Blu Ray Review: Nine Mae West features released by Kino Lorber

Mae West is an iconic figure in showbiz history, but she made very few movies. She appeared in 8 features for Paramount Pictures during the 1930s, then came back after a three year break to co-star with W.C. Fields in My Little Chickadee at Universal. Three years after that she starred in the lackluster The Heat’s On for Columbia, then was offscreen until appearing in the notorious Myra Breckinridge in 1970. Her final film appearance was in the autobiographical curio Sextette in 1977. She died in 1980. If Mae West is defined on film at all, it is for her 8 Paramount films, and the Universal she did with Fields. All 9 of these features have been released to blu ray by Kino Lorber, but not in a set. They are separate individual blu rays for each movie. This article will address each film separately and share the link to where they can be purchased.

NIGHT AFTER NIGHT

Actor George Raft had parlayed his riveting appearance in Howard Hawks’ Scarface (1932) into roles as a leading man. For his film Night After Night, Raft suggested the studio hire Mae West for a role that was considered for Texas Guinan (whom the studio decided was too old for the part).. Raft was a dancer connected with the underworld before entering movies, and he knew Mae as a friend. She had a real notoriety for her stage act, especially for writing, directing and starring in the play Sex in 1926, which landed her a ten day jail sentence. Paramount agreed with Raft that Mae West’s notoriety would translate well to movies, and believed they could make money with her. The studio signed Mae to a two year contract, and although her role in Night After Night was a small one, she was allowed to rewrite her own dialog as she saw fit. In her film debut, a hat check girl exclaims about Mae’s jewelry, “goodness, what lovely diamonds!” Mae the purrs in replay, “Goodness had nothin’ to do with it.” It was the pre-code era, and a line like made it into the final film, and has become an iconic example of Mae’s screen character. George Raft later recalled Mae’s impact on her first film by stating, “she stole everything but the cameras.” Directed by Archie Mayo, Kino Lorber’s blu ray also features a commentary track by the always welcome Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of 1000 Women in Horror, and Josh Nelson, who give us insight as to the making of the film and how it differs from its literary source.

The blu ray is available at this link: NIGHT AFTER NIGHT

SHE DONE HIM WRONG

Mae West’s second film made Paramount truly realize their investment wasn’t for naught. The film was such a huge hit at the box office, it saved the studio from bankruptcy, and even netted an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Furthermore, it advanced Cary Grant’s screen career, helping him advance to stardom. Although a relative newcomer, Cary had already appeared in such noted films as Merrily We Go To Hell with Fredric March and Blonde Venus with Marlene Dietrich when Mae claimed to have spotted him on the Paramount lot and asked that he be her co-star. Grant was always chagrined that she took credit for discovering him, as he already appeared in hit films by the time he co-starred with her. This is the film where Mae says, “why don’t you come up some time and see me?” which is often misquoted as “Come up and see me some time.” That line became noteworthy so quickly that even the Laurel and Hardy feature Bonnie Scotland, made only two years later, makes a reference to it. Mae is completely in her element as the bawdy 19th century singer Lady Lou, based on her stage character Diamond Lil, as this film is based on her play by that title. Kino Lorber’s blu ray features an audio commentary by the esteemed Kat Ellinger of Diabolique, as well as one by film historian David Del Valle. It also includes, as an extra, the delightful Betty Boop cartoon She Done Him Right.

The blu ray is available at this link: SHE DONE HIM WRONG

I’M NO ANGEL

Probably Mae West’s most well-known pre-code movie, I’m No Angel once again features Cary Grant as the male lead. Despite turning 40 and surrounded by controversy, Mae West continued to be a popular screen attraction with Depression-era America, while cinema’s pre-code status allowed for the risqué dialog she penned for her character. I’m No Angel would be the biggest box office hit of her career, and Paramount’s greatest moneymaker of the year. President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed it as his favorite movie. The dialog is filled with some of Mae West’s classic lines, such as “Beulah, peel me a grape,” “It's not the men in your life that counts, it's the life in your men,” and “When I’m good, I’m very good, and when I’m bad I’m better.” Not only does Mae saunter and offer dry comic lines, she also exhibits real acting ability in scenes when here character truly loves the one played by Cary Grant, and fears losing him. Arguably, Mae West’s best movie. The Kino Lorber blu ray features an outstanding commentary track by Samm Deighan.

