Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck were both on their way to becoming Hollywood legends, when they starred in this comedy. Fonda had just given one of the greatest performances in movie history, as Tom Joad. Stanwyck had a litany of performances, among them Stella Dallas. Although Stanwyck had acted in many comedies, Fonda wasn’t as experienced with them. This film certainly proves he could handle himself in one.
Henry Fonda plays Charles Pike, a snake expert and heir to an ale fortune. He’s returning from the Amazon, on a ship bound for New York. Preston Sturges does a good job panning over the passengers when Fonda comes aboard. Sturges keeps this going, when Fonda is at a reception, and all the ladies are eying this eligible bachelor. It is at this reception, that he meets Jean, (Barbara Stanwyck), when she trips him. She invites Pike to play a game of cards with her and her father, Colonel Harrington, (Charles Coburn). What Charles Pike doesn’t realize is that Jean and her father are con artists. They fleece him for thirty two thousand dollars. Pike pays up and doesn’t think twice that something’s not right. He begins to fall for Jean, and she for him. Henry Fonda’s character hasn’t been traveling alone. He was accompanied by his valet/protector, Mugsy, a sourpuss who is played very well by William Demarest. He was a great character actor, who played in many of Sturges films. Mugsy, not having Charles Pike’s naïvete, figures out that Jean and her father, are con artists. This breaks Pike’s heart and he breaks it off with Jean.
When the ship docks in New York, a bitter Jean, concocts a scheme to get Fonda’s character to fall for her. Together with her father and a British con artist, Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith, (Eric Blore), she becomes the Lady Eve, a British socialite. She goes to her aunt’s house, where a party is thrown for her. All of New York’s high society is invited, including Mr. Pike, (Eugene Pallette) and of course Charles Pike. The party is black tie, and Charles Pike is almost forced to be informal, because in a series of comic mishaps, he messes up his three tuxedos. He also has his pride hurt, and his father’s ire. Henry Fonda shines in these slapstick scenes. Fonda’s character suspects Eve and Jean are the same person. Jean does some fast talking and convinces Pike, that he’s mistaken. Charles Pike is so taken with her, that not long after, he proposes. Jean, of course accepts.
The couple are on a train during their honeymoon. Eve-Jane, decides to have a little fun with Pike. She talks about her various love affairs. This shocks Pike so much, that he leaves her. He files for divorce, and no manner of pleading from Eve-Jane, or Mr. Pike, can change Charle’s Pike’s mind. He decides to go back to the Amazon to study snakes. On the boat trip, he encounters Jean. She attempts to seduce him, by going back to his cabin. He tells her that he’s married, and she says she is too, and the door closes.
Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck blend very well together in this film. There’s an especially good scene, where Jean says there’s no difference between beer and ale. A frustrated Charles Pike explains the difference. Stanwyck does a great job masquerading as British Jane, thoroughly winning over Pike. When Henry Fonda messes up his tuxedo, tripping over Barbara Stanwyck, you think he’’ll get another one, and be ok. Fonda stumbles and bumbles and messes up two more, doing great physical comedy. It is a tribute to Fonda’s acting talent, that he can switch to comedy. It helps that he had such a talented actress, in Barbara Stanwyck, working beside him.
The Lady Eve is somewhere between a romantic comedy and slapstick. It is a good screwball comedy, which is what Preston Sturges was very good at making. This film is one that doesn’t have any message, which Sturges did in some of his films. It should be enjoyed by filmgoers.