That Lady Eve (1941)

What a bizarre movie. It's considered a screwball comedy which was very popular during this time period along with the other genre called Film Noir.

(1) This is a long and confusing plot explanation so good luck: A rich man is in Soutyh America studying snakes. He goes aboard a cruise ship to get back home to America. On board are two card sharks (a father and a daughter) who try to swindle rich people out of their money. Accidentally the daughter falls in love with the rich man after they try to pull a fast one of him. The rich man has a bodyguard who finds out the truth about the daughter and they subsequently break up. Both are devastated. Having unfinished business with the rich man, the daughter "disguises" her self as a royal princess and goes to visit her uncle who lives next door to the rich man. All she does is change her accent. Although the rich man realizes they look very similar he is thrown off because the rich man believes if she was going to disguise herself they would dye their hair, or something but since she didn't it possibly can't be the girl from the boat (riiiight)-- SOOO they end up falling in love but to get revenge on him the daughter now princess tells the rich man about all the people shes had sex with which makes the rich guy really upset because he's a virgin so they get divorced. After finalizing the divorce she feels bad realizing she really did love him and her revenge backfired on her. She soon finds out that he is going back on the cruise to South America to study snakes agani. Determine to win him back for a third time unbeknownst to him she goes back as the original card shark girl and they fall in love all over again.


Yep, thats the entire story.

(2) Barbra Stanwick was really great though. Her ability to play a low class card shark and an upscale princess was quite intriguing. She pulled off each of them flawlessly. The guy that played the rich man was hilarious with his slapstick comedy. He was so believable. Despite the story being extremely unrealistic they both execute what is expected of them therefore the audience ignore this unbelievability because we want them to be together.

(3) This was made in the Hollywood Classical Film era where it was natural bright lighthing, realistic costumes and continuity editting. Nothing really mise-en-scene worthy that enhances the story.

(4) The premise was so bizarre but I did laugh a lot. Overall I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. They loose a star for being so unrealistic.