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The Lady Eve

The Lady Eveis a 1941 Americanscrewball comedyfilm written and directed byPreston Sturgesand starringBarbara StanwyckandHenry Fonda.[2]The film is based on a story byMonckton Hoffeabout a mismatched couple who meet on board anocean liner.[3][4]Regarded amongstthe greatest films of all time,The Lady Evewas selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registryin 1994 by theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".[5][6][7][8]

The Lady Eve
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPreston Sturges
Written byPreston Sturges
Based on"Two Bad Hats"
byMonckton Hoffe
Produced byPaul Jones
Buddy G. DeSylva(uncredited)
Starring
CinematographyVictor Milner
Edited byStuart Gilmore
Music byPhil Boutelje
Charles Bradshaw
Gil Grau
Sigmund Krumgold
John Leipold
Leo Shuken
(all uncredited)
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • February 25, 1941(1941-02-25)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$660,000[1]

Plot

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Charles Coburn,Barbara StanwyckandHenry FondainThe Lady Eve

Jean Harrington is a beautiful con artist. Along with her equally larcenous father, "Colonel" Harrington, and his partner Gerald, she is sailing on an ocean liner with the intention to fleece rich, naive Charles Pike, the heir to the Pike's Pale ( "The Ale That Won for Yale" ) fortune. Charles is a woman-shysnake expertjust returning from a year-long expedition up the Amazon. The young women aboard the ship compete for his attention, but Charles is more concerned with reading about snakes.

Jean meets Charles by tripping him as he passes, and he is soon smitten with her. After Jean runs off, terrified by a real snake that Charles brought on board and has gotten loose in his cabin, the two share a steamy scene in her cabin.

Charles' minder Muggsy suspects that Jean is a trickster looking to steal from Charles, but Charles refuses to believe him. Then, despite the planned con, Jean falls in love with Charles and shields him from hercard sharpfather. Muggsy discovers the truth and presents proof to Charlie, who dumps Jean.

Furious at being spurned, Jean soon re-enters Charles' life masquerading as the posh Lady Eve Sidwich, niece of Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith, another con man who has been swindling the rich of Connecticut. Jean takes on an English accent, determined to torment Charles mercilessly; as she puts it, "I've got some unfinished business with him — I need him like the axe needs the turkey."

When Charles meets "Lady Eve", he is so bewildered at her resemblance to Jean that he constantly trips and falls over himself. Although Muggsy tries to convince him that "she's the same dame", Charles reasons that Jean would not come close to his home without at least disguising herself more thoroughly. Then, after Sir Alfred feeds him a story that the Lady Eve is Jean's long-lost sister, Charles accepts the resemblance. After a brief courtship, they marry, right on Jean's schedule. And just as she had planned, on the train to their honeymoon, "Eve" begins to confess her past, continuously dropping names of many old boyfriends and lovers. A disgusted Charles jumps off the train.

Jean's con team urges her to close the deal by pursuing a huge divorce settlement, but she tells Charles' father on the phone that she wants no money, but only wants Charles to tell her that their marriage is over in person. Charles refuses. Jean is then told by Charles' father that Charles is departing on another ocean voyage. She arranges passage for herself and her father, and meets Charles again by tripping him as he passes, just as they had met before. Charles is overjoyed to see Jean again. He kisses her and takes her hand, and they run to her cabin, where they mutually affirm their love for each other. As the cabin door closes, Charles confesses that he has no right to be in her cabin because he is married. Jean replies, "So am I, darling, so am I."

Cast

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Production

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Henry Fonda from a trailer forThe Lady Eve

The Lady Eveis loosely based on a 19-page story by Monckton Hoffe called "Two Bad Hats", which was also the working title of the film. Sturges was assigned in 1938 to write a script based on Hoffe's story, withClaudette Colbertexpected to be the star. Sturges andParamountproducerAlbert Lewinhad some written disagreement in 1939 about the development of the script. Lewin wrote to Sturges, "[T]he first two-thirds of the script, in spite of the high quality of your jokes, will require an almost one hundred percent rewrite." Sturges objected, and eventually Lewin acceded, writing, "Follow your witty nose, my boy; it will lead you and me and Paramount to the Elysian pastures of popular entertainment."[9]

TheHays Officeinitially rejected the script because of "the definite suggestion of a sex affair between your two leads" that lacked "compensating moral values", and a revised script was submitted and approved.[10]

At some point, the studio wantedBrian Ahernefor the male lead,[9]andJoel McCrea,Madeleine CarrollandPaulette Goddardwere under consideration as of July 1940. But in August 1940,Fred MacMurrayand Madeleine Carroll were announced as the film's co-stars. In September,Darryl Zanucklent Henry Fonda to co-star with Goddard, who was then replaced by Barbara Stanwyck.[10]

