Length of Film: 97 minutesDirector: Preston Sturges
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Colburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest, Eric Blore, Melville Cooper, Martha O'Driscoll, Janet Beecher, Robert Greig, Dora Clement, & Luis Alberni
Oscar nomination: Monckton Hoffe (screenplay)
We meet our main characters on a cruise ship. Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck) is a tempress crook who's trying to seduce Charles Pike, whose family own's Pike's Ale. At dinner, she spots Charles, but so does every other woman. Jean cleverly looks in her pocket mirror and commentates, each table, and what she thinks they're saying about Charles.
So how does this one lady get the attention of a man when there are many other ladies trying to get his attention? Well...she sticks out her leg, makes him trip and then invites him back to her room so she can get another pair of shoes, since he broke the heel off hers. As they're in her room, she sits down, and gives Charles her foot, showing much leg. Right then and there...Jean has him in her grasp! They were engaged in no time!
Ever since Charles was a child, he had a bodyguard/governess, Ambrose Murgatroyd, and he did some digging, showed Charles the proof, he broke it off with Jean. She was upset, not because she didn't get money from him, but because she loved him. Then and there...she decided to get revenge on Charles Pike. At a horse race, Jean and her father (he's in on the scheming) ran into another con artist, Sir Alfred McGlennan Keith (Eric Blore), and Jean poses as Sir Alfred's niece, Lady Eve Sidwich. Somehow, Sir Alfred gets the Pike's family to arrange a special dinner party to introduce Lady Eve to America. You see...she's only been in the US for 3 days, and came in by submarine!
The day of the party, the workers were running around frantically, getting things ready, and they forgot to serve Horace Pike (Eugene Pallette), his breakfast. At first, he got the attention of his servants by a bell, but after no one responded, he started throwing a fit, banging two lids together, like cymbals.
The night of the party, Lady Eve Sidwich walks in holding a white feather fan, a tiara, and full white gown. She looks absolutely breath taking, and of course...grabs the attention of Charles.
Charles couldn't get over the resemblance between Lady Eve and his Jean, but if Jean was trying to get revenge on Charles, he knew that she'd dye or cut her hair, to at least try to look different, but since she didn't, he knew it wasn't Jean. Charles was looking out the window, lcommunicating with a man, wasn't paying attention and stumbled right over the couch!
Horace: You haven't been hitting the bottle, have you?
Lady Eve: Of course, he hasn't. Anybody's apt to trip.
Horace: Not over a sofa. That sofa's been there for 15 years, and no one ever fell over it before.
Weeks went by, and Lady Eve and Charles got married. After the ceremony, the couple is on the train. Charles knocks on the door, and Lady Eve and Charles sits on the bed. She goes on an on telling Charles all about her past lovers. First there was Angus, Herman, verman, Cecil, John, Herbert and Hubert (who were twins). Charles got so upset, that he got off on the next stop. In the picture below you can see his face...and the exaustion.
And yes...I am going to leave you at a teaser moment. You'll have to watch the movie to see what happens. This movie has great humorous moments. I only told you two of my favorite moments (cymbals & falling off the couch) but there's much more. Barbara Stanwyck sucks you in, there's something about her that's really special and she shines on screen. Henry Fonda is great as well...he plays a shy, naive man who's very gullible.
Enjoy the Show!
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