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The Lady Eve [DVD] [1941]
 
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The Lady Eve [DVD] [1941]

DVD ~ Barbara Stanwyck
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £4.98 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

The Lady Eve [DVD] [1941] + His Girl Friday [DVD] [1940] + The Philadelphia Story [DVD] [1940]
Total RRP: £38.97
Price For All Three: £15.84

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Product details

  • Actors: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest
  • Directors: Preston Sturges
  • Writers: Preston Sturges, Monckton Hoffe
  • Producers: Albert Lewin, Buddy G. DeSylva, Paul Jones
  • Format: Black & White, PAL
  • Language English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: U
  • Studio: Universal Pictures UK
  • DVD Release Date: 2 Oct 2006
  • Run Time: 94 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00079FGXU
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 9,226 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1941, Barbara Stanwyck was offered two screwball roles equally suited to her tart intelligence, deft comic timing, and undeniable sex appeal, and it's a photo finish as to which was funnier--showgirl-on-the-lam Sugarpuss O'Shea, the title character in Howard Hawks's Ball of Fire, or con artist Jean Harrington a.k.a. Lady Eve Sidwich, the delirious fulcrum for this classic Preston Sturges comedy. Under Sturges's typically antic microscope, the collision between the gold-digging Harrington and the very rich, very hapless brewery-heir-turned-herpetologist Charles Pike (a wonderfully callow, guileless Henry Fonda) yields ample opportunity for the writer-director to skewer issues of class and sex; as always, Sturges is bold in pushing the censors' envelope, capturing a palpable erotic heat between the canny Jean and the literally feverish Charlie, who, after a year up the Amazon, is instantly smitten by the mere sight of her shapely ankles (in hindsight, a precursor to her subsequent effect in Double Indemnity). To give away the plot machinations driving the farce would spoil the fun, beyond confirming impersonations, mixed signals, and misunderstandings as the turns in a consistently rollicking ride that makes good use of Charles Coburn and screwball character veterans Eugene Pallette, William Demarest, and Eric Blore. --Sam Sutherland

Synopsis
Directed by Preston Sturges, The Lady Eve stars Barbara Stanwyck as Jean Herrington, a sly con artist aboard a transatlantic ocean liner who happens to run across Charles Pike (Henry Fonda), a snake expert returning from a year in the Amazon jungle. Since Pike is the wealthy and shy heir to a beer fortune, he seems like the perfect target for one of Jean's cons, but as she deceives him she finds herself falling in love. One of Sturges's most hilarious comedies, The Lady Eve is a romantic comedy masterpiece with two of Hollywood's stars at the top of their form.

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6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An almost flawless screwball comedy with a perfect ending., 17 Nov 2005
I like all of Preston Sturges' films, but this one I love - it is nearly perfect - one of those rare films that affect you long after you have watched it. Anyone who thinks old films are stilted, naive or wet should watch The Lady Eve, there is cynicism, and sophisticated and ribald dialogue you still wouldn't want a child to fully understand. To adapt a line from the film, it has a wonderful way of building up romance then bouncing it down again with wit. Having said that, it is still terribly romantic.

It is impossible not to fall for Barbara Stanwyck's character and at no point, despite being opposites, do the leads feel mismatched in any way. Both of their early screen personas were used by Sturges; Fonda's stiffness to convey a touching innocence and Stanwyck's tough yet vulnerable worldliness to rough him up.

A quick word about slapstick, which forms a part of almost all of Sturges' films, I'm not incredibly fond of it and quite often it can be a little tiresome and contrived for modern audiences, as anyone who has had to fast-forward through Rex Harrison's interminable solo scene in Unfaithfully Yours can attest, but here, though it is very important to the plot, it is limited and every instance fits naturally into the scene with perfect timing and, like the rest of the film, is still very, very funny.

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Charming Romantic Comedy, 8 Aug 2004
By Westley (Stuck in my head) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Lady Eve [DVD] [1941] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)
Barbara Stanwyck is at her comedic best in "The Lady Eve," playing a vamp who tries to con a gullible heir, played by Henry Fonda. Her plans hit a snag, though, when she finds herself falling for him, which leads to some madcap fun. Directed and co-written by the peerless Preston Sturges ("Sullivan's Travels"), "The Lady Eve" is among the finest of Hollywood 1940's romantic comedies. The script is quite brilliant (the movie received only one Oscar nomination, for its screenplay, which it lost to "Here Comes Mr. Jordan") and delivers some genuine laughs. In addition, the tinge of bitterness and cynicism that characterizes Sturges' work is here -- this movie isn't a sickly sweet romance. Sturges also manages to create a wacky screen couple and then make them seem believable; a formidable task. Finally, Fonda has never been better; his all-American looks and blank visage are put to perfect use to convey the innocence required for the role. Overall, a highly recommended film.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Comedy Genius, 10 Dec 2003
This review is from: The Lady Eve [DVD] [1941] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] (DVD)
Preston Sturges is without any doubt the king of comedy, after him, people like Billy Wilder owes a lot to this eccentric writer/director. The Lady Eve is his masterpiece. The mix of wit dialogue, screwball comedy and slapstick is amazing, nobody can combined these styles in such a way.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars romcom created from ADAM'S RIB
Preston Sturges indeed should be proud for creating a rogue of a rowdy affair about battle of sexes entailing romantic reluctance and sexual dilemmas and the paradoxical idealism... Read more
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Ocean cruising has never interested me but if I thought I'd meet someone like the "Lady" Eve on board I'd be on that boat like a shot. Read more
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5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect film!
After seeing this wonderful film, I had to ask myself, why they don't make films like this anymore? This film has more wit and passion than all the so called romantic comedies... Read more
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