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. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

"Let us be crooked, but never common."
Preston Sturges' "The Lady Eve" is a romantic battle of the sexes done screwball style. Yet, to classify it solely as a romantic or screwball comedy would be a mistake. For "The Lady Eve" was a transition film set between the pure screwball comedies that preceded it and the more conventional romantic comedies that followed. It relied on pratfalls and misunderstandings like its predecessors but also added an additional level of wit and sophistication that downplayed the more juvenile aspects of the screwball genre.

"The Lady Eve" is about the complicated boy-meets-girl-boy-loses-girl-boy-meets-another-girl-who-turns-out-to-be-the-same-girl relationship between beer company heir Charles Pike (Henry Fonda) and crafty con artist Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck). They first meet on a cruise ship where Jean pegs Charles as just another victim. However, she soon falls in love with him only to be tossed aside when Charles finds out about her true vocation. Jean bides her time, patiently waiting for an opportunity to exact revenge on the man who jilted her. The opportunity soon presents itself but Jean's romantic feelings get the best of her once more. After deciding to leave behind her fake Eve personage, she chooses true love over the con game and hooks up with Charles again.

Fonda is superb at playing the sincere but easily victimized Charles. Those familiar with him only through his dramatic roles will find that he can be just as home in a comedic part. Yet, it is Stanwyck who steals the show. At different points of the film, she is called upon to be vile, sweet, clever, or heartbroken, and she pulls off each new demand placed upon her effortlessly. Stanwyck remarkably manages to create a multi-dimensional character that you loathe and love at the same time. The supporting cast is also strong with Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest all contributing winning performances. There's much to enjoy about "The Lady Eve" but perhaps the most important message to take away from it is that it is never good to have five aces in your hand.

_The_ Sturges Classic!!!
Wow. This film is a stunner. It is also one of the best romantic comedies of the 1940s, or of any era. As usual, Preston Sturges's dialogue and situations sparkle with humor and wit, while his direction keeps the action moving quickly. Both Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda turn in perfect performances. There are also notable supporting turns by Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, and Eric Blore (all practiced character actors that shined in romantic comedy). Several Sturges regulars also appear, notably William Demarest.

Stanwyck plays a con artist, who, with her father (Coburn), tricks unwary passengers on cruise ships. She decides that Fonda, a rich man who is heir to Pike's Pale [ale] fortune, will be her next victim. They meet "cute," as is required in an old romantic comedy: Stanwyck purposefully trips Fonda and breaks her shoe, then forces Fonda to take her to her room to replace it. The following scene on the chaise loungue is a keeper. Soon Fonda is falling under Stanwyck's spell, while Coburn is stealing his money at cards. But Stanwyck also finds herself falling in love, as she is slowly won over by Fonda's innocence. She decides to reform and give Fonda back his money. But then Fonda finds out that Stanwyck is a known criminal, and breaks up with her. Determined to have her revenge on Fonda for dumping her, Stanwyck disguises herself as the wealthy English "Lady Eve" and goes to Fonda's house. There, she quickly seduces him, without Fonda ever recognizing her. Then things get even more complicated. Of course, certain events result with our hero and heroine finally understanding each other and finding happiness.

This film is a treat from beginning to end (I loved the opening credits with the animated snake--nice Adam and Eve reference). Well worth the money. Also recommended: Easy Living, Hail the Conquering Hero (both also Sturges), Ball of Fire (also with Stanwyck), anything by Lubitsch.

Never play cards with a card sharp

Director: Preston Sturges
Format: Black & White
Studio: Universal Studios
Video Release Date: August 4, 1998

Cast:

