Overview
A charming con artist finds herself unexpectedly smitten with her target, a bumbling heir to a brewing fortune.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- mischievous
- buoyant
- classic movie night
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an exuberant, expertly crafted romantic comedy powered by Preston Sturges's wit and the chemistry of Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jean Harrington initially targets Charles Pike as a mark while concealing her identity and profession.
Jean, Colonel Harrington, and Muggsy conduct sophisticated card cons and social manipulations with urbane confidence.
Jean and her father perform aristocratic manners while Charles is a wealthy but socially awkward brewery heir.
The marked deck containing five aces is a memorable mechanism in the card-sharking scheme.
Films like The Lady Eve, and why
It Happened One Night
screwball romance, deception, rapid-fire wit, and a socially mismatched courtship
The Philadelphia Story
comedy of remarriage, verbal sparring, class tension, and romantic manipulation
Trouble in Paradise
stylized romantic farce built around mistaken identities, confidence schemes, and charismatic performers
Movie Details
- Director
- Preston Sturges
- Release Date
- 1941-02-25
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (415)
Cast
- Barbara Stanwyck
- Henry Fonda
- Charles Coburn
- Eugene Pallette
- William Demarest
- Eric Blore
- Melville Cooper
- Martha O'Driscoll
- Janet Beecher
- Robert Greig
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Lady Eve about?
- A dazzling card-shark turns a wealthy, awkward heir into her mark, only to find deception complicated by genuine love.
- What is The Lady Eve like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Lady Eve as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Lady Eve violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Lady Eve.
- What did critics think of The Lady Eve?
- Critics broadly regard it as an exuberant, expertly crafted romantic comedy powered by Preston Sturges's wit and the chemistry of Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.
- Which films are like The Lady Eve?
- Films with a similar feel include It Happened One Night, The Philadelphia Story, and Trouble in Paradise.
- How long is The Lady Eve?
- The Lady Eve runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Lady Eve?
- In United States, The Lady Eve streams on YouTube TV.
