Mankiewicz’s script is one of the most celebrated examples of wit and quality in the history of film, and the film made from it positively drips with venom even as it sparkles. The film is the story of Margot Channing (Bette Davis in her greatest performance), a legendary Broadway diva whose behaviour is becoming more and more outrageous as she deals with upcoming middle-age. Matters are not helped when she come into contact with “her biggest fan”, a duplicitous, unscrupulous young actress who insinuates herself into Margot’s inner circle and schemes to get to the top by stealing everything Margot has. It’s the quintessential depiction of boundless ambition and its costs.