The Lady Eve (1941)

A trio of classy card sharks targets the socially awkward heir to brewery millions for his money, till one of them falls in love with him.

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writers:

Monckton Hoffe (based on a story by), Preston Sturges

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Jean
Henry Fonda	...	Charles
Charles Coburn	...	'Colonel' Harrington
Eugene Pallette	...	Mr. Pike
William Demarest	...	Muggsy
Eric Blore	...	Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith
Melville Cooper	...	Gerald
Martha O'Driscoll	...	Martha
Janet Beecher	...	Mrs. Pike
Robert Greig	...	Burrows
Dora Clement	...	Gertrude
Luis Alberni	...	Pike's Chef

Storyline

Returning from a year up the Amazon studying snakes, the rich but unsophisticated Charles Pike meets con-artist Jean Harrington on a ship. They fall in love, but a misunderstanding causes them to split on bad terms. To get back at him, Jean disguises herself as an English lady, and comes back to tease and torment him.

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Plot Keywords:

love | card shark | heir | snake | ship | 

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Taglines:

Another Preston Sturges Hit!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lady Eve

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard were initially proposed by Paramount before Fonda and Stanwyck were cast.

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Goofs

When Charles and Jean are standing on the deck talking, the ambient, background sounds - of people talking and birds singing - can be heard running on a loop. The scene lasts several minutes, but the ambient sounds repeat every several seconds.

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Quotes

Jean Harrington: Boy, would I like to see you givin' some old harpie the three in one!
"Colonel" Harrington: Don't be vulgar, Jean. Let us be crooked, but never common.

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Connections

Remade as The Birds and the Bees (1956)

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Soundtracks

"Lover"
(1932) (uncredited)
Music by Richard Rodgers
In the score at the party

User Reviews

An Interesting Combination That Works Very Well

This is an interesting combination of talents and material that works very well, thanks most of all to Preston Sturges's ability to create a distinctive feel to his pictures. "The Lady Eve" has many of the elements familiar to screwball comedy, and yet it is something a little different, a little more than the oddball characters and comical plot developments.

Barbara Stanwyck has quite an interesting role that allows her at times to assume several different personas. She shows good versatility, and effectively brings out the different sides of her character's nature. Henry Fonda works better than you would expect in such a comic picture. He is wisely used as a straight man most of the time, and even his occasional stiffness actually fits the role.

Much of the supporting cast gets only limited opportunities, but they are generally good also, especially Charles Coburn, who is perfectly cast as Stanwyck's shifty father.

There are many amusing moments, yet often with a current of humanity underneath. Sturges and the cast keep the laughs coming while also making sure that you care about the characters.