Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck) is a beautiful con-artist who, along with her father, is aboard an ocean liner on the hunt for a dimwitted millionaire to swindle the money out of. Enter Charles Pike (Henry Fonda), the naive, bookish heir to a brewing fortune who is returning from a year spent studying snakes along the Amazon. The unlikely pair fall in love, but when he cottons on to her scheme she returns in disguise as English aristocrat "Lady Eve Sidwich", determined both to (re-)seduce and torment her hapless chosen prey.

Part of Preston Sturges's unparalleled run of screwball comedies in the 1940s (which also included Sullivan's Travels and The Palm Beach Story), this cockeyed playing out of the battle of the sexes represents the very pinnacle of the director's trademark blend of farce and verbal sophistication. Featuring Stanwyck's most deliciously lascivious performance and Fonda delightfully against type as the bumbling schlemiel, it is one of Hollywood's most beloved and timeless romantic comedies.

Screening as part of:

New Year, New You!

POWERFUL LESSONS IN PERSONAL CHANGE

Have you made yet another New Year's Resolution to overhaul your appearance, release the beast within, or disappear to start a new life altogether? Join us this January for a series of instructional films showcasing radical transformational journeys; guaranteed to inspire your own renovation!

Remember, a year from now, you’ll wish you started today.