Classic stuff that's still funny and entertaining. It's the sort of film that made me feel happy just from watching it. It's more of a series of sketches of comedy and romance, but the story hangs together once you accept the comedy logic of farces. Stanwyck and Fonda are both brilliant here and all the actors put in excellent support (particularly the horse!).
1941's The Lady Eve stars Barbara Stanwyck as a grifter who snares eligible young men into her father's crooked card games, but suddenly falls for her latest mark, the shy and clumsy heir to Connecticut ale business, played by Henry Fonda. Can swindlers really fall in love, or rather, can they be in trusting relationships? There's the rub. While Fonda is good enough as the sap stuck doing farce and slapstick, Stanwyck gets all the wit of the piece. Both managed to make me laugh. The film's structure is a little odd, but that helps keep it fresh. You do feel like you've watched an entire story by the end of the second act, but it's all just a set-up for an even greater scheme. And in The Lady Eve, you're never too sure if Stanwyck IS playing Fonda, or if she is, how and why. A nice surprise.
Stanwyck was never more gorgeous and Fonda plays the sincere idiot perfectly... although the star of the film for me is the horse that keeps barging into the romantic sunset interlude. Priceless.
The second half was a bit weeker than the first one on the boat. I really like those dialogues, only Hollywood love is rather...problematic imo. More than solid overall.
The ending aside, which in all honesty is cheap and makes very little use of logic, I don't have any particular complaints with this film. How on earth does Fonda not notice that the woman is the same that impersonates a different person later in the film? I suppose that my biggest complaint is that there wasn't anything that made this film good either. Sharp dialogue was absent, it wasn't very funny, and it was only mildly amusing.
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melle224
The horse made this movie.ChrisReynolds
Classic stuff that's still funny and entertaining. It's the sort of film that made me feel happy just from watching it. It's more of a series of sketches of comedy and romance, but the story hangs together once you accept the comedy logic of farces. Stanwyck and Fonda are both brilliant here and all the actors put in excellent support (particularly the horse!).Siskoid
1941's The Lady Eve stars Barbara Stanwyck as a grifter who snares eligible young men into her father's crooked card games, but suddenly falls for her latest mark, the shy and clumsy heir to Connecticut ale business, played by Henry Fonda. Can swindlers really fall in love, or rather, can they be in trusting relationships? There's the rub. While Fonda is good enough as the sap stuck doing farce and slapstick, Stanwyck gets all the wit of the piece. Both managed to make me laugh. The film's structure is a little odd, but that helps keep it fresh. You do feel like you've watched an entire story by the end of the second act, but it's all just a set-up for an even greater scheme. And in The Lady Eve, you're never too sure if Stanwyck IS playing Fonda, or if she is, how and why. A nice surprise.gregmnewman
A mixed bag, but the card game with Stanwyck as the dealer is pure genius.badblokebob
Have to agree with sureup -- really enjoyed it, until the final 2 minutes when it just rushes to an end with no logic.dombrewer
Stanwyck was never more gorgeous and Fonda plays the sincere idiot perfectly... although the star of the film for me is the horse that keeps barging into the romantic sunset interlude. Priceless.sureup
Fun, but the ending makes no sense...Melvelet
The second half was a bit weeker than the first one on the boat. I really like those dialogues, only Hollywood love is rather...problematic imo. More than solid overall.akuma587
One of the best screwball comedies out there.Yousef Mousa
Not funny, dull and the ending is really stupidmaxgreene
Was short, looked worthwhile and watchable. unfortunately, it was slow and unfunny. Though still pretty short for an addition to a movie session.Angmark
Has its moments, but Sturges did better in Sullivan's Travels.Limbesdautomne
Stanwyck leads the way and Fonda as the ingenuous guy we love to make fun of. Sturges abandons his stupid message films for a genuine and good comedy.Read more in French on La Saveur des goûts amers.
The_Comatorium
http://thoughtsfromthebooth.com/2013/08/12/film-review-the-lady-eve-1941/My Review
Kosmo Film
The ending aside, which in all honesty is cheap and makes very little use of logic, I don't have any particular complaints with this film. How on earth does Fonda not notice that the woman is the same that impersonates a different person later in the film? I suppose that my biggest complaint is that there wasn't anything that made this film good either. Sharp dialogue was absent, it wasn't very funny, and it was only mildly amusing.http://kosmofilm.com/kosmo-film-blog/2013/6/13/the-lady-eve-1941
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