Meredith Secaur A wealthy man (Charles Laughton) is dying, and his last request is to meet his son's (Robert Cummings) fiancée. Unable to comply with this wish, Cummings asks hat check girl (Deanna Durbin) to accompany him and pose as his fiancée for the last hours of his father's life.Doesn't sound very much like a good plot for a romantic comedy, does it? Without giving too much away, an unexpected turn of events leads to the necessity of continuing the charade, and the two lead characters falling in love. "It Started With Eve" is a rare treat in that it mixes comedy, romance, and truly moving drama into a single film that is nothing but a joy to experience.So what is it exactly that makes this film so special? In my opinion, one of the major flaws of most romantic comedies both then and now is the over-reliance on stock characters. One goes into these types of films expecting the same sorts of people: the boy and the girl who either hate or love each other from the outset, and the interfering ex-girlfriend or parent intent on keeping them apart. In this film, these stereotypes are turned on their heads. The two leads neither hate nor love each other, but are simply thrown together and their relationship develops from there. The typical unwilling parent is replaced by a father who admires Durbin's character so much that he works to bring her and his son together.The style in which this film is directed also sets it apart. While most movies of this type usually veer towards either broad farce or melodrama, the feeling here is something in between, which results in that the acting is more realistic and makes the film more believable. The stellar casting is only enhanced by the great performances and genuine chemistry between the three leads (Cummings, Durbin, and Laughton). Laughton and Durbin especially seem to get along so well that in the scene where they burst out in uncontrollable laughter, you can't help but join in with them.While this film is not as well known now as it was in its day (it just had its premiere on TCM this December), it is one that should be better known, simply for the fact that it is truly a cinematic gem.

GManfred A surprise, as it was tough to tell this picture from other studios entries in the comedy genre. Production values were on a par with Paramount or Fox, or any other studio for that matter. It had a requisite number of recognizable support players, an excellent script and good performances from the headliners, as well as expensive sets where needed.Regarding the stars, the picture's headliner was Deanna Durbin, who kept Universal afloat in the late 30's and whose fame had just about peaked about the time "It Started With Eve" was released. She was assisted by Bob Cummings in one of his usual feckless and diffident roles, and by Charles Laughton, who by his mesmerizing presence and enormous acting talent kept the picture on an even keel. Truth be told, Deanna Durbin was a lightweight as an actress despite her exceptional singing voice and Bob Cummings was out of his league as a leading man in "A" pictures.Very funny, very entertaining and very worthwhile. It can hold its own with any 'screwball comedy', which were so popular around this time. But this picture did not grow tiresome, as several of that type seemed to. Nice going, Universal, who are playing catch-up and are finally opening their film vaults.

bkoganbing Although this was a Deanna Durbin movie and she does sing a few songs in the film, It Started With Eve is completely stolen by Charles Laughton playing Robert Cummings's father. Laughton is in the kind of role normally reserved for someone like Charles Coburn, but Laughton does make the most of it.It Started With Eve does start out solemn enough, Laughton is on his deathbed and his last wish is to see the girl whom his son Robert Cummings has been engaged to. Cummings being a dutiful son endeavors to get his fiancé Margaret Tallichet to Laughton's deathbed for the old man's last request. But a mixup leaves Cummings without meeting Tallichet and with time running out, he offers a hatcheck girl Deanna Durbin $50.00 to come home and pretend to be his fiancé. What girl couldn't use an honest $50.00 so Deanna agrees.But she so captivates Laughton upon meeting him that the old guy gets a new lease on life. I think you can figure the rest of this situation out and how the film ends.Of course Deanna is an aspiring singer, that's a given in her early films. She does do a few numbers, but I have a feeling she may have had more in It Started With Eve, but the people at Universal Studios saw that Laughton was stealing the film and may have cut a few of her songs. Of course she stayed with top billing because until Abbott&Costello arrived on the scene with Buck Privates, Durbin was their chief money making star at Universal Pictures.It Started With Eve was Laughton's first comedy since Ruggles Of Red Gap and in his scenes he steals all, but the furniture. His facial expressions are priceless. What a foxy scheming old man he was, determined to see Cummings marry Durbin or have Durbin in the family one way or another. I do believe if it came to it, he'd have married Durbin himself.All in all like Richard Bennett in If I Had A Million, Laughton plays another millionaire who starts the film on his deathbed, but by the end of it has plenty of reason to live. The reports of his death are greatly exaggerated, but the laughs in It Started With Eve are not.

Snow Leopard With Deanna Durbin's charm, Charles Laughton's energy, a decent supporting cast, and a worthwhile story, "It Started With Eve" is a funny and engaging comedy. It may seem like a weird idea to pair such dissimilar talents as Durbin and Laughton, but it does work. As Laughton's son, Robert Cummings gets mostly straight lines, but he performs his role well, and Walter Catlett also has some good moments as a rather high-strung doctor.The story starts out a little slowly, but once it gets rolling it is interesting. It also has some thoughtful moments, as the characters try to figure out how to deal with all the dilemmas that start when Cummings's character has to improvise a way of comforting his seriously ill father. The actual plot developments are insubstantial in themselves, but are generally used to good effect. It could have been played as an all-out screwball comedy, but here the more balanced approach seems to work at least as well.The movie builds up steam as things develop, and saves some of the best moments for the climactic sequence. It's a successful combination that makes for enjoyable viewing.