The Lady Eve

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The Lady Eve

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The Lady Eve

Al Bridge, Arthur Hoyt, Barbara Stanwyck, Bess Flowers, Charles Coburn, Eric Blore, Eugene Pallette, Evelyn Beresford, Frances Raymond, Henry Fonda, Jack Richardson, Janet Beecher, Jimmy Conlin, Julius Tannen, Luis Alberni, Martha O'Driscoll, Melville Cooper, Pat West, Reginald Sheffield, Robert Warwick, Walter Walker, William Demarest

In 1941, Barbara Stanwyck was offered two screwball roles equally suited to her tart intelligence, deft comic timing, and undeniable sex appeal, and it's a photo finish as to which was funnier--showgi...( read more  read more... )rl-on-the-lam Sugarpuss O'Shea, the title character in Howard Hawks's Ball of Fire, or con artist Jean Harrington a.k.a. Lady Eve Sidwich, the delirious fulcrum for this classic Preston Sturges comedy. Under Sturges's typically antic microscope, the collision between the gold-digging Harrington and the very rich, very hapless brewery-heir-turned-herpetologist Charles Pike (a wonderfully callow, guileless Henry Fonda) yields ample opportunity for the writer-director to skewer issues of class and sex; as always, Sturges is bold in pushing the censors' envelope, capturing a palpable erotic heat between the canny Jean and the literally feverish Charlie, who, after a year up the Amazon, is instantly smitten by the mere sight of her shapely ankles (in hindsight, a precursor to her subsequent effect in Double Indemnity). To give away the plot machinations driving the farce would spoil the fun, beyond confirming impersonations, mixed signals, and misunderstandings as the turns in a consistently rollicking ride that makes good use of Charles Coburn and screwball character veterans Eugene Pallette, William Demarest, and Eric Blore. --Sam Sutherland

Id: 10903735

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Recent Reviews

The Lady Eve Recent Reviews
  • harrycaul
    April 13, 2009
    harrycaul
    "I wonder if now would be the time to tell you about Herman..."

    As much as I admire Sullivan's Travels for its social conscience and Unfaithfully Yours for its unusual darkness of tone, The Lady Eve is my favourite of the Preston Sturges movies I've s...( read more)een to date, simply because it's the funniest. Also, besides being typically amused by the obstacles Sturges places in the way of true love, in contrast to McCrea and Colbert in The Palm Beach Story I really do care what happens to Fonda and Stanwyck in this picture. Once he has fallen - quite literally - for Stanwyck, Fonda drifts through the remaining 80 minutes of the movie in a smitten daze while his sparkling co-star showcases her incredible versatility.
  • rubystevens
    April 9, 2009
    rubystevens
    babs' best film!!
  • Saxia
    January 9, 2009
    Saxia
    I loved this movie, Barbara Stanwyck totally won me over with her sexy, witty and cunning role, definitely want to see more of her!. And Henry Fonda, what a silly goof.

    I'm usually not a fan of romantic comedies, but I'm happy to make an exception here!

    ...( read more);">
  • smith44
    October 6, 2008
    smith44
    One of the cleverest romantic comedies of all. "I need him like the axe needs the turkey." Flawless
  • binky013
    January 4, 2008
    binky013
    It's extremely difficult for me to choose my favorite Barbara Stanwyck movie so far, but this one is it -- so far. In addition to being a knockout beauty, Stanwyck has got to be one of the most talented actresses I've ever seen.

    This is an excellent comedy in the screwball r

    ...( read more)omance tradition, and I'm not sure many people would think of pairing Stanwyck and comedy as readily as they would associate her with drama -- intensely wrought dramatic films such as Double Indemnity. She has it all covered, however, and for sure three things stand out across the board:

    1. Stanwyck has great timing and great delivery of lines, whether comic or dramatic.

    2. She can use her body, all of it, with great expertise, to work her scenes.

    3. Even without speaking a word, her face can express a huge range of emotion and thought.

    Definitely one of the most cerebral actors I've ever seen. She's as camera-savvy as Irene Dunne and Kate Winslet. My only regret is that I never saw her bigger than life at a theater.

    Big points for Henry Fonda in this one as well. I think he may actually be as good in comic as he is in dramatic roles.
  • Sunshineyness
    September 24, 2009
    Sunshineyness
    What an absurdly fun and funny movie. Barbara Stanwyck played conniving, sexy, and witty so effortlessly well. Totally respectable and look up-able. Unlike a lot of other women of her day she was that- a woman, not a girl child.

    And Henry Fonda is actually really awesome playing...( read more) absurdly against type as a goofy, clumsy, nerdy (and, okay, yeah, really squee inducingly handsome) rich guy she's trying to con but inadvertently falls in love with.

    And the direction! So coolly and nice shot. There's a really great POV sequence with Stanwyck's compact mirror and a great pan of people on a boat waving bon voyage and snippets of their conversation that'll wow you. Fun movie.
  • ristrawn
    September 24, 2009
    ristrawn
    good & very funny...
  • Marwood
    July 20, 2009
    Marwood
    Barbara Stanwyck is at her comedic best in "The Lady Eve",playing a vamp who tries to con a gullible heir,played wonderfully by Henry Fonda. Her plans don't go accordingly when she finds herself falling for him,which leads to some madcap fun. Both the leads are superb. Especially...( read more) Stanwyck,she completely blew me away,she has such charm and intelligence and beauty it's hard not to fall for her character. Fonda also gives stellar performance,his comedic abilities are subtle yet affective,prefect for Charles Pike. This was a wonderful,charming and funny screwball comedy and a perfect tribute to the golden age of American cinema.
  • jaynyca1
    June 13, 2009
    jaynyca1
    I think that I may have heard of this movie but I don't think that I've even seen it, but I'd like too!. . . I've always been a fan of Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda!. . .
  • lizzi08
    June 11, 2009
    lizzi08
    Barbara Stanwyck is a sexy card shark's daughter that accidentally falls for the millionaire they're supposed to be sharking. Peter Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck make an adorable if not unlikely couple that, through Sturges' awkward comedic interludes, find their way from amusement...( read more), love, hate, to admiration.
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