The Lady Eve

The Lady Eve (1941)

  • 100% of critics liked it
    (28 reviews)

  • 86% of users liked it
    (6,994 ratings)

(Preston Sturges) wrote and directed this classic romantic comedy starring Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, who are involved in a scintillating battle of the sexes, as Sturges points up the terrors of sexual passion and the unattainability of the romantic ideal. Henry Fonda plays Charles Pike, the… More

Play Trailer

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Monckton Hoffe, Preston Sturges
Genres
Romance, Classics, Comedy
In Theaters
Feb 25, 1941 Wide
On DVD
Oct 16, 2001
MCA Universal Home Video

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    Third writer-director effort of Preston Sturges [from a story by Monckton Hoffe] is laugh entertainment of top proportions with its combo of slick situations, spontaneous dialog and a few slapstick falls tossed in for good measure.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Preston Sturges extended his range beyond the crazy farces that had made his reputation with this romantic 1941 comedy, and his hand proved just as sure.

  • Tom Milne, Time Out

    A beguilingly ribald sex comedy, spattered with characteristic Sturges slapstick.

  • Bosley Crowther, New York Times

    Now there's no question about it: Preston Sturges is definitely and distinctly the most refreshing new force to hit the American motion pictures in the past five years.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    A movie like The Lady Eve is so hard to make that you can't make it at all unless you find a way to make it seem effortless. Preston Sturges does a kind of breathless balancing act here, involving romance, deception and physical comedy.

Read all 21 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Randy T


    Barbara Stanwyck exudes enough sexuality to spark a fence post. I don't think I've ever seen a film with such perfect casting. Hilarious and brilliant.

  • AJ V


    An unusual romantic comedy, it's really funny, and has a good cast. Really worth watching.

  • Jennifer D


    Hah! Delightful!! I'm not sure who was the bigger scene stealer, Barbra Stanwyck or Henry Fonda, I loved them both. Fonda was sweet and naive while Stanwyck was closer to her Ball of Fire role, witty and fiery and perfect! The story lagged a bit here and there, but the humor kept… More

  • Devon B


    Henry Fonda plays a big dope who wanders around clueless for an entire movie. It's Barbara Stanwyck who has the fun role, as she falls for the dope pretty early in the film, and spends the rest of the time trying to con the big lug into falling in love with her. Fonda plays… More

  • Stephen M


    <I>"I wonder if now would be the time to tell you about Herman..."</I> As much as I admire <I>Sullivan's Travels</I> for its social conscience and <I>Unfaithfully Yours</I> for its unusual darkness of tone, <I>The Lady… More

Read all 18 featured audience ratings

Also available on

UltraViolet Retailers

Other Retailers

Subscription Services

Not Available
Not Available

Cast

See more (58)

Trailers & Clips