How a 1957 film turned a complex psychiatric case into a Hollywood sensation
In short: The Three Faces of Eve captivated audiences by dramatizing the life of Chris Costner Sizemore, a woman diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. Joanne Woodward’s Oscar-winning performance as three distinct personalities brought the condition to the screen, yet critics remained divided over whether the film offered genuine insight or mere psychiatric spectacle.
Directed by Nunnally Johnson and released in 1957, The Three Faces of Eve was based on a book by psychiatrists Corbett H. Thigpen and Hervey M. Cleckley. The film chronicles the life of Eve White, a timid mother suffering from severe headaches and blackouts, who eventually reveals a second, wilder personality named Eve Black. Under the guidance of Dr. Luther, a third, more stable personality named Jane emerges. The narrative suggests these identities formed as a defense mechanism following a traumatic childhood event where a young Eve was forced to kiss her deceased grandmother.
The production was part of a wave of public fascination with multiple personality disorder, following the 1954 publication of Shirley Jackson’s novel The Bird's Nest. While the film was a critical success regarding Joanne Woodward’s performance—earning her an Academy Award—the depiction of psychiatric treatment faced scrutiny. Critics like Bosley Crowther dismissed the film as a melodramatic exercise in psychiatric hocus-pocus, while others noted that the rapid, simplified portrayal of therapy made the complex condition appear far too easy to resolve.
The real-life subject, Chris Costner Sizemore, maintained anonymity until 1977, despite the film's success. She later documented her own experiences in books such as The Final Face of Eve in 1958 and I'm Eve in 1977. Interestingly, Joanne Woodward’s connection to the subject matter continued decades later; in 1976, she played the psychiatrist Dr. Cornelia Wilbur in the film Sybil, effectively reversing her role from the patient to the clinician who diagnoses and treats a patient with the same disorder.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Three Faces of Eve
- Also: The Three Faces of Eve
- Also: Wikidata — The Three Faces of Evelyn: a case report. IV. A postscript to "The Three Faces of Evelyn.". · CC0
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