The Three Faces of Eve
| The Three Faces of Eve | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Nunnally Johnson |
| Produced by | Nunnally Johnson |
| Written by | Nunnally Johnson |
| Based on |
The Three Faces of Eve, a Case of Multiple Personality 1957 book by Corbett H. Thigpen Hervey M. Cleckley |
| Starring |
Joanne Woodward David Wayne Lee J. Cobb |
| Narrated by | Alistair Cooke |
| Music by | Robert Emmett Dolan |
| Cinematography | Stanley Cortez |
| Edited by | Marjorie Fowler |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
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Release date
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Running time
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91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $965,000 |
| Box office | $1.4 million (US rentals) |
The Three Faces of Eve is a 1957 American mystery drama film presented in CinemaScope, based on a book by psychiatrists Corbett H. Thigpen and Hervey M. Cleckley, who also helped write the screenplay. It was based on their case of Chris Costner Sizemore, also known as Eve White, a woman they suggested might suffer from dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder). Sizemore's identity was concealed in interviews and this film, and was not revealed to the public until 1975. The film is directed by Nunnally Johnson.
Joanne Woodward won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first actress to win an Oscar for portraying three different personalities (Eve White, Eve Black and Jane). The Three Faces of Eve also became the first film since 1936 to win the Best Actress award without getting nominated in another category after Bette Davis won for Dangerous.
Eve White is a timid, self-effacing wife and mother who is subject to severe and blinding headaches and occasional blackouts. Eventually she is sent to see a personality psychiatrist Dr. Luther, and while having a conversation, a "new personality", the wild, fun-loving Eve Black, emerges. Eve Black knows everything about Eve White, but Eve White is unaware of Eve Black. When Eve Black becomes the dominant personality, Eve White's husband leaves her and abandons their daughter, Bonnie. Eve White is sent to an asylum after Eve Black tries to kill Eve White's daughter.
Dr. Luther considers both Eve White and Eve Black to be incomplete and inadequate personalities. Most of the film depicts Luther's attempts to understand and deal with these two faces of Eve. He eventually prompts her to remember a traumatic event in Eve’s childhood. Her beloved grandmother had died when she was six, and according to family custom relatives were supposed to kiss the dead person at the viewing, making it easier for them to let go. Eve's grief and terror led to her "splitting off" into two distinctly different personalities.
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Wikipedia