Barbara Stanwyck ... Jean Harrington/Lady Eve Sidwich
Henry Fonda ... Charles Pike ('Hopsie')
Charles Coburn ... 'Colonel' Harrington
Eugene Pallette ... Horace Pike
William Demarest ... Muggsy (Ambrose Murgatroyd)
Eric Blore ... Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith ('Pearlie')
Melville Cooper ... Gerald
Martha O'Driscoll ... Martha
Janet Beecher ... Janet Pike
Robert Greig ... Burrows
Dora Clement ... Gertrude
Luis Alberni ... Emile, Pike's chef
Harry Depp ... Man With Glasses on Boat
Robert Dudley ... Husband on Boat
Ray Flynn ... Lawyer
Kenneth Gibson ... Party Guest
Sam Ash ... Husband on Boat
Alfred Hall ... Party Guest
Eddie Hall ... Chauffeur
John Hartley ... Young Man on Boat
Arthur Hoyt ... Lawyer at Phone in Pike's Office
Arthur Stuart Hull ... Party Guest
Jack W. Johnston ... Lawyer
Harry A. Bailey ... Lawyer

Ambrose Barker ... Mac
Bertram Marburgh ... Party Guest
George Melford ... Party Guest
Torben Meyer ... Mr. Clink, Purser
Frank Moran ... Party Bartender
Joseph North ... Second Butler at Party
Wilson Benge ... First Butler at Party
Victor Potel ... Second Steward
Jack Richardson ... Father of Girl on Board
Cyril Ring ... Husband on Boat
Abdullah Abbas ... Man With Potted Palm
Harry Rosenthal ... Piano Tuner
Reginald Sheffield ... Professor Jones
Norman Ainsley ... Sir Alfred's Servant
Julius Tannen ... Lawyer
Walter Walker ... Sparky
Robert Warwick ... Passenger
Pat West ... Ship's Bartender
Gayne Whitman ... Party Guest
Al Bridge ... First Steward
Jimmy Conlin ... Third Steward
Wanda McKay ... Daughter on Boat
Esther Michelson ... Wife on Boat
Ella Neal ... Daughter on Boat
Barbara Pepper ... Lady Wrestler Type
Jean Phillips ... Sweetie
Wilda Bennett ... Party Guest
Evelyn Beresford ... Party Guest
Frances Raymond ... Old Lady on Boat
Marcelle Christopher ... Daughter on Boat
Georgie Cooper ... Party Guest
Nell Craig ... Boat Passenger at Railing
Eva Dennison ... Mother on Boat
Helen Dickson ... Mother on Boat
Pauline Drake ... Social Secretary
Betty Farrington ... Mother on Boat
Bess Flowers ... Party Guest
Almeda Fowler ... Mother on Boat

A trio of card sharps on a cruise ship tries to take a rich man's son, Charles Pike (Henry Fonda) at cards. Unfortunately for both of them, Pike falls for Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck), and she him. Also unfortunately, her background as a card cheat comes out and puts the kibosh on the romance.

The story develops from there.

This is a good story, ccompetently acted and directed, and very entertaining.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Best American Laugher
I saw bits and pieces of The Lady Eve on Turner occasionally and never watched long enough to have an opinion one way or the other. I enjoyed Preston Sturges, Sullivan's Travels and realize he's one of the greats of American film comedy, so I rented The Lady Eve on a friend's recommendation. I enjoyed young handsome Henry Fonda and particularly Barbara Stanwyck. Barbara Stanwyck is not a favorite actress of mine. Maybe it's her brassy delivery and non-leading lady face, but I've changed my mind. Barbara is without a doubt the equal of Claudette Colbert or Carole Lombard in screwball comedy. She might be better. There is a burning intensity, a wistfulness in her delivery of: "Sometimes a good girl can be bad and a bad girl can be good." Fonda has been in the Amazon for a year and on a ship home he runs into a family of card sharks. Barbara traps him, he trips, falls, lands on his ass, and holds her stocking foot. Then they fall in love in some of the most romantic photography of a beautiful couple ever shot. The farce goes on to its final brilliance. There is one pratfall that made me laugh out loud for five minutes. Preston Sturgis is one of the best five directors in all of film.

a very nice film with nice extras
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda remains a classic to this day.

In this film, a woman and her father meet the heir to a brewery company on a cruise ship and attempt to sucker him at a card table. The daughter soon falls in love with their would-be victim. He later learns of her plan and she tries to win his heart. The movie has much slapstick humor in it and is comparable to the kind seen in the Three Stooges shorts.

The film was also selected by the Library of Congress for the highly coveted National Film Registry and Preservation Board.

