In The Lady Eve (1941), Barbara Stanwyck played Jean Harrington, a con artist who falls in love with the very man she is trying to swindle. Directed by Preston Sturges, the screwball comedy pairs Stanwyck with Henry Fonda as Charles Pike, a shy, wealthy snake expert returning from the Amazon.
Jean is witty, fast-talking and utterly in control, and Stanwyck played her with a comic brilliance that made the film a classic. When Jean later returns in disguise as the supposed Lady Eve, Stanwyck’s double performance — the same woman, a different accent, a different game — is a masterclass in comedy.
The Lady Eve is often cited as one of the greatest American comedies, and Stanwyck’s Jean is its centre. It shows her at her most charming, most intelligent and most funny.