Anne Baxter is one of the most unsubtle and--why mince words?--worst actresses ever to gain fame in Hollywood. Her performance in "All About Eve" ranks as one of the most overrated on record. An Oscar nomination for making the supposedly convincingly sweet Eve as obviously dangerous as a cobra? The same problem exists in "Guest in the House." The moment Baxter's Evelyn (almost the same name as "Eve") appears, we know she's bad bad bad. Baxter is so transparent as to be laughable.
Add the constant "Liebestraum" on the soundtrack and the fact that Evelyn comes on to Ruth Warrick's husband Ralph Bellamy (read: Bette Davis and Gary Merrill) and you have a perfect trial balloon for "Eve." In many people's opinion, Baxter improved by the time she played Eve in 1950. For me, it's "been there done that" all over again.
Someone else has alluded to the ending being unsatisfying. I'll echo that. Evelyn does rotten things, but she's a very mentally disturbed person. Aline MacMahon's character deliberately drives her to fall off a cliff. This is considered the right thing to do. Huh? We've come a long way since then.
Must add that Warrick and Bellamy are aces. Their relationship--complete with typical 1940's denial of Bellamy's alcoholism--makes the movie almost worth watching.
My favorite moment: Bellamy and Marie McDonald return home after hours of drinking themselves blind. Warrick asks what's been going on. Bellamy answers, "We took a drive to sober up." Warrick doesn't bat an eye. Unbelievable.
Add the constant "Liebestraum" on the soundtrack and the fact that Evelyn comes on to Ruth Warrick's husband Ralph Bellamy (read: Bette Davis and Gary Merrill) and you have a perfect trial balloon for "Eve." In many people's opinion, Baxter improved by the time she played Eve in 1950. For me, it's "been there done that" all over again.
Someone else has alluded to the ending being unsatisfying. I'll echo that. Evelyn does rotten things, but she's a very mentally disturbed person. Aline MacMahon's character deliberately drives her to fall off a cliff. This is considered the right thing to do. Huh? We've come a long way since then.
Must add that Warrick and Bellamy are aces. Their relationship--complete with typical 1940's denial of Bellamy's alcoholism--makes the movie almost worth watching.
My favorite moment: Bellamy and Marie McDonald return home after hours of drinking themselves blind. Warrick asks what's been going on. Bellamy answers, "We took a drive to sober up." Warrick doesn't bat an eye. Unbelievable.