The one about the naive, unworldly guy falling for the fast-talking cynical gal who starts out by using him and winds up loving him is hardly new indeed Stanwyck herself played virtually the same role in Ball Of Fire whilst Gary Cooper, her 'victim' in Fire did something similar in Mr Deeds Goes To Town where Jean Arthur came to laugh and stayed to love and so on. Nevertheless Sturges is able to give a hackneyed plot a fresh coat of paint with some fine writing and direction and it does no harm to have a first-rate cast from the two leads, Fonda and Stanwyck through Eric Blore, Eugene Palette, Charles Coburn, Melville Cooper and fully paid-up member of the Preston Sturges Repertory Company William Deamarest. This is the one where virtually all the main characters have two names and Stanwyck comes complete with two personas; there should really be a sub-genre for films like this and others like Easy Living (written but not directed by Sturgis) Sophisticated Screwball but call it what you will it's still great.
Review of The Lady Eve
