The Lady Eve

Preston Sturges directed the film The Lady Eve in 1941. The Lady Eve is one of the greatest screwball comedies throughout film history. Peter Tonguette claims that The Lady Eve is fundamentally dialogue driven. It depicts a unique relationship between two people. The leading woman, Jean, is in control more so than the male character, Charles. During the film, audiences are able to see both characters roles change while they are trying to make their relationship work meanwhile the audience can get in a good laugh.

According to Peter Tonguette, The Lady Eve is a virtual embodiment of some of the precepts of the feminist movement. Several examples in the film depict his reasoning such as when Jean Harrington played by Barbara Stanwyck held the mirror during the dinner watching Charles Pike played by Henry Fonda. Some would say that the mirror represents her crystal ball and that Jean signifying her dominance over Charles. Another example is how Jean controlled the situation with getting Charles’ attention with making him trip over her shoe but also by getting him to come back to her room. Jean not only controls Charles but also tries dictating to her father, 'Colonel' Harrington, especially during the card games where she actually beats him at his own game.

On a philosophical level, the film can be interoperated as Sturges presenting the audience a comic version of the explosion from the Garden of Eve (p. 47 Cavel). This is help determined by the action between Jean dropping the apple on his head to gain his attention and the interaction between Charles’ snake and Jean’s dreams. Their relationship disintegrates when Charles gains new knowledge. The idea of the fall is shown over and over in the film for example when Charles keeps falling at the party three or four times.

Today, Preston Sturges' fast-paced films, with their inimitable dialogue, are still first-rate comedy material. On close scrutiny, however, they reveal themselves to be a series of tenacious attacks on American mores, values, ideals and beliefs. This is something that audiences would have to study and watch more than once in order to understand what Sturges is trying to depict. Since the dialogue and comedy is well done it is hard for viewers not to realize what Sturges is trying to express and just take it for face value.

Quote: Preston Sturges foresaw this our modern mayhem and left us with a lesson to be learned: the very least one can do is to laugh the laugh of the doomed and desperate. “It isn't much, but it's better than nothing in this cock-eyed caravan.”