Karen Was The Real Enemy
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Smush Master — 15 years ago(May 17, 2010 12:48 PM)
Not only did she plan to make Margo miss her performance, but instead of telling her truth when the conniving Eve threatened to rat her out, she gives in to her demands and tells Lloyd to give her Margo's part.
She went from being Margo's friend, to being Eve's b*tch.
I agree with the poster about Birdy. She had her figured out from the get go.
Karen is a nobody who married into the theater, because she wasn't good enough to make it on her own. -
somerelief2-859-146886 — 15 years ago(October 11, 2010 10:17 PM)
Sorry, but you are misunderstanding Karen's motives and the turn of events.
Others here have quite effectively explained Karen's motivation. Have you forgotten how rotten Margo had been treating everyone? She was no saint. She deserved to be taught a lesson, but teaching people lessons usually backfires one way or another. As far as Karen knew, Eve was merely a nice,very talented girl who was being verbally abused by her idol, Margo. And she thought that she would kill two birds with one stone by letting Eve get the opportunity to do one performance. In fact, Karen and Margo - like all of us, make mistakes for which they both felt remorse.
And no, Karen did not intercede with Lloyd to give the part to Eve; because at the table Margo announces that she does not want the part. That's why Karen is laughing: it's from sheer relief that now she doesn't have to give in to Eve's blackmail.
About Karen being a "nobody" - she gracefully states that she's the "lowest form of celebrity." But I like to think that she married Lloyd because she loved him and vice versa. Not everybody is interested in "making it big" in the theatre. -
learyblaine — 15 years ago(March 02, 2011 07:25 PM)
I thought Karen was laughing (after Margo announced she didn't want the part of Cara) because yet again! she had been marginalized. Once again the "real" movers and shakers had made their moves, leaving no part or role for her. She had not thought it possible, but she had just become an EVEN LOWER form of celebrity: one who caves-in to a blackmail, knowing in her heart what she did, then STILL doesn't make an impact. Pathetic.
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romarub — 15 years ago(September 10, 2010 11:14 PM)
It's always bothered me that Lloyd didn't further question how, or why, his car was out of gas - especially considering that he'd only filled the tank the day before. I realize this is only incidental to the plot, but I know that something like that would bother me until I got a definitive explanation.
Also, I don't know what kind of mileage cars got in 1950, but they were only 5 miles away from their destination, so Karen cut it very close when she drained the tank. -
EmpressClaudia — 15 years ago(March 21, 2011 11:04 PM)
Agreed. Seems to me that Karen was always jealous of Margo. And yes in the beginning she was just a pawn but come on that whole fiasco was Karen's fault and Karen never owned up to it just became a better friend because of her guilt.
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antonio8885 — 12 years ago(October 25, 2013 01:45 PM)
Oddly enough, Bette Davis got along with Anne Baxter in real life (they remained friends until Davis's death despite their initial competition for the Lead Actress Oscar that year!) but Bette couldn't stand Celeste Holm and felt as though Karen's laughing fit at the restaurant was purposely improvised by Holm to upstage Davis's morose Margo character in the scene! She was such a jealous control freak!
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elena-28 — 12 years ago(October 28, 2013 08:29 AM)
There's a lovely chain reaction here: though it's true that Margo has often abused her friends, and has a come-uppance coming, so to speak, in this particular case, her extreme behavior is motivated by her realization of what kind of person Eve is, and her inability to communicate this constructively to the people around her. Watch that magnificent build-up scene with her and Bill (and the chocolate temptation!), through to the Liebestodt (sp?) scene, and buttressed by her confession of fear of age to Lloyd, and culminating in that monologue about being tucked into bed ("Eve would, wouldn't you, Eve?" "If you'd like." "I wouldn't like."). Eve, in the end, is at the bottom of her behavior that night, but of course, no one knows (not even, I believe, Eve, interestingly, though she probably catches on right quick - which may be why she asks Karen if there's a way to move on from working for Margo).
Wonderful chain of behavior from writer Mank! -
first-things-first — 12 years ago(December 03, 2013 07:03 PM)
I agree. Margo was afraid of Eve, and a control freak. And when she caught on to Eve (with Birdy's help) she couldn't articulate it. Margo was at a crossroads, but too afraid to ask or take what she wanted, love.
Karen was played by Eve, and you wonder how it happen. Why did she trust this woman? But then Karen tells you why. She wants to teach Margo a lesson. But the smarter move would have been to talk to Margo. But they has stopped talking, so Margo couldn't tell her about Eve. And then it was too late.
Margo's speech in the car took the high road in discussing Eve. Margo took the blame instead of telling Karen her perceptions of Eve. I liked that, it showed growth in Margo. They say let a person show their colors. And how long could Eve keep it up. She was so close to her goal, but couldn't wait. Eve's mistake was using her sex. There she wasn't a master. She assumed all men and in fact women were the same, in my opinion. Then there's the story, which is fantastic. It protects the protagonists and gave the antagonist her come-uppence. Addison is the only character that is a protagonist and an antagonist.
If we can save humanity, we become the caretakers of the world -
millephoenix — 12 years ago(January 17, 2014 03:53 PM)
The backstory video on you tube interviews Celeste Holm. She says she could laugh on cue and Bette admitted she could not. So the cued laughter at the table was an additional jab at Bette.
(I think this is where I saw it, didn't rewatch)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a98Bcu55nAM -
manu5689 — 12 years ago(January 04, 2014 11:52 AM)
Karen's plan was just for Margo to miss one (just ONE) performance and let Eve have her one moment in the spotlight. She felt remorse when she learned how sad and unfulfilled Margo had been. I don't think Karen suspected that Eve would invite the press (which you would not do generally for an understudy performance; in fact even lay people often refund their tickets if they really came for the starI once considered doing that but didn't because I felt bad for the poor understudy). Karen's "harmless joke" backfired on her in tragic was but ultimately everything turned out well for Margo and Karen. Now Eve will have to deal with her own insidious little fan
"It's hard for me to watch American Idol because I have perfect pitch."
-Jenna, 30 Rock -
mariadarling — 11 years ago(April 24, 2014 01:14 PM)
I dont know.
It seems that Karen really had good intentions, and who the h*** would put up with Margot anyway? Karen just seems like a good friend who puts up with a lot of crap from the people around her.