Barbara Stanwyckfrom a trailer forThe Lady Eve

Production took place from October 21 to December 5, 1940.[11]According toDonald SpotoinMadcap: The Life of Preston Sturges,Sturges "... invariably paraded on [the] set with a colorful beret or a felt cap with a feather protruding, a white cashmere scarf blowing gaily round his neck and a print shirt in loud hues... the reason for the peculiar outfits, he told visitors, was that they facilitated crew members finding him amid the crowds of actors, technicians, and the public." Stanwyck compared Sturges' set to "a carnival". In his biography of Stanwyck, author Axel Madsen wrote, "The set was so ebullient that instead of going to their trailers between setups, the players relaxed in canvas chairs with their sparkling director, listening to his fascinating stories or going over their lines with him. To get into mood for Barbara's bedroom scene, Sturges wore a bathrobe."[9]

Location shooting for the opening jungle scene took place atLake Baldwinof theLos Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic GardeninArcadia, California.[10][12]In that scene, Fonda's character refers to Professor Marsdit, whose last name is an anagram ofRaymond L. Ditmarsof theAmerican Museum of Natural History,a well-known reptile expert and popular science writer of the time.[13]

Production credits

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Release

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Theatrical release

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The film premiered inNew York Cityon February 25, 1941, and went into general release on March 21.[11]It was marketed with a number of taglines, including: "When you deal a fast shuffle... love is in the cards."[2]The film ranked among the top-grossing films of the year.[10]

Home video

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The Lady Evewas released on home video in the United States on July 12, 1990, and was rereleased on June 30, 1993.[10]Despite issues with the condition of the surviving original film elements, the film was scanned in4Kand issued onBlu-ray discbyCriterionon July 14, 2020.[14]

Reception and themes

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AfterThe Lady Evepremiered at theRialto Theatre,The New York TimesreviewerBosley Crowthercharacterized the film as "a sparkling romantic comedy". He further described the director's work: "It isn't often that this corner has good reason to bang a gong and holler 'Hurry, hurry, hurry!' As a matter of fact, it is all too rare indeed that we have even moderate provocation to mark a wonder of the cinematic world. Too many of the films on which we comment boil down to woeful mediocrity, and too many of the people who make them betray a depressing weariness."[15]

More than 50 years later,Roger Ebertgave the film high praise: "If I were asked to name the single scene in all of romantic comedy that was sexiest and funniest at the same time, I would advise beginning at six seconds past the 20-minute mark in Preston Sturges'sThe Lady Eve."[16]

Some[who?]have identified a theme of gender inversion, with Jean Harrington clearly in control for the majority of the film until her feelings get in the way of her original intentions. Until she realizes that she loves Charles, there is little sense of the struggle between equals that typifies most romantic comedies. The film has been lauded for a unique blend ofslapstickandsatire.[17]Film scholars[who?]have observed the theme of thefall of manimplied by the film's title; in the literal sense, the fall is evidenced in Pike's frequent pratfalls, and figuratively, he falls from innocence as he is lured into Jean's deceptive plots.[18]

Film criticAndrew Sarrisidentifies the theme of deceptiveness throughout the film, with things as small as the distinction, or lack thereof, between beer and ale, as well as the various disguises of Jean Harrington, adding depth to the plot line. Most of the characters have two names (Charles is Hopsie, Jean is Eve Sidwich); this lack of recognition sets the stage for the storyline. Sturges repeatedly suggests that the "lowliest boob could rise to the top with the right degree of luck, bluff and fraud".[19]

On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,99% of 104 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "A career highlight for Preston Sturges,The Lady Evebenefits from Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda's sparkling chemistry -- and a script that inspired countless battle-of-the-sexes comedies. "[20]Metacritic,which uses aweighted average,assigned the film a score of 96 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[21]

Awards and honors

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At the14th Academy Awards,the film was nominated forBest Original StoryforMonckton Hoffe,butHere Comes Mr. Jordan(Harry Segall) proved victorious. TheNational Board of Reviewnominated the film for Best Picture, andThe New York Timesnamed it as the best film of 1941.[2]

In 1994,The Lady Evewas selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registryby theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2008,The Lady Evewas selected byEmpiremagazine as among the 500greatest movies of all time,[22]and one of the best 1,000 byThe New York Times.[23]In 2012, the film ranked #110 onSight and Sound's critics' poll, and #174 on the directors' poll as selected by theBritish Film Institute.[24]

The Lady Evewas listed byTimemagazine as one of its "All-TIME 100 Movies".[25]The film ranked 59th onEntertainment Weekly's list of the 100 greatest films of all time.[26]FilmSite.org,a subsidiary ofAmerican Movie Classics,placedThe Lady Eveon their list of the 100 greatest films.[27]Films101 rankedThe Lady Eveas the 92nd best of all time.[28]

In 2006, theWriters Guild of AmericarankedThe Lady Eveas the 52nd best written film of all time.[29]

The Lady Eveappears on two of theAmerican Film Institute's lists and was nominated for several others:

Influences

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In 1956, the plot ofThe Lady Evewas recycled for the filmThe Birds and the BeesstarringGeorge Gobel,Mitzi GaynorandDavid Niven.Preston Sturges received a co-writer credit for the film, although he did not actually participate in the project.[36]

