- Aspiring actress Eve Harrington maneuvers her way into the lives of Broadway star Margo Channing, playwright Lloyd Richards and director Bill Sampson. This classic story of ambition and betrayal has become part of American folklore. Bette Davis claims to have based her character on the persona of film actress Talullah Bankhead. Davis' line "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night" is legendary, but, in fact, all of the film's dialog sparkles with equal brilliance.
- The ambitious Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) gets close to the great and temperamental stage artist Margo Channing (Bette Davis) and her friends Karen Richards (Celeste Holm) and her husband, the play-writer Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe); her boyfriend and director Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill); and the producer Max Fabian (Gregory Ratoff). Everybody, except the cynical critic Addison DeWitt (George Sanders), believe that Eve is only a naive, humble and simple obsessed fan of Margo and they try to help her. However, Eve is indeed a cynical and manipulative snake that uses the lives of Margo and her friends to reach her objectives in the theater business.
- Stage star Margo Channing is friend to playwright Lloyd Richards and his wife Karen, in love with director Bill Samson, and the idol of Eve Harrington who becomes her secretary-aide. Eve begins to dominate: she sends Bill Margo's birthday wishes and arranges a party for him, at which point Margo explodes. Eve becomes Margo's understudy and, when Margo misses a performance, critic Addison DeWitt gives her rave reviews while making acerbic remarks about aging actresses like Margo. At Margo and Bill's engagement party Eve tries to force Karen to get her the lead in Lloyd's new play. Margo tells Lloyd she is going to retire. Eve gets the part but Addison reveals to her he knows the lies and schemes she used to get where she is.
- Broadway legend Margo Channing, aging but not gracefully, has everything: a successful career, close friends, a man who loves her. She also has a 'fan' named Eve Harrington, who manages to worm her way into Margo's life, in order to "study her like a blueprint". Eve's sweet facade is soon seen through by a number of people, most quickly by theater critic Addison deWitt, who decides to become her mentor. Eve achieves her goal of Broadway stardom, leaving a trail of unhappiness, but ultimately contentment, behind her.
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