THE LADY EVE

[thomasterryjr]

I love the romantic comedy "The Lady Eve" with Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck. Preston Sturges' direction and priceless dialogue in this film is flawless. Lovable performances by Fonda, Stanwyck, Coburn and the supporting cast. This is one of the greatest films in Hollywood's Golden era.

 

I have a question about a scene in this movie. Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck are sitting together after going horseback riding. Fonda and Stanwyck are speaking their feelings of love for each other. In the background the horse breaks into the scene and starts to nuzzle Fonda's head, getting between Fonda and Stanwyck. Fonda keeps pushing the horse back as he confides his feeling to Stanwyck but to no avail the horse starts to get between Fonda and Stanwyck again. You can see the consternation on Fonda's face. I believe Stanwyck is about to break out laughing because Fonda is having such a time with the horse trying to nudge itself into the scene. This is one of the funniest moments of the film in my opinion.

 

My question for discussion: Was this scene planned to come out like it did or was this one of those moments which Preston Sturges just got lucky?

 

 

[loliteblue]

thomasterryjr "I think Sturges got DAMN LUCKY i agree

with what you say that darling of a horse was upstaging

something awful Stanwyck was about to bust a gut laughing

i was chuckling too!....even at that time of the morning!

31 days of oscar i'm not getting much sleep but who cares

it's wonderful TCM!.................

 

 

[classicsfan1119]

Gosh, I sure hope that scene wasn't planned because I'm facinated with how professionally Fonda handled it, and it ended up joining so many other hilarous scenes in the movie. ML

[maperette]

I think the horse antics were spontaneous too. Animals do the darndest things! I wonder how many takes that scene took or if it was just all that wonderful! This film is one of my favorites. The snappiest wit and priceless timing is the tops.

[bggalaxy]

This reminds me of a scene in Hello Dolly where Michael Crawford has a horse trying to nibble his eyebrow during a scene and he just ignores it.

[feaito]

I REMEMBER WATCHING ONE OLD PROGRAM WHEN I WAS KID (IN THE 1970s)...SOMETHING LIKE "THAT'S HOLLYWOOD"??...WERE PEOPLE (REGULAR PEOPLE)...HAD TO PERFORM CLASSIC MOVIES SCENES...AND IN ONE OF THOSE EDITIONS, A COUPLE HAD TO "REPRODUCE" THAT SCENE BETWEEN FONDA AND STANWYCK...AND I REMEMBER THE HOST OF THE PROGRAM, STATING THAT THAT SCENE WASN'T PLANNED (THE HORSE STUFF)....

 

SAME WITH "ROMAN HOLIDAY" WITH AUDREY H. AND GREG. PECK...WHEN BOTH ARE IN ROME, IN A ACERTAIN CASTLE OR PLACE I DON'T REMEMBER, IN "OLD ROME" ....AND PECK INTRODUCES HIS HAND INTO THE MOUTH OF SCULPTURED FACE ON A WALL...OF WHICH A LEGEND SAID THAT IF YOU LIED WHILE PUTTTING YOUR HAND INTO IT, IT'D BE CUT-OFF....AND THEN HE TAKES HIS HAND OUT OF THAT STUFF'S "MOUTH"..AND PRETENDS TO HAVE LOST IT...AUDREY REALLY WENT MAD AND YELLED LIKE HELL....IT WAS A PRANK HE PLAYED ON PURPOSE ON HER...AND WATCHING THE SCENE....(I'VE WATCHED THE DVD A COUPLE OF TIMES)....YOU CAN REALISE THE REAL SCARE AND TERROR ON AUDREY'S FACE....THESE TYPE OF SCENES ARE MAGICAL....A GIFT OF THE GODS...