The Lady Barbara

Charles Poncefort "Hopsy" Pike (Henry Fonda) has led a relatively sheltered life. The son of the Pike's Ale magnate (Eugene Pallette), he's been guarded all his life by the inimitable Muggsy (William Demarest). Having finally ventured out on his own, to research snakes in South America, Hopsy is now on his way home to Connecticut. While onboard ship he meets a trio of con artists:  "Colonel" Harrington (Charles Coburn), Gerald (Melville Cooper), and  Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck).  While Jean's initial goal is to fleece this lost lamb, she finds herself falling in love with him, a feeling that is mutual. But, when Hopsy discovers Jean's stock in trade, he dumps her. Determined to get her revenge, Jean invents The Lady Eve (1941).

If you have never seen The Lady Eve, please add it to your viewing queue immediately. You're in for a real treat. Besides the inimitable Ms. Stanwyck in one of her finest role, you also get Henry Fonda being totally adorable and a script without compare by director Preston Sturges. It's a win-win scenario!

Henry Fonda is in the unenviable position of portraying a character you really want to hate, but can't quite bring yourself to do it. Hopsy is so totally guileless that, even when he is wooing Lady Eve Sidwich with the same lines with which he wooed Jean, you just laugh at his inept lovemaking and forgive him. Of course, you also want Jean to give him is comeuppance. But with two actors who are so equally paired, they are both able to succeed.

Ms. Stanwyck is a sexy delight as the two ladies in Hopsy's life. The scene in which she tries to seduce him by allowing him to put on her shoes is magnificent. It's a wonder they got that and some of the more naughty dialogue past the censors. And her running commentary as she watches the ladies in the dining room lust after Hopsy is a hoot. It's next to impossible to imagine this film without her, but Ms. Stanwyck was not the first (or even the second choice) of the studio. They wanted Claudette Colbert; Madeleine Carroll and Paulette Goddard were also considered. But Mr. Sturges wanted Ms. Stanwyck, and thankfully he won the argument (AFI catalog). Ms. Stanwyck has the unique ability to make the audience (who is in on the joke) believe that Eve and Jean are distinct characters.
 
The studio also considered Brian Aherne, Fred MacMurray, and Joel McCrea for the role of Hopsy (TCM article), but again, Mr. Sturges was victorious and got his choice of Mr. Fonda. There is a lot of slapstick in this film - Hopsy takes a number of pratfalls - not something for which Mr. Fonda was known (sure, he'd done the screwball comedy; for example, The Mad Miss Manton with Ms. Stanwyck, but she's the screwball in that, not him). So, it was perhaps a risk to cast him in the part. But, frankly, he is perfect as the innocent abroad.

The quartet of supporting actors who grace the film are impressive. William Demarest, who must have been in the Preston Sturges stock company (he appeared in 8 of Mr. Sturges' films) is hysterical as the bodyguard/valet, Muggsy, who seethes with suspicion of anyone who approaches his charge. He's cagey though - he knows that Jean's father is not on the level; he's the only one who suspects that Eve is really Jean in disguise. But, his suspicious nature is also his downfall - like Cassandra, Muggsy's warnings go unheeded, to riotous effect.

Eric Blore  has a small part as Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith, or Pearly to his mates, one of Colonel Harrington's con artist pals. Mr. Blore is wonderful at looking exasperated, and does it quite well as he watches Eve get in deeper and deeper. We only get a few scenes with him - he's a device to get Jean into Hopsy's house, but he is always enjoyable.

From his entrance singing Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl, Eugene Pallette is also excellent as Charles' father. The only member of the family with any common sense, he plays Mr. Pike as an endearing, if somewhat exasperated individual (witness his frustration as he tries to get breakfast). I look forward to seeing him in films, though my recent discoveries about his private life are dismaying. A supporter of Adolf Hitler, he refused to sit down at a table with actor Clarence Muse (TCM article) while filming In the Meantime, Darling, resulting in his firing by director Otto Preminger.  Mr. Pallette eventually retreated to Oregon to hide near his own personal bomb shelter. He would return to Los Angeles in 1948, after a two-year retreat, but he never worked again. He died of throat cancer in 1954, at age 65.

Last, but certainly not least is Charles Coburn.  Harry is a rogue, and Mr. Coburn makes no bones about it. He's willing to go against his daughter's wishes, the fleece an easy mark, but it is clear that he loves Jean dearly. One is never quire sure of Harry's motives, but one is sure of his personal integrity among his colleague.  As a result, we like him, though we would be very wary of playing cards with him.  For more on Mr. Coburn's life, visit our blog post from October 2, 2017.

The Lady Eve was based on a story Two Bad Hats by Monckton Hoffe. A radio version aired on the Lux Radio Theatre on March 1942 with Ray Milland and Barbara Stanwyck (For a discussion of Ms. Stanwyck's participation in this episode, see this article from Film Comment). It was remade as The Birds and the Bees (1956), starring Mizti Gaynor, George Gobel, and David Niven. (Having not seen this film, I won't comment, except to say, George Gobel? Really??)  In 1994, The Lady Eve was added to the National Film Registry; since then, it has appeared on two of the AFI Lists: it was #26 on 100 Years, 100 Passions and #55 on 100 Years, 100 Laughs.

We're going to leave you with the trailer from this highly enjoyable film. We'd also like to mention this Vanity Fair article on Preston Sturges which you might find interesting. If you've never seen this film, please do give it a try.