Cinema Classics: The Lady Eve

Not Rated, 97 minutes / Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn

Ingenious writer-director Preston Sturges spins out a sinfully romantic comedy in "The Lady Eve," starring Barbara Stanwyck as a calculating card shark who fleeces passengers on transatlantic ocean liners.

When she discovers that an ingenious young millionaire (Henry Fonda) is on board, the scheming Stanwyck figures he'll be a pushover if she plays her cards right. Sure enough, he does fall for her, but -- surprise -- she also falls for him. When he's tipped off that true romance is not in the cards because she's giving him a fast shuffle, Fonda's fondness fades. Now Stanwyck realizes that if she wants to win him back, she's got to stop her double-dealing and she does, but not before she turns up a few tricks of her own.

"The Lady Eve has snap, crackle and plot and, with famous character actors also on deck, the movie is a winner, hands down." - Gene Shalit