“On board an ocean liner society women cluster to see Charlie Pike (Henry Fonda), young brewery heir and snake-fancier, while card-sharper Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck) beats all comers to his attention by adventurously dropping an apple on his head. From then on, the film perfectly sustains a malicious and witty tone. The big scenes are brilliantly done. Stanwyck's full scale star performance, subtly sophisticated, hard-as-diamonds, is at its best in her impersonation of the Lady Eve (‘I've been British before') complete with fake accent and ostrich feathers, telling a series of risque stories at the Pike cocktail bar to a group of socialites, shrieking with laughter at her own jokes while subjecting Charlie to a succession of indignities. Splendid, too, is Charles Coburn as ‘Handsome Harry,' almost lecherously contemplating his victories at cards.” --A.F.I.