Now, I promise that my ballot contains the Ten Greatest Films of All-Time, not the Ten Greatest Films starring Barbara "Missy" Stanwyck! (I'll save that poll for some other time.)
David Mamet has discussed in his excellent book on film, Bambi vs. Godzilla, how perfect Sturges' script is for this film. And I can not say that I would disagree with Mr Mamet, at all. It is a perfect movie script, in three acts, with no exposition or characterization, complete with very simple objectives for our hero, "Missy", in each act, that she is either thwarted or successful in each endeavor. There is not a single wasted scene or shot. Everything propels the action forward and makes the popcorn munching audience ask, "Gosh, what happens next, you think?"
Plus, it was directed by Sturges, as well, the absolute master of the urbane custard pie script and film. There has never been anyone quite like Preston Sturges in Hollywood. Sure, there are tons of writer/directors these days. But no one ever really could write and direct a script that so magically blended the upper class and the street so well in comedy, since, dare I say it, Shakespeare. (Yeah, I know Shakespeare did not direct movies, but he would have been great at it, and made a fortune, to boot!)
Sturges wrote and directed perfect old-time classical comedies, full of double marriages (i.e. The Palm Beach Story) and changeable identities. Even the film I am discussing uses the old Shakespeare trope of Missy assuming a completely different identity (the Lady Eve) without any disguise, at all. The whole frickin' film is hung on this Classical gambit and it works a treat.
(Off topic, but, gosh, I pine for the old classic plays. Shakespeare did not bother showing examples of ingenues in love, through silly character developing actions, he simply had a character, let's call her, Viola confess to someone that she is love with Orsino, whilst Orsino confides to Viola -- who he thinks is a man -- that he is in love with Olivia. It is that easy. And carrying on with the Twelfth Night Preston Sturges connections, The Palm Beach Story is his version of the Shakespeare classic, complete with twins and a double wedding.)
Anyhoo, here are the Top Nine moments/things I love about The Lady Eve:
1. (Sorry,) but Missy's beautiful pegs again in the early cabin scene.
2. The marvelous, hilarious, brilliant Eugene Pallette banging those chafing dishes together, demanding his breakfast. (Renee loooooves Eugene Pallette, in anything he is in.)
3. The amazing William Demerest, who, according to the aforementioned Mr Mamet, taught Henry Fonda how to do all those fantastic slapstick stunts.
4. The card scene when Missy outwits her Da (the superb, stately, yet shopworn Charles Coburn.)
5. The totally brill and appropriate (and actually about twenty years ahead of its time) animated snake titles sequence.
6. The look on Missy's face when Fonda lies to her about, "How he knew it all the time, and was stringing her along." (Paraphrasing there.)
7. The fact that Snowflake is not in this picture, at all.
8. Sturges' brilliant "acting company", if you will; Eugene Pallette, William Demarest, Eric Blore, Robert Greig, etc, ...
9. (And finally, and most crucially these days for me, personally:) The Beer/Ale monologue delivered by Henry Fonda -- cockeyed on her gams and perfume -- in Missy's cabin. For me, Michael here, this monologue about a distaste for beer is not only funny in context of the film but has become a rallying cry against Craft Brewers across this great nation of ours. (Yet, Daddy does admit that Pike's Pale, the Ale that won for Yale, is pretty fucking clever, and hilarious --though, perhaps Sturges was joking, too --.)
And here is that famous monologue I spoke of,
Michael Spitler's personal Honorable Mention, Barbara Stanwyck Division: Ball of Fire, Night Nurse, Baby Face, The Furies, Meet John Doe, Sorry Wrong Number, Lady of Burlesque, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Stella Dallas, Clash By Night, and of course, the delicious -- nowadays -- camp treats: The Big Valley (TV) and The Thorn Birds (TV).
Michael Spitler's personal Honorable Mention, Preston Sturges Division: his work on the Shanghai Express script -- and you can tell what it is -- , Christmas in July, Sullivan's Travels, The Palm Beach Story, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, Hail the Conquering Hero, and Unfaithfully Yours.
I love you all!
mds
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