The Lady Eve (1941)

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writers:

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

Release Date:

21 March 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Eve Sure Knows Her Apples !

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Card Shark | Heir | Snake | Ship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abdullah Abbas	...	Man with Potted Palm (uncredited)
Norman Ainsley	...	Sir Alfred's Servant (uncredited)
Mary Akin	...	Passenger on Boat (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	Husband on Boat (uncredited)
Harry A. Bailey	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Ship's Waiter with Toupee (uncredited)
Ambrose Barker	...	Mac (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	First Butler at Party (uncredited)
Wilda Bennett	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Evelyn Beresford	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	First Steward (uncredited)
Jan Buckingham	...	Passenger on Boat (uncredited)
Ken Carpenter	...	Himself - Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Marcelle Christopher	...	Daughter on Boat (uncredited)
Jimmy Conlin	...	Third Steward (uncredited)
Georgie Cooper	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Nell Craig	...	Boat Passenger at Railing (uncredited)
Madge Crane	...	Passenger on Boat (uncredited)
Eva Dennison	...	Mother on Boat (uncredited)
Harry Depp	...	Man with Glasses on Boat (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Mother on Boat (uncredited)
Pauline Drake	...	Social Secretary (uncredited)
Robert Dudley	...	Husband on Boat (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Tailor in Montage (uncredited)
Betty Farrington	...	Mother on Boat (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Ray Flynn	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Almeda Fowler	...	Mother on Boat (uncredited)
Kenneth Gibson	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Alfred Hall	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
John Hartley	...	Young Man on Boat (uncredited)
Arthur Hoyt	...	Lawyer at Phone in Pike's Office (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Mitchell Ingraham	...	Passenger on Boat (uncredited)
Sheldon Jett	...	Sunbather on Boat (uncredited)
Jack W. Johnston	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Richard Kipling	...	Father on Boat (uncredited)
Bertram Marburgh	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Wanda McKay	...	Daughter on Boat (uncredited)
George Melford	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Mr. Clink - Purser (uncredited)
Esther Michelson	...	Wife on Boat (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Diner on Ship (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Bartender at Pike's Party (uncredited)
Ella Neal	...	Daughter on Boat (uncredited)
Joseph North	...	Second Butler at Party (uncredited)
Ernesto Palmese	...	Man on Boat (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper	...	Lady Wrestler Type on Boat (uncredited)
Jean Phillips	...	Sweetie (uncredited)
Victor Potel	...	Second Steward (uncredited)
Frances Raymond	...	Old Lady on Boat (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Father of Girl on Board (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgeway	...	Diner on Boat (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Husband on Boat (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Diner on Boat (uncredited)
Harry Rosenthal	...	Piano Tuner (uncredited)
Reginald Sheffield	...	Professor Jones (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Ship's Officer (uncredited)
Julius Tannen	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	One of Pike's Cooks (uncredited)
Wally Walker	...	Sparky (uncredited)
Robert Warwick	...	Passenger on Boat (uncredited)
Pat West	...	Ship's Bartender (uncredited)
Gayne Whitman	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Preston Sturges

Writing credits
Monckton Hoffe		(based on a story by)
Preston Sturges		(written by)

Produced by
Paul Jones	....	producer
Buddy G. DeSylva	....	producer (uncredited)
William LeBaron	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Albert Lewin	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Phil Boutelje		(uncredited)
Charles Bradshaw		(music score) (uncredited)
Gil Grau		(uncredited)
Sigmund Krumgold		(uncredited)
John Leipold		(uncredited)
Leo Shuken		(music score) (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Victor Milner		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stuart Gilmore		(edited by)

Casting by
Robert Mayo		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier
Ernst Fegté

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Hollis Barnes	....	hair (uncredited)
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Barton Adams	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Mel Epstein	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Sam Comer	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Ernest Johnson	....	props (uncredited)
Robert McCrillis	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don Johnson	....	sound recordist
Harry Lindgren	....	sound recordist
Ray Cossar	....	stage engineer (uncredited)
Harry Katherman	....	recordist (uncredited)
Ted Powell	....	mike grip (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Dugas	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
George Gottleber	....	grip (uncredited)
Soldier Graham	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Lorne Netten	....	electrician (uncredited)
G.E. Richardson	....	stills (uncredited)
Guy Roe	....	second camera (uncredited)

Animation Department
Leon Schlesinger	....	animation titles (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Bachler	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Edna Shotwell	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Chandler House	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Sigmund Krumgold	....	musical director

Other crew
Claire Behnke	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Roy Burns	....	business manager (uncredited)
Teet Carle	....	publicist (uncredited)
Edwin Gillette	....	secretary: Mr. Sturges (uncredited)
Ernst Laemmle	....	technical director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1941) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Paramount (1946) (France) (theatrical)
• M.P.E.A. (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• 4 Front Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paramount-Films (1941) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Universal Pay Television (????) (USA) (TV) (An MCA Company)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1986) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1941) | UK:U | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Sweden:15 | South Korea:12 (2004) | West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #6801) | Finland:S (1981) | USA:Not Rated | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

It was hibernation season during the shoot so Emma the king snake was always sleeping while also shedding her skin. Needless to say, she was very uncooperative.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jean is looking at Charles in the mirror, what she sees is the right way round (you can clearly see this by looking at the cover of Charles' book).

Quotes:

Charles Pike:And I have no right to be in your cabin.
Jean Harrington:Why?
Charles Pike:I'm married.
Jean Harrington:But so am I, darling. So am I.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fonda on Fonda (1992) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl

A Tonic For The Senses

As a lifelong Preston Sturges fan, I find the problem with submitting 'user comments' on his films to be twofold. The first is where to begin, the second how to stop. A third problem (growing out of the first two) manifests itself immediately upon watching a flawless jewel like THE LADY EVE: why even bother to praise it? No matter how accurate or elegant a rave you write, they'd still be merely words, and words can't do Sturges justice...not after hearing and seeing his own words spinning like a thousand plates over the 90-odd minutes it takes for this film to utterly captivate you. Unlike many black-and-white products of the studio era, which generate condescension or apathy among the Gen X'ers of today (when do we get to Gen Z - or are we there already?), the Sturges cult grows with every passing year, as younger fans fall under his spell, drawn initially to his work for the still-startling energy of the stream of raspberries he blew at the Production Code. (In this sense, EVE marks a high point; it's all about sexual gamesmanship, and its tone is both matter-of-fact and dizzyingly playful at the same time.) But hopefully, they're coming for the sizzle and staying for the steak. Like all Sturges' Paramount films, EVE is an embarrassment of riches - a boudoir farce, a slapstick clinic, a cynical dialogue comedy AND a love story of great, soulful heart. It's especially recommended to anyone beset by misery and tribulation as a guaranteed restorative and cure-all. When a movie from any era can so completely take you out of yourself and lift the blackest of clouds without resorting to any cheapjack plot-gimmicks or trite manipulation of an audience's emotions, all you can do is be grateful. Though the unfailingly superb Sturges Players are on hand, in fine form (including of course his human rabbit's foot, Wm Demarest) EVE features a number of actors making their first and only appearances in a Sturges-directed film: Stanwyck, Fonda, Eric Blore, Melville Cooper and perennial Fonda cohort Eugene Pallette. All of them take to the material like catnip, making one long for an alternate reality in which Preston Sturges could have remained unmolested at Paramount for 20 years and a dozen more films than he actually made, not only to see this cast reunited, but to see what might have resulted from any number of quality actors being exposed to the hothouse atmosphere of his screenplays. That it never worked out that way is one more reason to treasure THE LADY EVE.