moonspinner55 Fast-talking, quick-thinking, altogether delightful comedy from Preston Sturges, who also adapted the screenplay from Monckton Hoffe's original story. An elderly cardsharp and his equally crooked daughter, traveling in style by cruise ship from South America, zero in on their next victim--a handsome but somewhat unsteady ale-heir--but the daughter mixes business with pleasure and ends up falling for the lug. Barbara Stanwyck, with her crafty stare and sexy smirk, surprisingly doesn't run roughshod over articulate Henry Fonda, and they make a winning combination. Sturges' script blends grown-up jokes and conversation with pratfalls while never losing the filmmaker's graceful touch and innate sophistication. The results are amusingly frisky, prickly and unpredictable. *** from ****

JaydoDre Barbara Stanwyck is one of the hottest ladies to hit the silver screen. On top of that, in this film she is a really interesting strong character unlike the paper thin ladies in distress seen in so many other films of the time. This is very much her movie, just as the title accurately suggests. Most other actors are good too. Charles Coburn plays a father and partner in crime to Barbara's character and he is charming and has chemistry with the girl.It is unfortunately Henry Fonda, the biggest of the names, who is kind of boring at best and annoying at worst. He is given a role of a naive doofus and he plays that role a little too well. calling into question the believability of his given profession as well any chemistry between him and the intelligent lady. It feels from some of the initial dialgoue that the original plan may have been for him to appear as a smart bookworm who is simply awkward with women, but instead he is just dumb. This is not really a comedy where being dumb is more forgivable so this is just not a very interesting character to put in the lead role.And this flaw is one of the problems with the story. It starts strong, but fizzles out, both in terms of interest and excitement. The plot becomes increasingly ridiculous, depending on the stupidity of James Fonda's character for its continuation. Then, towards the end of the film, the two main characters argue (which is in itself a cliché) and the point of contention between them is based on a cultural norm for women that no longer exists, and in fact, was already not realistic at the time this movie was made.The dialogue can be quite witty. You have to be fast enough to catch the good parts. However, eventually it gets romantic or sentimental and that is when the movie becomes a cheap romance novel with lines like "You believe me, don't you" spoken from behind sad puppy eyes.The cinematography is OK, but there is nothing inventive or of particular interest. It is a surprisingly sexual film for a 40's film with a good amount of skin from the main lady, though not enough to make it interesting that way.The makers do something interesting with the music in the later part of the movie to incorporate it into the film, but at all other times it is the usual sappy 40s romantic tunes.Lady Eve is all about its main female character. To a lesser degree it is about the funny supporting characters. However, the story disappoints and the main male character is a drag.

joem294 Charles the man that just came back home seems to have every woman watching him everywhere he goes but one finds a way to get his attention. This may turn into a relationship, but what if it ended and the girlfriend disguised herself as another woman and makes Charles fall for her again and not even know it. Now that would be funny, but wait she just makes it even better as the Lady Eve to create more comedy with that.Eve knows how to wrap herself around Charles who isn't the brightest around women is able to create a great screwball comedy that will make anyone laugh. The two characters take the audience through another film that you really don't need to understand as long as you are laughing.A great film done by Preston Sturges probably one his best I have seen with a great set of actors that make the comedy so good.

SmileysWorld Henry Fonda never fails to charm.He had that certain something that compelled folks to watch and whether it be comedy,drama,suspense,or whatever else,he could do it all.Barbara Stanwyck never failed to wow!She was very easy on the eyes,and her range was just as wide.Seeing the two paired as an on screen couple was a delight.All of that being said,I had a slight problem with this film's plot.Ms. Stanwyck meets and wins the heart of Fonda's character to the point that they are engaged to be married.Suddenly it all falls apart,and it's over.He later meets her under a different ruse and he buys it when she says that they haven't met before? If he were that in love with her before,he would have known it was her,looking at it realistically.I give the film high marks for the natural chemistry between the two leads,but deduct points for it's disappointing plot.