SYNOPSIS: The allegedly true story of a woman with a split personality.NOTES: Prestigious Hollywood award, Best Actress, Joanne Woodward, defeating Deborah Kerr in "Heaven Knows, Mr Allison", Anna Magnani in "Wild Is the Wind", "Elizabeth Taylor" in Raintree County, and Lana Turner in "Peyton Place". Golden Globes Award, Best Actress, Joanne Woodward. BAFTA Award, Best Foreign Actress, Joanne Woodward. National Board of Review Award, Best Actress, Joanne Woodward.COMMENT: Although preceded by "Lizzie" (1957) and "The Search for Bridey Murphy" (released at bottom-of-the-barrel first release circuit houses), "The Three Faces of Eve" proved remarkably popular on first release. In Australia, for example it came in as the eleventh highest grossing picture of the year! Remarkable because "Lizzie" barely recovered its advertising budget, and "Bridey" did absolutely no business at all! Also remarkable because, although it took good coin, "Three Faces of Eve" failed to chalk up any box- office records at all, either domestically (it didn't even make the top hundred) or in the United Kingdom.Alas, aside from Joanne Woodward's award-winning performance, the film is actually of little interest. Johnson's direction (as usual) is stolidly dull, Cobb's performance is (as usual) heavy as lead, and David Wayne incongruously plays his role mainly for laughs.Production values are remarkably poor. In fact, "5" is a generous mark for this most disappointing movie, but I like to consider the mark I would give it, if it had NOT won any awards!

In 1951, in Georgia, the submissive housewife and mother Eve White (Joanne Woodward) is brought by her husband Ralph White (David Wayne) to a consultation with Doctor Curtis Luther (Lee J. Cobb) since she has painful headaches followed by blackouts with no recollections of what she did. The rude Ralph tells that she bought expensive clothing and hurt their daughter Bonnie during one of these blackouts. Dr. Luther begins her therapy and soon Eve shows a new personality, the reckless and wild Eve Black that hates Ralph and loves to drink and dance with other men, and Dr. Luther diagnoses a case of multiple personality to his colleague Doctor Francis Day (Edwin Jerome).Ralph moves with Bonnie to Jacksonville and Eve continues her treatment. She tells that she is hearing voices, and Dr. Luther uses hypnosis to disclose more about her trauma. Out of the blue, a third personality emerges and tells that she is Jane that shows that is a balanced personality. Dr. Luther questions which personality should be the predominant. "The Three Faces of Eve" is based on a true story and based on a book written by two medical doctors about a case of multiple personality in Georgia. I do not know the impact of Nunnally Johnson's movie in 1957 since it is dated in the present days. But it is still a good docudrama, especially because of the magnificent performance of Joanne Woodward in the role of three different women. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "As Três Máscaras de Eva" ("The Three Masks of Eve")

I am ashamed that there are such strong opinions about the falsehood of Disassociative Identity Disorder. The fact that it is in the DSMIV and STILL disbelieved is disgusting! Major depression is quite real to everyone. Schizophrenia is quite real! PTSD is quite real as well! Just because something doesn't go away with all the medicine that psychiatrists can throw at you does not mean that "DID" is not real! On the contrary. I know it is real because I have had it all of my life. I see people in the mirror when I am getting ready or pass one in the hall. I hear people talking to me when they are in our "common area" and not in their "rooms." Ever since I can remember back as a child I could hear different voices. I just thought that was what people meant when they said that "they are talking to themselves." Little did I know what my future reality would hold. The events that saved my sanity are quite real. The voices and faces I see in the mirror are quite real. Just because my reality is different from another's does not make mine fictitious or unbelievable. It makes it sad and disgusting knowing that there are people out there in the world who could do such evil, terrible things to young children where it leaves their mind no alternative but to have different people take the traumas so that a "normal life" could still be had by at least one. Shame on you and especially psychiatrists who believe otherwise. Just because you don't possess the capability in helping ones such as me does not give you the right to deny us. I can't perform brain surgery, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a need for someone who does. I can't tell someone who does need brain surgery that they are wrong and don't need it just because I can't perform the procedure!

The Three Faces of Eve (1957)A lot of movies tell you they are based on facts, and it doesn't always matter in particular, or it even distracts because with fact, there are limits, and with fiction, there are none.But if this movie was NOT based on fact, it would come off a little cheesy and a hair slim. There really isn't much a plot, or, oddly, development. The key twist happens right away, and is explained, through narration and by the main male lead, Lee J. Cobb, playing a psychiatrist. From there it is a matter of thinking, wow, this really happened?And it happened to a young woman played here with energy by Joanne Woodward. I think it's a beautiful performance, an appropriate one, but the style of this quasi-documentary style movie makes it a little plasticky, too, chilling in a fake way. With keyed in music with each change of personality.So there is something utterly amazing and chilling going on here, as a movie, and as psychology, but within constraints of its own making.