THE LADY EVE

US, 1941, 97 minutes, Black and white.
Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest.
Directed by Preston Sturges.

The Lady Eve is a Preston Sturges comedy. Sturges wrote many comedies during the '30s with a sardonic look at America, American conventions and way of life. He had a biting wit mixed with sentiment. In the '40s he became a writer-director and made such films as Sullivan's Travels, The Great Mc Ginty, Hail the Conquering Hero and Miracle Of Morgan's Creek. The Lady Eve is one of his first films and shows the relationship between men and women and women's wiles (the cartoon credits indicate slyly this tone). Barbara Stanwyck was adept at this kind of comedy and Henry Fonda, moving to comedy, portrays the rich American clod and makes some quite satirical comments on the doltish American male. There are witty lines, funny situations. Probably somewhat dated now but an amusing American look at the relationships between men and women.

1. Successful American comedy? Preston Sturges as writer and director? His sardonic humour about things and people American? As a comedy of 1941? Now?

2. The presupposition of audience response to the romantic conventions of films of the '30s? Romance, men and women, glamour and wealth? Gold-digging women? The stars within this atmosphere? How did the film fulfil expectations, transcend them?

3. The tone of the credits, Eden, the snake, man-woman relationships, the woman tricking the man? Did the film fulfil the credits sequence? Differ?

4. Henry Fonda as Pike? The American clod, the American male? The background of his wealth, the beer, his interest and disinterest in the wealth? His love for snakes, the Amazon adventure? His presence on the ship, the sequence with all the women watching him and the contrast with Jean’s tripping him and getting his attention? His bodyguard protecting him? What did he typify in the American male - how seriously, comically?

5. The romance with Jean on the ship, the gambling, the money? The discovery of the truth with the photo? His rejection of her? His being presented at how, clumsiness. the humiliation of the party? His puzzle over the Lady Eve and his not believing her to be the saw - his reasoning? The build-up to the romance, the marriage, the divorce and the divorce settlement? His unhappiness, the happiness and encountering Jean again? What was Sturges saying about the American male and his relationship with women? Weakness and strength?

6. Barbara Stanwyck as Jean - her style? Strong American woman type, her work with her father, confidence tricks, the humour of the card games and her cheating her father? Tripping Pike, falling in love with him? The discovery of the truth and her being rejected and being hurt? Her vengeance, her fury, taking revenge by becoming the Lady Eve? What did she hope to achieve with Pike?

7. Jean transformed to the Lady Eve? The comic style of her presence, her character, the parody of the English noblewoman on the loose in America? Charming men, humiliating Pike? Romance, the marriage, the train trip and the story about all the men in her past? The divorce and the settlement? What did she typify in the American woman?

8. Harry as father, con-man? Morals and scruples? His assistants?

9. The satire with Pike Senior, his style, the party, with Eve, the family?

10. Comment on the success of the satire on society, manners. Presuppositions about American society? Is the same satire relevant now?