142. The Lady Eve (1941)

Running Time: 97 minutes
Directed By: Preston Sturges
Written By: Monckton Hoffe, Preston Sturges
Main Cast: Henry Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest

FONDA AND STANWYCK WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER

Despite the fact that today is my birthday, I still found the time to squeeze in a movie and it wasn't a bad one either. Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda appear in "The Lady Eve", a film directed and co-written by Preston Sturges and one that, while I didn't love it immensely, I did find it to be a ton of fun.

Charles Pike (Fonda) is just on his way back from South America, where he was on a snake expedition. Upon boarding the ocean liner to return to the United States he has a chance meeting with Jean Harrington (Stanwyck). Jean is traveling with her father, "Colonel" Harrington and his partner Gerald, and the three of them together plan to scam the poor Pike out of some of his loot, which is ample seeing as how he is the heir to the Pike Ale fortune. The meeting begins when Jean trips up Charles and makes him take her back to his room so that he can help her change her shoes, which she blames him for breaking the heel of. Later, the professional card shark "Colonel" Harrington, loses some money to Charles. This is a set up, so that later, when they really scam him out of some dough, he won't suspect anything. Before too long, Jean finds herself head over (broken) heels for Charles and talks her father out of scamming the unsuspecting Charles. However, when Charles' valet Muggsy (Demarest) lets his paranoia rise and starts asking questions to the staff of the ocean liner, the staff produces a picture and profile on the trio of scammers and Charles uncovers the truth behind their facade.

Unable to forgive Jean, even though they've fallen in love, Charles dumps her on the boat and eventually lands back home. Some time passes and Jean is set on revenge against Charles for dumping her. When Charles' father throws a party at the family estate, Jean talks one of her other con-men friends into allowing her to pass off as his niece, so that she can attend the party and possibly get back at Charles. Jean shows up at the party sporting an English accent and calling herself Lady Eve Sidwich. Mr. Pike is enamored with Lady Eve and while Charles agrees that she bares a striking resemblance to Jean, he eventually comes to the conclusion that if she had wanted to fool him, she would've dyed her hair yellow or something of the sort. He eventually comes to the conclusion that Jean and Lady Eve are two different people and he proceeds to fall in love with her. In the end, true love rears its head and wins out, as it normally does.

As I mentioned in the header for this post, I loved the chemistry that was created by Stanwyck and Fonda, which is cemented as he cradles her feet and changes her shoes for her and then later, when Jean is frightened by Charles' pet snake, she somehow ends up holding him, caressing his hair and petting his face, as he is lulled into her spell and the two make us believe that they're really and truly in love. I was glad to see my a familiar face in Eugene Pallette. It seems like whenever that guy shows up in a movie, it turns into a good time. While I'm not totally in love with this movie, it seemed to be the type of movie that you could watch over and over and never tire of and even though it's not one of your favorites you know you can always throw it in and not have to put a lot of thought to it and you'll always have a good time. The running theme in the book seems to be that screwball comedies are usually really good and provide a fair amount of classic film making and classic moments.

RATING: 6.5/10 I know I say this a lot, but that is another rating that I could definitely see rising with the passage of a little time and maybe another viewing or two.

NEXT UP: The Wolf Man...The classic monster movie should be ready for review late tonight.

July 12, 2010 9:55am