The Lady Eve - Criterion Collection (1941)

A female con-artist.

The Lady Eve is a funny screwball comedy thanks to Barbara Stanwyck (what a firecracker!) she makes this film better than it actually is. Henry Fonda is ok but not memorable like his leading lady. Preston Sturgess directed this classic, I like his sense of humor but a lot of these old films fade with time, sorry to say but this is one of them. April 29, 2008

Still Holds Up Today

Preston Sturges did some terrific comedies, mostly in the 40's, & this is definitely one of them. Barbara Stanwyck & Henry Fonda are both great, along with a fine supporting cast including, Charles Coburn, William Demarest & Eugene Pallette. From the opening credits, a cartoon snake squirming down the left side of the names & eventually running through Preston's name, to the last line (which I will refrain from spoiling!)it's fun all the way! This is one comedy that could be redone with an intelligent rewrite for the times & good direction. The only reason I would even consider this thought is so the younger generation can enjoy what they would probably bypass due to the age & color (or lack of being it's black & white).

They are missing a fun story & lots of laughs. April 25, 2008

Barbara Stanwyck - what an actress!

Barbara Stanwyck was an outstanding dramatic actress. In this movie she showed she was also very good at comedy. March 3, 2008

Boy Meets Girl

The 1930's and 1940's were the hay days of the innocent screwball comedy and the `king of the hill' director of many of them was one Preston Sturgis. The Lady Eve represents one of his better efforts. The plot line is fairly simple- boy meets girl, magic, a little plot twist where things go topsy-turvy, a little emotional reverse twist and in the end boy gets girl, girl gets boy. It is the way that this is done that makes this film above the run of the mill manifestations of this theme. Barbara Stanwyck is steamy as `gold digger' /Lady Eve. Henry Fonda is, well Henry Fonda, the boy next door, if your neighbor is Rockefeller. The gags and gaffs roll right along. If you like your humor dark stay away. If you like your humor and romance light, and you want to know what helped people through the Depression and World War II on the screen, watch on.

January 4, 2008

one half of a great movie

This movie is renowned as Preston Sturges' masterpiece. The first half is certainly excellent. The jokes and innuendo come thick and fast as a man and a woman meet on a cruise ship and begin a complex, sexually charged game of cat and mouse. Barbara Stanwyck is scorchingly sexy as the witty, confident con woman who sees an easy mark in Henry Fonda's nerdy millionare scientist. Fonda is equally good, projecting a shy, awkward air, but gradually we warm to him as he falls in love with the woman who's aiming for his wallet, and she begins to fall for him. Together they have amazing chemistry and make every scene they're in sparkle. We start to root for this couple to have a happy ending, even though we know someday Fonda will have to learn the painful truth.

When the action leaves the ship it's like a switch has been turned off. The movie starts to drag and resort to painfully unfunny slapstick (Fonda gets something spilled on him at least three times. What hilarity!). The magical suspension of disbelief that was created so effortlessly during the first half is shattered by a truly ridiculous plot device.

The chemistry between the two leads evaporates as Stanwyck becomes shrill and obnoxious and Fonda dull and non-responsive. The ending resolves the buildup through the clever device of ignoring the consequences of everything that happened in the last third of the movie. It left me hating the characters and wishing that the first half hadn't been so damn good.

I do plan on seeing more of Preston Sturges' movies in the hope that he was capable of creating a second act that matched the first, but The Lady Eve is only half of an awesome movie. November 10, 2007

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