The Lady Eve - Criterion Collection

Starring:Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest, Eric Blore, Melville Cooper, Martha O'Driscoll, Janet Beecher, Robert Greig, Dora Clement, Luis Alberni, Almeda Fowler, Georgie Cooper, Kenneth Gibson, Jean Phillips, Al Bridge, Sam Ash, Abdullah Abbas, Marcelle Christopher
Director: Preston Sturges
Studio: Criterion
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

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--showgirl-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

Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

Ahead of it's time.......2007-02-12

You know, most of the time if you watch a screwball comedy from back in the day you go into it expecting unrealistic dialog and somewhat predictable plot twists. Many of the best classic movies are classics only because of the chemistry of the stars.

That's not the case at all with this movie. As a screenwriter, Preston Sturges (who also directed) was way ahead of his time. You still have the snappy, quick dialog between characters. Barbara Stanwyck seems to speak 1000 words per minute. But the dialog never seems forced. You never feel like the characters are only speaking to set up the next joke.

The plot is what you'd expect from a romantic comedy--Stanwyck is a gold digger who's out to swindle a naive, rich man--Henry Fonda. But she ends up falling for him, just as he realizes her game. In a typical movie you'd expect her to attempt and win him back right away through a series of funny, unsuccessful acts--but that's not what happens here. Instead the plot takes a turn towards black comedy for a bit before Fonda and Stanwyck ultimately get together.

The twists are pretty unpredictable and the second half of the movie is really where you find all the laughs, with the first 30 minutes setting things up. If you like movies like "Bringing Up Baby" or "His Girl Friday," then you'll love this.

A Great Comedy; Ties With the Best Final Lines Since "Some Like It Hot".......2006-11-06

"The Lady Eve" is a film that holds a place on The American Film Institute's Top 100 Comedies (#55) and is directed by the legendary Preston Sturges. I found the movie at a library and I figured: A. It's got Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck. B. It's directed by Preston Sturges. C. It's in the Criterion Collection. D. It's free. After viewing it, I think it's justifiably a legendary comedy. It's definitely a movie with a frequently used idea, but it's so charming and funny...It's kind of hard to resist. The movie stars Henry Fonda as Charles Pike, an brewery heir, who is boarding an Ocean liner after having finished a snake-hunting expedition in South America. Also aboard this liner is Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck, 'Double Indemnity'), a con-woman who travels with her father Colonel Harrington (Charles Coburn). Both are looking for rich people to rip off via card games and Jean quickly sets her sighs on Charles. After a wonderful scene, in which Jean watches Charles in the crowded dining area turning down every proposal or trick from the girls that walk by, she gets his attention by tripping him. The movie (it's only 90 minutes) gets to the point quickly. Jean's original plan is to get some money out of Charles, but finds herself falling in love with him. This falling occurs in a great, unbroken shot in which Jean toys with Charles' hair. In a lesser film they would've walked around, flirting, and then she would've returned to see her father and announced "I'm in love!" The movie takes a strange turn, when Charles finds out who Jean and her father are; He quickly severs contact with her, which makes her quite angry. Her anger doesn't last long and when she winds up in the same town that Charles lives in, she formulates a plan with the help of a con-man friend Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith (Eric Blore). She poses as Lady Eve Sidwich and attends a party at Charles' house. Charles is quickly struck by how much the Lady Eve resembles Jean ("It's the same dame!" his valet Muggsay (William Demarest) will tell him frequently throughout the film), but he soon finds himself falling for Eve as well. Now, this movie is pretty predictable for the most part. I knew what was going to happen mid-way through the film, but that doesn't matter. It's not what's happening, it's what is happening as that other stuff is happening. The movie has some great one-liners and scene-stealing performances, notably by Demarest as Muggsay who all-but steals every scene he is in. The movie final three lines (spoken by Jean, Charles, and Muggsay) are really great. I think they rank right up there with the closing lines of "Some Like It Hot." Movies like this don't come around much anymore, it's a rarity when a film flows this well. It's a great romantic-comedy, period.