The plot was employed as the model forCorrupting Dr. Nice,a 1997science fictionnovel byJohn Kesselinvolvingtime travel.[37]

Barbara Stanwyck's Jean Harrington was one of the key reference points thatJames Mangoldcame up with forPhoebe Waller-Bridgeto employ in her performance as Helena Shaw in the 2023 filmIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,the fifth and lastIndiana Jonesmovie.[38]

Radio adaptation

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The Lady Evewas presented onHollywood Star Timeon September 21, 1946, withJoan BlondellandJohn Lundin the starring roles.[39]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^Curtis 1984, p. 240.
  2. ^abc"The Lady Eve."IMDB.Retrieved: November 17, 2011.
  3. ^Variety Film Reviews,February 26, 1941, p. 16.
  4. ^Harrison's Reports and Film Reviews,March 1, 1941, p. 34.
  5. ^"National Film Registry."Archived2012-04-19 at theWayback MachineLibrary of Congress.Retrieved: November 17, 2011.
  6. ^"25 Films Added to National Registry (Published 1994)".The New York Times.1994-11-15.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2020-11-18.
  7. ^"Complete National Film Registry Listing".Library of Congress.Retrieved2020-11-18.
  8. ^"Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies".Time.Internet Archive.February 12, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon June 28, 2011.RetrievedDecember 5,2013.
  9. ^abcMiller, Frank and Jeff Stafford."Articles: The Lady Eve."Turner Classic Movies.Retrieved: July 15, 2024.
  10. ^abcde"Notes: The Lady Eve."Turner Classic Movies.Retrieved: July 15, 2024.
  11. ^ab"The Lady Eve Overview."TCM.Retrieved: November 17, 2011.
  12. ^"The Lady Eve Filming Locations."IMDb.Retrieved: November 17, 2011.
  13. ^"The Lady Eve Trivia."Turner Classic Movies.Retrieved: July 15, 2024.
  14. ^The Lady Eve Blu-ray Release Date July 14, 2020,retrieved2021-04-30
  15. ^Crowther, Bosley."Creative Man; Preston Sturges claims his niche as a comedy master with 'Lady Eve'."The New York Times,March 2, 1941.
  16. ^Ebert, Roger."The Lady Eve(1941) ".The Chicago Sun Times,November 23, 1997. Retrieved: November 17, 2011.
  17. ^Coursodon1983, p. 322.
  18. ^Faith 1995, p. 162.
  19. ^Sarris 1995, p. 113.
  20. ^"The Lady Eve".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedJanuary 30,2025.
  21. ^"The Lady Eve".Metacritic.Fandom, Inc.RetrievedJanuary 30,2025.
  22. ^The 500 Greatest Movies of All TimeEmpireviaInternet Archive.Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  23. ^The Best 1,000 Movies Ever MadeThe New York TimesviaInternet Archive.Published April 29, 2003. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  24. ^The Greatest Films Poll.Sight & Sound.Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  25. ^"Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies".Time.Internet Archive.February 12, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon June 28, 2011.RetrievedDecember 5,2013.
  26. ^"Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time".Entertainment Weekly.Published byFilmSite.org.RetrievedDecember 5,2013.
  27. ^"Filmsite's 100 Greatest Films".FilmSite.org.RetrievedDecember 5,2013.
  28. ^The Best Movies of All Time (10,267 Most Notable)Films101 viaInternet Archive.Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  29. ^WGA's 101 Greatest ScreenplaysWriters Guild of AmericaviaInternet Archive.Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  30. ^"America's Greatest Movies"(PDF).AFI. 2002. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on June 24, 2016.RetrievedAugust 18,2016.
  31. ^AFI's 100 Years...100 LaughsAmerican Film InstituteviaInternet Archive.Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  32. ^AFI's 100 Years...100 PassionsAmerican Film InstituteviaInternet Archive.Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  33. ^"AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes – List of the 400 nominated movie quotes"(PDF).American Film Institute.Archived(PDF)from the original on June 28, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 17,2014.
  34. ^"AFI 100 Years 100 Movies"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on June 24, 2016.RetrievedAugust 18,2016.
  35. ^AFI's 10 Top 10: Official BallotAmerican Film Institute.Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  36. ^Miller, Frank."Notes: The Birds and the Bees."Turner Classic Movies.Retrieved: July 15, 2024.
  37. ^Gevers, Nick."Corrupting Dr Nice by John Kessel."infinity plus,October 16, 1999. Retrieved: August 29, 2012.
  38. ^Travis, Ben (November 21, 2022)."Phoebe Waller-Bridge Is Indy's Goddaughter Helena In Indiana Jones 5: 'She's A Mystery And A Wonder' – Exclusive Image".Empire.Archivedfrom the original on November 21, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 31,2023.
  39. ^"Joan Blondell In 'Lady Eve' On WHP 'Star Time'".Harrisburg Telegraph.Harrisburg Telegraph. September 21, 1946. p. 17.RetrievedOctober 7,2015– viaNewspapers.

Bibliography

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Wikiquote has quotations related toThe Lady Eve.
Wikimedia Commons has media related toThe Lady Eve (film).
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