The Lady Eve

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The Lady Eve

1941,

1h 37m,

Romance/

Comedy

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Watchlist

99%

104 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

104 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

It's no accident when wealthy Charles falls for Jean. Jean is a con artist with her sights set on Charles' fortune. Matters complicate when Jean starts falling for her mark. When Charles suspects Jean is a gold digger, he dumps her. Jean, fixated on revenge and still pining for the millionaire, devises a plan to get back in Charles' life. With love and payback on her mind, she re-introduces herself to Charles, this time as an aristocrat named Lady Eve Sidwich.

Critics Consensus

A career highlight for Preston Sturges, The Lady Eve benefits from Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda's sparkling chemistry -- and a script that inspired countless battle-of-the-sexes comedies.

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Otis Ferguson

The New Republic

Dec 29, 2022

Some of it is slapstick; a little of it is impossible the wrong way; but in general its pleasures come from the characters as found.

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Ida Belle Hicks

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Dec 29, 2022

The Lady Eve cinches Sturges as an important personality in films... It is highly entertaining movie fare -- the kind that keeps the box offices busy.

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Mildred Martin

Philadelphia Inquirer

Dec 29, 2022

[The Lady Eve] is by all odds the best and breeziest thing at which Sturges has turned an impish hand and an equally impish pen.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 15, 2026

3.5/4

A riotous screwball classic.

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

Jul 12, 2025

Sturges’ screenplay unfurls with fiendish glee through its brisk 90-minute runtime, and gives each character big and small a feast of comedic scenery to chew on.

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Rachel Wagner

Hallmarkies Podcast

Apr 7, 2025

A very silly comedy but a lot of fun

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Hermione W

Sep 11, 2018

With a perfect balance between farce, screwball, slapstick, romance and even suspense, this is a witty comedy that relies on a delightful dialogue (which should be considered one of the finest ever written) and a wonderful chemistry between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.

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Kylo W

Dec 30, 2017

Good old classic that feels as fresh as ever. It's witty, romantic, sexy and charming, and of course with a big dose of humor. It couldn't go wrong considering the great cast of the film.

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Anakin S

Nov 25, 2017

Barbara Stanwyck is incredibly great!

Abraham S

Oct 1, 2017

Delightfully fizzy romantic comedy. Barbara Stanwyck is marvellous and has more agency than half a dozen modern-day heroines put together.

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Draco W

Aug 22, 2017

Very funny screwball comedy with amazing performances from Stanwyck and Fonda. Stanwyck is just mesmerizing in this. I now understand why all the cinematic greats cite this as one of their favorite films.

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Abraham W

Jul 18, 2017

Despite a fairly good showing from Henry Fonda it never really sparks a lot of interest. A disappointing and unfunny comedy from Preston Sturges. (First and only viewing - 7/20/2017)

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Preston Sturges

Director

Barbara Stanwyck

Jean Harrington

Henry Fonda

Charles Pike

Charles Coburn

"Colonel" Harrington

Eugene Pallette

Horace Pike

William Demarest

Muggsy (Ambrose Murgatroyd)

The Lady Eve: Official Clip - Not Over a Sofa!

1:05

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - She Knows His Type

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - Father Loves to Lose

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - An Ideal Mate

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - Positively the Same Dame!

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - What a Friend!

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - I Like Him, Too

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - Who's Emma?

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - Hello, Hopsie!

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The Lady Eve: Official Clip - Charles Meets The Lady Eve

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Synopsis

It's no accident when wealthy Charles falls for Jean. Jean is a con artist with her sights set on Charles' fortune. Matters complicate when Jean starts falling for her mark. When Charles suspects Jean is a gold digger, he dumps her. Jean, fixated on revenge and still pining for the millionaire, devises a plan to get back in Charles' life. With love and payback on her mind, she re-introduces herself to Charles, this time as an aristocrat named Lady Eve Sidwich.

Director: Preston Sturges
Producer: Paul Jones
Screenwriter: Monckton Hoffe, Preston Sturges
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, Criterion Collection
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 25, 1941, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2014
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)

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