Rating: 
Summary: A film to enjoy again and again
Review: Censorship and moral codes took the bite out of screwball comedy as the 1930s progressed, but in the 1940s such directors as Howard Hawks and Preston Sturges found ways to revive the genre in very high style. Not only is THE LADY EVE one of Sturge's best, it is also one of the finest in the entire genre, a comedy so potent that even the most jaded will be completely charmed.There is no way to describe the story without spoiling the fun, so suffice to say the plot concerns the heir to a fortune (Fonda)who is beset by a beautiful but predatory card shark (Stanwyck)--and who looses considerably more than his heart in the process. Considered racy for its time, Stanwyck's... manipulation of Fonda is one of the funniest elements of the film, and the movie as a whole abounds with "Garden of Eden" motifs: the name Eve, apples, and (of course) a snake. Everything moves along at a fast pace and with plenty of crackle, so there's never a dull moment, and the exceptional supporting cast includes witty performances from Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest, Eric Blore, and a host of others. It would be hard to imagine any one who wouldn't enjoy seeing this film at least once--and like the best films, THE LADY EVE does not give up all her secrets in one whack. The story and performances bear up under repeated viewings. Comedy fans will enjoy it again and again!
Rating: 
Summary: The Lady Eve
Review: Every couple of years I see this movie, just to see if maybe enough time has gone by, and the incredibly bad impression this film made upon me on my first viewing has faded. Last night I watched it again. Not enough time seems to have passed. This film is as...tiresome now as it was the first times I had to sit through it in college. I am a great fan of screwball comedies, and of classic Hollywood films in general. Films like His Girl Friday and Twentieth Century and It Happened One Night are among my very favorites. But The Lady Eve always annoys the hell out of me. I find Henry Fonda's performance to be forced and unfunny. His pratfalls are over-elaborate and unfunny. The usually reliable Eugene Pallette is never less funny than that irritating scene when he is smashing plate covers up and down. To be fair, Barbara Stanwyck does good work, creating an attractive (for the most part) character, and so does Charles Coburn. The problem is that I just don't care what happens to these people. I never once for a moment believe that Fonda's character wouldn't recognize Stanwyck's in her alleged disguise. I don't see why someone as interesting as Stanwyck's character would fall for a boob like Fonda's character. And the fact that she would still fall for him, even after a mountain of evidence of his utter doltishness has come her way diminishes her so completely for me that I lose patience with the entire enterprise. Criterion has done it's usual excellent job with the transfer. Why they bothered with a load of nonsense like this is beyond me. Still, there are those who love this tedious tripe. More power to them.
Rating: 
Summary: Print quality isn't awful, but not flawless either
Review: For those who already know that this is a delightful film: the print quality isn't awful, but it isn't as flawless as some of Criterion's other transfers. The transfer of Hitchcock's "Rebecca", for instance, looks much richer because there seem to be more shades of gray. Also, I was much more impressed with 20th Century Fox's restoration of "How Green Was My Valley" (same year as "The Lady Eve") than with this particular work. On the other hand, it doesn't look nearly as grainy as Criterion's transfer of "Trouble in Paradise" (1932), an older film.
Rating:
Summary: Print quality isn't awful, but not flawless either
Review: For those who already know that this is a delightful film: the print quality isn't awful, but it isn't as flawless as some of Criterion's other transfers. The transfer of Hitchcock's "Rebecca", for instance, looks much richer because there seem to be more shades of gray. Also, I was much more impressed with 20th Century Fox's restoration of "How Green Was My Valley" (same year as "The Lady Eve") than with this particular work. On the other hand, it doesn't look nearly as grainy as Criterion's transfer of "Trouble in Paradise" (1932), an older film.
Rating:
Summary: Print quality isn't awful, but not flawless either
Review: For those who already know that this is a delightful film: the print quality isn't awful, but it isn't as flawless as some of Criterion's other transfers. The transfer of Hitchcock's "Rebecca", for instance, looks much richer because there seem to be more shades of gray. Also, I was much more impressed with 20th Century Fox's restoration of "How Green Was My Valley" (same year as "The Lady Eve") than with this particular work. On the other hand, it doesn't look nearly as grainy as Criterion's transfer of "Trouble in Paradise" (1932), an older film.
Rating:
Summary: Preston Sturges Best Film!
Review: Great for Barbara Stanwick fans. One of the best comedies of the 40's by one of the best (if not the best) comedy-filmaker of the 40's. Preston Sturges best film (The Miracle On Morgan's Creek is an ultra-close second). This movie is extremely entertainig, Hilarious and a lot of Fun. From a scale of 1-10 I give it a 9.
Rating:
Summary: A Too Often Neglected Screwball Gem
Review: Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck? In a comedy? Yes, my friend. And a darned good one, too. Both Fonda and Stanwyck have a surprising flair for comedy. The plot is clever, especially in the hands of writer/director Preston Sturges, but let's face it, we are not here for plot. We are here to see a hilarious cast reading some of the wittiest lines ever written for the screen. And they do a marvelous job of it, too.
Rating:
Summary: Flawless comedy in the classic vein
Review: Henry Fonda is Charles Pike, a wealthy but naïve snake enthusiast who meets a con artiste (Barbara Stanwyck) and her father on a transatlantic voyage. They see Pike as an easy mark and attempt to part him from his fortune at the card table. Flawlessly directed, 'The Lady Eve' is one of Preston Sturges' most clever and beloved romantic comedies.
Rating:
Summary: Peerless Sturges Comedy.
Review: Henry Fonda was never better. Stanwyck is superb with a supporting cast that really shines. The plot is wonderful and zany and you can forget things like Eugene Pallette being Fonda,s father. Bill Demerest is worth the price of a rental alone. Charles Coburn and Melville Cooper are just deft in their comedic roles.Preston Sturges,always seems to have funny lines laced with wit and irony for even the smallest actor in each scene. At the end of the film you,ll want to watch again to make sure you caught all the double entendre. Sheer Magic...and if you want the magic to continue...try " The Great McGinty" " Hail The Conquering Hero" " Miracle at Morgans Creek" etc. PS two of his non director films are on video also " Remember The Night" and Easy Living" MAGIC TIME
Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: I actually have nothing to add to all of the praise being heaped on both the classic comedy itself and the nearly perfect transfer to DVD. I would, however, like to correct a bit of misinformation contained in some of the commentary: this is not Fonda's "only" screwball comedy. In fact, 1938's "Mad Miss Manton" headlined BOTH the lanky actor and the luminous Barbara Stanwyck herself. That's all.
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