The Criterion DVD has many special features including a theatrical trailer, a large number of publicity photos and stills, costume design sketches and other ephemera generously shared by director Preston Sturges' family . There is also a video introduction by writer Peter Bogdanovich and audio commentary by scholar Marion Keane. As a bonus there is the unabridged Lux Radio Theater audio drama adaptation of the film presented by Cecil B. De Mille.

This is truly a classic of American cinema. ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Wayne was in the early stages of superstardom when this lavishCecil B. DeMille adventure was produced in 1942, so it's interesting to see the Duke in a heroic supporting role as opposed to the commanding one. Here he's on equal footing with Ray Milland in the romantic lead; they play a pair of dashing yet wildly different characters who've both fallen for a feisty Southern belle played by Paulette Goddard. It's 1840 on Florida's Key West, and while Wayne plays a daring seaman eager to command a brand-new steamship, his ambitions are hampered by his daredevil reputation and the ruthless profiteering of a salvager (Raymond Massey) who preys on ships that are routinely wrecked in the Key's rocky coastal waters. Milland plays the dapper gentleman who can decide Wayne's future, but Wayne's competitive edge leads to a progression of apparent betrayals and shifting allegiances. Ultimately, both men cast aside their differences to seek justice on the open sea, where an underwater encounter with a giant octopus threatens to bury them both in a watery grave. Providing spectacle and romance as only DeMille could serve it up, this blustery adventure has its share of corny dialogue and obligatory crowd-pleasing action, but that's all part of the movie's considerable charm. It's like Gone with the Wind on the open sea, with the high-spirited Goddard (who had been a candidate for the role of Scarlett O'Hara) holding her own with her chest-thumping costars. DeMille fills his frame with delightful characters and background business, spicing up the story with just enough humor and hokum to offset the movie's forgivable flaws. Presented in glorious Technicolor that's been flawlessly preserved on DVD, the film earned Oscar nominations for its cinematography and costumes, and its still-exciting climax earned an Oscar for Best Special Effects. All in all, this is rousing Hollywood entertainment from the peak years of the studio system that DeMille had dominated for decades. --Jeff Shannon. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

This Film Surprised Me
I enjoyed this film more than I expected to. Another reviewer called it "predictable" but I was surprised several times. Paulette Goddard is enjoyable as the spunky heroine who expects too much of John Wayne's ship captain and not enough of Ray Milland's gentleman lawyer. I too kept expecting John Wayne to display his legendary heroism, but this movie casts him in the role of the weaker man, one led to disastrous decisions through a combination of pride and stubbornness.

The supporting cast, including a young Robert Preston, provide solid backing to the leads, which is always nice. The sets and costumes are beautiful. The pace is brisk, and I never got bored.

The film won a special effects Oscar, and I'm sure the climactic underwater sequence thrilled original viewers -- but I found the rubber giant squid more silly-looking than scary, and its use as a plot device unsatisfying.

probably John Wayne's sole dishonorable role...
Yes, all about "heroic salvage masters" from 1840s Key West, "Reap the Wild Wind" packs a surprise or two, and I think the Duke's actions may take quite a few of his fans aback.

I remember this film from way back, with the exciting climax concerning "a red and yeller shawl" and the Giant Squid, but most of everything else was a blur for me, until I saw it again last week. I liked almost everything in it, but man, do I have one big ol' criticism!

The Good Stuff first:
1. One big surprise were the astounding technicolor marine shots of Key West, where most of the action takes place.
2. Susan Hayward and Robert Preston are supporting cast playing forbidden lovers--what a joy to watch them as they were almost unknown at the time, seeing how their undeniable star power was evident from the start.
3. Hedda Hopper as Paulette Goddard's aunt, pre hat and pre gossip column--she was pretty good herself!
4. Ray Milland; does anything else need to be said?
5. Tension filled battle with the Giant Squid: who will survive?

and best of all, young John Wayne as an earnest young sea captain in love and in trouble because his ship sank while he had been knocked unconscious by a devious first mate. Sis in law had to confess that she'd never known he was so handsome without his 10 gallon cowboy hat. He plays a man who is in over his head dealing with treacherous Raymond Massey, and therefore does something quite un-White Hat. Could only have happened early in his career.