GRADE: A-

Barbara Stanwyck is absolutely hilarious.......2006-09-30

Barbara Stanwyck - oftentimes playing the driven, hardcore type, certainly had flawless comedic timing. The Lady Eve, along with Christmas in Connecticut and Ball of Fire, showcase her more than versatile comedic talent (she even delivers perfectly timed one liners in Lady of Burlesque). The Lady Eve smacks of Bringing Up Baby, but Barbara hands down takes this film to a much different level. Thoroughly enjoyed it, can't recommend it enough.

That couch has been there for 15 years and nobody ever tripped over it before........2006-04-02

Preston Sturges' The Lady Eve is a great screwball romantic comedy starring Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck. The story concerns a young son (Henry Fonda) of a rich brewer who is a snake-enthusiast and has been in the Amazon who meets a con artist (Barbara Stanwyck).

If I told you any more, I might spoil it for you. Anyway, it is a great movie. It mixes romance with slapstick comedy wonderfully. The dialogue is just great; Sturges sure as heck knew what he was doing.

The cinematography and directing is great too. I like that the movie is nice and short (93 minutes) and gets everything in there. Sturges knows what to skip or gloss over and what to embellish. Good, strong romantic comedy. (I personally prefer Arsenic and Old Lace more, but that obviously emphasizes the comedy much more than the romance.)

It's not easy being in love.......2006-02-04

Preston Sturges' "The Lady Eve" is one of the best romantic comedies ever made, partly because while it's very funny, it's also hits a very deep nerve. It's painful to be in love, as both Charles Pike (a wonderfully gullible and naive Henry Fonda) and Jean Harrington (tough/tender Barbara Stanwyck at her very best) find out, the hard way. Stanwyck plays a card shark who along with her father (Charles Coburn) are on a cruise ship, with the express purpose of fleecing the other passengers. Charles Pike is a rich heir to a brewery fortune who's just spent the last year studying snakes in the Amazon. In the famous scene at the beginning of the film, Jean spots Charles in her compact mirror and then gives a running commentary of how every woman in the room is trying to attract the attention of this young, handsome, completely oblivious bachelor. When Charles walks by, Jean trips him. Her heel breaks off, and she browbeats Charles into accompanying her back to her cabin for a new pair of shoes. Thus begins one of the most sexually charged romances ever filmed.

While Jean's original intentions were malicious, she soon falls for Charles (whom she affectionately calls Flopsy) in a big way. Despite her husky voice and revealing dresses, there's something rather virginal and tender about Jean. Unlike many screwball comedy heroines, Jean doesn't put Flopsy down or try to outwit him. She idolizes him. When he discovers her occupation, he dumps her, and she's reduced to a huge puddle of tears. But ... hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. To give away any more of the plot would be criminal. Stanwyck and Fonda have wonderful chemistry, and while both of them are playing stereotyped, stock characters, they infuse their roles with so much heart and humanity. The Lady Eve is funny, but it's one of the rare films that also depicts with heartbreaking accuracy the pain when the love bug bites.

Several scenes of the movie really touch me. The first is when Jean tells Flopsy that "The best ones aren't as good as you think they are and the bad ones aren't as bad. Not nearly as bad." During this whole speech she's fighting back tears and begging him for forgiveness, and it's heartbreaking to watch him treat her so coldly. The second is after Jean has her revenge on Charles, instead of looking smug she looks absolutely heartbroken. Barbara Stanwyck has a husky voice and a worldly personality, but she's also a wide-eyed romantic, which makes this movie so appealing.

The Criterion Collection has less extras than usual, perhaps because all the participants of the film are long dead. There's an interview with Peter Bogdanovich, a commentary track with Marion Keane, a 1942 radio broadcast (with Ray Milland subbing for Honda), and some publicity stills. The audio and video transfer are excellent. Marion Keane's commentary track is very enjoyable. Unlike many commentary tracks, Keane doesn't spend an endless amount of time analyzing shots and angles and lighting. She comments more about the emotions and sexual innuendo in this movie. The Lady Eve is such a great film that the lack of a boatload of extras didn't bother me at all. I'm just grateful that this wonderful film is released on DVD.

The Lady Eve is great because at heart it's a really touching love story. When I watched the film the second time, I was surprised at how little "laugh out loud" funny moments there were. It's more romance than comedy, but therein lies it's strength. There are no cheap laughs. The Lady Eve is one of the few romantic comedies that also depicts genuine heartbreak. And it only gets better upon repeated viewings.

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