THE LADY EVE (1941)

Cast

Plot

Under Sturges's microscope, the collision between the gold-digging Harrington and the rich, hapless brewery-heir-turned-herpetologist Charles Pike gives plenty of oppurtunity for the auteur to skewer issues of class and sex. As always, Sturges is bold in pushing the censors' envelope, capturing a palpable erotic heat between the canny Jean and the literally feverish Charlie, who, after a year up the Amazon, is instantly smitten by the mere sight of her shapely ankles. To give away the plot machinations driving the farce would spoil the fun, but this is a rollicking ride that makes good use of Charles Coburn and screwball character veterans Eugene Pallette, William Demarest and Eric Blore.