So what's my beef? Well, it's a pretty serious flaw: basically, the heroine stinks! Paulette Goddard's character is just not a good woman. At one point, Raymond Massey accuses her of playing Milland and Wayne off against each other, and frankly, it's the truth. At the end of the movie, there are no recriminations against her, and there really should be. I don't want to disclose too much of the plot to illustrate why I think that, but if you'll see it, you'll be aghast that she gets off scot-free. Meanwhile, Goddard's a beautiful woman; maybe that's all you're supposed to be thinking about during the movie.

So, overall, with the exception of my major problem with the Paulette Goddard character, I thorougly enjoyed "Reap the Wild Wind", and I'm sure you would too!

Great early Wayne flick!
Although this movie is very similar in plot to Wake of the Red Witch, it's a LOT better. It has a similar story about sinking a ship to get its treasure & even has an octopus sequence like Wake of the Red Witch. The difference is that while John Wayne's later B&W Red Witch is somewhat slow & boring, this movie is exciting, entertaining, in color & directed by the one & only Cecille B DeMille! Highly recommended for those seeking out a John Wayne movie they may not have seen yet!

Good period piece. Not great, but good.
Love triangle set in 1840s, with Goddard the center of affection for two men. The screenplay (which is thinly plotted and all-too-familiar) focuses too much on this particular aspect, not leaving room for some good intentions which could have made this one great. But it's directed with strong style and as usual, all three actors are at their peak, making their roles believable. Excellent special effects which won a well deserved Oscar.

John Wayne looks soooo good!
I was 10 years old when I first saw this movie on TV and it was one of the first movies I saw of Jahn Wayne. He looks so good. Since then I have a little crush on him. :-)) The movie is great, good acting, wonderful costums and settings, romance and action. What do you want more of a good movie?? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent adaptation by no-name cast.
The thing about this adaptation of Li'l Abner is that it manages to capture the light-hearted feel of the strip at the time. Unencumbered by any political or social leanings (in either direction) it gives a sense of Al Capp at his finest. When Li'l Abner and the citizens of Dogpatch were celebrated heroes of America.

The cast is mostly unknown. But they bring a sense of excitement to their roles that more than makes up for their lack of experience. That's not to say this is a flawless film. It's cheaply produced and it was sad to see film great Buster Keaton in such a small role. But it is funny (despite Maltin's opinion) and well worth the price. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1947 curio, saluting and partly filmed at the New York Cityculturallandmark, begins with a shot of the building's exterior.Except that the"exterior" is a photograph with a dramatic yet distinctly ersatz night skyoptically sutured above it.In short, Edgar G. Ulmer, the poet of PovertyRow, is up to his usual tricks--wresting dynamic imagery out ofnext-to-nothing, even if Carnegie Hall represents a comparativelyupscale endeavor in his expressionist/minimalist career.

The film boasts an epic running time of 136 minutes and about half an hour'sworth of narrative.Silent-film actress Seena Owen is credited with thestory, about an Irish immigrant (Marsha Hunt) whose mystical rapport with theHall leads to her rise from cleaning woman to a kind of house-mother who helps musically talented kids go far.That's partly because her son (WilliamPrince) has gone right out of her life, asserting a passion for "modernmusic" (i.e., Vaughn Monroe's dance band) over the classics to which she is devoted.The latter are exuberantly performed or conducted by the likes of Fritz Reiner, Leopold Stokowski, Risë Stevens, Ezio Pinza, and--mostmemorably--Artur Rubinstein and Jascha Heifetz, who rate the most extendedand visually bravura treatment.

It's easy to kid this as virtually a one-film glossary of camp.Yet itssincerity seems genuine, and Ulmer's resourcefulness at devising angles toexalt the bond between music and musician, performer and audience, isoccasionally breathtaking.(Cinematographer and effects wizard EugenSchüfftan was a key collaborator.)The black and white is lustrous in this digital transfer from the original 35mm nitrate negative. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more