The Lady Eve

3 Ratings: 3.3

1941 motion picture starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda

The Lady Eve is a 1941 screwball comedy film about a mismatched couple who meet on a luxury liner, written by Preston Sturges based on a story by Monckton Hoffe, and directed by Sturges, his third directorial effort, after The Great McGinty and Christmas … see full wiki

Tags: Movies, Comedy Movies, Comedy, Henry Fonda

Cast: Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Barbara Stanwyck

Director: Preston Sturges

Genre: Comedy

Release Date: February 25, 1941

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Lots of laughs in this Preston Sturges 'screwball' comedy.

Jan 18, 2009

by drifter51
posted in Classic Silver Screen Film Reviews!

Rating:

In "The Lady Eve" Henry Fonda stars as Charles Pike, the heir to the Pike Ale fortune ("The Ale That Won for Yale"). An ophiologist (a snake expert), he just spent a year "up the Amazon" looking for rare snakes with his cynical and protective guardian/valet Muggsy (played by William Demarest).  Returning home on an oceanliner the extremely shy and vulnerable Mr. Pike becomes the primary target of a father-daughter team of con artists intent on seperating the young man from his fortune.
The lovely and vivacious Barbara Stanwyck stars as Jean while her conniving father is played by Charles Coburn.   As you might expect Pike falls for Stanwyck until he discovers that what she is really after at which point he unceremoniously dumps her. But a funny thing happened on the way to this con job. Jean has become enamored with her intended victim and can't seem to get him out of her mind. At this point, the plot takes any number of bizarre twists and turns as Jean attempts to win him back.
I found "The Lady Eve" to be a hilarious and highly entertaining film,   This is the third film I have seen by director Preston Sturges and I found each one of them to be terrific. He is a master of the "screwball" comedy genre. Recommended!

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LingEatsCake January 18, 2009

This film really is terrific! Although, I never thought Henry Fonda's performance really matched Barbara Stanwyck's wiles. He continually looks dazed and blank throughout the entire film, and I half wondered if he was on something during the filming. It was too easy!

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