The Lady Eve
Bewitched and Bewildered
A conniving father and daughter meet up with the heir to a brewery fortune - a wealthy but naïve snake enthusiast - and attempt to bamboozle him at a cruise ship card table. Their plan is quickly abandoned when the daughter falls in love with their prey. But when the heir gets wise to her gold-digging ways, she must plot to re-conquer his heart. One of Sturges' most clever and beloved romantic comedies, The Lady Eve balances broad slapstick and sophisticated sexiness with perfect grace.
Member Reviews
A Pleasant Romantic Comedy That Gets Better As It Goes Along - revsdd
This is a very pleasant romantic comedy, more mildly amusing than outrageously funny in my opinion, that gets better as the story progresses. One has to like the chemistry between a very dapper and young Henry Fonda (Charles Pike) and a very beautiful and young Barbara Stanwyck (Jean Harrington/Lady Eve). The two worked perfectly together and made a believable couple.
For all the chemistry, I must confess that the first half of the movie did little for me. Charles and Jean meet on a cruise from South America to the United States. Unknown to Charles, Jean and her father (Charles Coburn) are con artists who seek to bilk people out of their money in card games. Love, however, intervenes. Jean and Charles fall head over heels, and Jean doesn't want Charles to be cheated. Charles, however, discovers her identity and ends the relationship. I didn't find much funny in this part of the movie. It picks up, however, in the second half. Jean decides to get her revenge by masquerading as an English heiress of some sort; hoping to get Charles to fall for her again and then take his money. The humour picks up here. First, it's hard to tell from scene to scene whether "Eve" loves Charles or not. Henry Fonda's physical comedy at the dinner (tripping over couches a la Dick Van Dyke) and constantly having food and assorted other things spilled all over him is truly funny, and the scene on the train after they marry, as "Eve" takes her revenge by telling her new husband about all the men in her life, whom he knew nothing about, got me laughing.
I was never clear about the importance of the snake, except to draw some sort of connection between this Eve and the Eve of the biblical creation narrative, although I'm not sure why that connection was necessary to the story.
As I said at the outset, this is a pleasant movie, but in my view nothing more than that.Amazing - Rik-Fredericton
This movie is a true gem.
Barbara Stanwick is the most amazing actress. Her combination of raw talent)as witnessed by her transformation during the movie) and her natural beauty make her a true star.
Barbara's mastery of speech patterns and timing make her my favourite actress of the period - perhaps for all time. In a world where less clothing often makes you a bigger star, Stanwick takes you back to a time when more was left to the imagination and there was more to acting than a costume and some plastic surgery underneath.
It was a treat to see a young Henry Fonda, totally thrown off his feet by The Lady Eve and he turned in a masterful performance.
The cinematography was amazing as well, capturing the time and offering some unique perspectives.
Although the content of the movie is somewhat lighter than a film like Gone With the Wind, I put it in that upper echelon of movies and highly recommend it. This movie is not just for movie buffs, but anbody who wants to see the art at its best and enjoy very entertaining plot twists that keep you glued to your couch.Take a bite! - RandyCgy
Of the many great movies in the screwball comedy genre, The Lady Eve manages to be the funniest AND sexiest of them all. Henry Fonda plays a snake expert who, after returning from being "up the Amazon" for a year, becomes befuddled and intoxicated by Barbara Stanwyck. And who can blame him? Writer-director Preston Sturges was at the height of his remarkable powers here, and he also brings out the best in Fonda and Stanwyck. If you haven't yet seen The Lady Eve, you're in for a treat: THIS is how movies should be made.
Member Reviews
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A Pleasant Romantic Comedy That Gets Better As It Goes Along - revsdd
This is a very pleasant romantic comedy, more mildly amusing than outrageously funny in my opinion, that gets better as the story progresses. One has to like the chemistry between a very dapper and young Henry Fonda (Charles Pike) and a very beautiful and ...Amazing - Rik-Fredericton
This movie is a true gem.
Barbara Stanwick is the most amazing actress. Her combination of raw talent)as witnessed by her transformation during the movie) and her natural beauty make her a true star.
Barbara's mastery of speech patterns and timing ...Take a bite! - RandyCgy
Of the many great movies in the screwball comedy genre, The Lady Eve manages to be the funniest AND sexiest of them all. Henry Fonda plays a snake expert who, after returning from being "up the Amazon" for a year, becomes befuddled and intoxicated by Barbara ...