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Henry Fonda is a millionaire scientist who is obsessed by snakes. Barbara Stanwyck is the fearless gambler and hustler whose only phobia is reptiles. When they meet on an ocean liner in Latin America, the scene is set for one of Hollywood’s classiest, most electric and funniest of romantic screwball comedies. The dour serious Fonda is a delightful foil to Stanwyck’s vivacious smart-talking Eve. William Demarest plays Fonda’s cynical wary man-servant who does his best to keep Eve away from the innocent Fonda. But Eve has lots of tricks up her sleeve. The effortless charm of this movie is a testament to the wry comic talents of Preston Sturges. Whereas Ernst Lubitsch’s legacy to romantic comedy was a highly stylised European elegance, Sturges took Lubitsch’s blue-print and invested it with American physicality and vigor. The eroticism of the charge between Stanwyck and Fonda is earthy and tangible. The fast script is full of great one-liners, the costumes by Edith Head are delightful, and the supporting cast include some of Hollywood’s finest comic character actors. Watch out for the excellent animated title sequence at the beginning of the movie.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
316760
Language
English
Audience classification
G
Subject categories
Crime, Espionage, Justice, Police & Prisons → Swindlers and swindling
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)