as the Pulitzer Prize

:01:15

and those awards presented annually
by that... film society.

:01:20

The distinguished-Iooking gentleman
is an extremely old actor.

:01:24

Being an actor,
he will go on speakingfor some time.

:01:27

It is not important thatyou hear what he says.

:01:30

However, it is important thatyou know
where you are and why you are here.

:01:35

This is the dining hall
of the Sarah Siddons Society.

:01:38

It is the annual banquet and presentation
of the highest honour our theatre has:

:01:43

the Sarah Siddons Awardfor
Distinguished Achievement.

:01:47

These hallowed walls,
indeed many of these faces,

:01:50

have looked upon Modjeska,
Ada Rehan and Minnie Fiske.

:01:54

Mansfield's voice filled this room.

:01:57

It is unlikely that the windows
have been opened since his death.

:02:01

The minor awards, as you can see,
have already been presented.

:02:06

Minor awards are for such
as the writer and director,

:02:09

since they merely construct a tower

:02:12

so that the world can applaud
a light which flashes on top of it.

:02:16

And no brighter light has ever
dazzled the eye than Eve Harrington.

:02:20

Eve... but more of Eve later.

:02:23

All about Eve, in fact.

:02:25

To those who do not read, attend the theatre,
listen to unsponsored radio programmes

:02:31

or know anything of the world
in which you live,

:02:34

it is perhaps necessary to introduce myself.

:02:37

My name is Addison DeWitt.

:02:39

My native habitat is the theatre.
In it, I toil not. Neither do I spin.

:02:45

I am a critic and commentator.

:02:47

I am essential to the theatre.

:02:50

This is Karen Richards.

:02:52

She is the wife of a playwright,
therefore of the theatre by marriage.

:02:56

Nothing in her background should have
brought her closer to the stage than Row E.