The blu ray is available at this link: I’M NO ANGEL

BELLE OF THE NINETIES

This one was based on Mae West’s play It Ain’t No Sin, and that was the intended title for the film, but the production code was starting to be enforced at about this time, so the title had to be changed. George Raft was sought for the lead role, but turned it down, the first of what would be many bad career decisions the actor would notoriously make. In order to get past the censors, Mae would purposely write especially risqué lines in the dialog, believing that those would get cut and would be distracting enough to leave her usual risqué lines in. Belle of the Nineties is a very good film, bolstered by the appearance of Duke Ellington and his orchestra. Paramount, however, was disappointed. While the film netted $500,000 beyond its production costs, that was a lot less than the over $2 million I’m No Angel brought in. Still, the film is good and features Mae West performing some of her finest song numbers. The Kino Lorber blu ray features commentary by the always interesting Samm Deighan.

The blu ray is available at this link: BELLE OF THE NINETIES

GOIN’ TO TOWN

Mae West and director Alexander Hall struggled with the censorship restrictions when they wrote their script for this breezy film with Mae inheriting a lot of money, including oil wells supervised by a man to who she is attracted. She tries to change her ways and become a society lady to attract him. The scenes with Mae mingling with the horse racing elite provide the most laughs. Mae calls herself, “a good woman for a bad man,” and in spite of the limitations imposed by the production code, Mae’s entry into the western genre is a fun movie. The extras include Kat Ellinger’s insightful commentary track.

The blu ray is available at this link: GOIN’ TO TOWN

KLONDIKE ANNIE

In another one of her best films, Mae West adapts her 1921 play “The Frisco Doll” in which she flees a self-defense murder rap and meets a nun on her voyage. When the nun dies en-route, Mae takes on her identity. The censors insisted on eight minutes being cut from the final print – the murder itself and the change of identities with the nun – and the film was banned in Georgia. The problem some had with this film was the concept of mixing religion with Mae’s sexy persona. Mae's former friend William Randolph Hearst was so incensed, he refused to print Mae’s name in any of his newspapers, and campaigned for her to be removed from movies. Kino Lorber’s blu ray benefits from a typically great commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson.

The blu ray lis available this link: KLONDIKE ANNIE

GO WEST YOUNG MAN

Mae West is a star en route to meet up with her politician beau at his next stop. when her expensive Rolls Royce car breaks down in the sticks. She becomes attracted to the mechanic fixing her car (Randolph Scott). Mae wrote the script, based on the play Personal Appearance by Lawrence Riley, and despite production code limitations and West’s persona no longer being the novelty it once was, Go West Young Man was, and remains, and entertaininng movie, benefiting from Henry Hathaway’s direction. The films that forced Mae to work around the censorship restrictions have an extra level of interest, showing not only her cleverness but offering a sociocultural look at a transitional era in cinema. Kino Lorber’s blu ray features a great commentary from Lee Gambin.

The blu ray is available at this link: GO WEST YOUNG MAN

EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY

This film concluded Mae West’s contract with Paramount. It was made at a time when Mae was included on a list printed in the trades of actors considered to be “box office poison.” Mae was listed along with Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Fred Astaire, Dolores del Río, Katharine Hepburn and Kay Francis. While it is now hard to believe these classic stars, many of them icons, were ever thought of in such low esteem from a business perspective, the worrisome studio execs pay heed to the list. Mae’s final Paramount release once again features Randolph Scott as her co-star. Wiard Ihnen won an Oscar for his turn-of-the-century art direction. Kat Ellinger offers the typically great commentary.

The blu ray is available at this link: EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY

MY LITTLE CHICKADEE

In 1939 it had been two years since Mae West’s last film release, and she was looking into independent production but couldn't gather enough funds. However, W.C. Fields was a top star, and Universal thought teaming them could result in a fun movie. Mae no longer commanded the salary she once did, but the studio did allow her to write her own dialog. My Little Chickadee became the movie for which she is best known. In fact, when interest in Fields exploded among high school and college-aged film fans during the late 60s and early 70s, Mae was alive and became quite weary at being asked about this movie and not her earlier films. Fields and West alternated between getting along and being at odds (Fields called Mae “a plumber’s version of Cleopatra), as they both contributed to the script and struggled to make their characters compatible on screen. My Little Chickadee is as much a W.C. Fields movie as it is a Mae West one, and features both beloved performers effectively. The blu ray includes a fine commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson.

The bly ray is available at this link: MY LITTLE CHICKADEE

All of these great films, sold seperately, are most highly recommended.