Day 100: The Lady Eve (1941)

Well, it’s finally here. After 100 days of watching Criterion films, we’ve finally reached the end of this epic journey of cinematic discovery and what a finale! “The Lady Eve” by writer and director Preston Sturges is a hilarious and wild ride that speaks on gender roles and the art of the con, but, above everything else, is just plain old fun.

In the film, Barbara Stanwyck plays Jean Harrington, a card sharp and con artist, who works with her father “Colonel” Harrington (Charles Coburn) and his partner in crime Gerald (Melville Cooper) to hustle money from unsuspecting wealthy young men, who can’t keep their eyes off of her. A master of seduction, Jean has now set her sights on the rich, wide-eyed bookworm Charles Pike (Henry Fonda), heir to the Pike Ale company, who is returning from a year-long expedition in the Amazon by cruise ship.

All aboard and ready to milk Charlie for what he’s got, Jean puts the moves on him by making her something he can’t have and, before you know it, he’s head over heels about her and ready for the taking. But, just when all seems to be coming up aces, Jean finds she’s been dealt a different hand, as she’s fallen for Charlie as much as he’s fallen for her. Pressed with the knowledge that he plans to ask for her hand in marriage, Jean will have to find a way to reveal her true identity while stopping her father from taking Charlie for all he’s got.

What can easily be said about Preston Sturges’s “The Lady Eve” is that it’s undeniably fun. While so many comedies these days are too lazy to go for the more dry or complex punchline, this film soars because of its quick wit and hilarious slapstick performances, which makes up for its plot being rather thin in spots and a bit unrealistic in its choices. We can get over these things because the film sets up its own world so nicely, giving us a place where, at times, its the woman who pursues the man, creating hilarity through mixing up the normal gender roles.

Certainly influenced a bit by Gary Cooper in “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” Henry Fonda’s “awe shucks” Charlie is definitely one of his greatest and most understated performances, as he puts his “manly hero” persona on the back burner and allows Stanwyck to play the predator, which, even today, in the wake of the whole independent woman revolution of the 1960′s and 70′s, still feels rather modern. Even by the end, when Charlie surprises Jean by taking her in his arms and kisses her in that classic if not cliche way, it is all because of how Jean has set things up to eventually fall in her favor, still making her the one in charge.

Ahead of its time, “The Lady Eve” certainly put is mark on the topic of gender relations in film and would heavily influence works such as the Barbara Streisand comedy “What’s Up Doc?” and others in the years to come.

To learn more about “The Lady Eve,” check out Criterion’s page here.

Now at the end of “The Criterion Summer,” there is still more movie fun to come! Stay updated on all of Nathan’s posts about the art and industry of cinema through his Facebook page here.