Just like Jean Harlow did prior to the code in throwing a bit of Mae into her persona, Mae West returned the honors and did the same thing once the code bit her routine in the censorship bustle. A bit thinner and less wide in the hips, Ms. West resembles Harlow a bit, both through their alto voices, obvious attraction to the opposite sex, if not the obsession with it. West tones down to "Ooh's" and "Aah's" a bit and the drag queen like buck teeth are gone as well here. She's Marvis Arden, supposedly the biggest star in pictures, who escapes to the country for some rest, and finds romance with a mechanic (Randolph Scott) much to the chagrin of her press agent (Warren William). The country folk have mixed feelings of a "glamorous" movie star in the midst, some of them equally as eccentric as show folk. The plot thickens when a misunderstanding has West believed to have been kidnapped with subtle humorous results.
Post-code wasn't kind to Mae West, her personality too big to be reciting dialog with the blood cut out of it. She has good moments, and Randolph Scott is appropriately cast as the man she desires. Such great character actors as Elizabeth Patterson, Etienne Girardot and Alice Brady have some very funny moments (Patterson in particular when she apes Ms. West). Nicodemus Stewart, the black actor playing the farm handyman, adds a rare effeminate quality to his character, one rarely seen after the code, and especially one (if ever) seen in a black characterization. This is made all the more noticeable since his physical appearance appears to be masculine, while his demeanor is unmistakeably feminine.
While this doesn't come close to being Ms. West's signature film, it is still solid entertainment, and a rare opportunity to see a film version of a now forgotten play ("Personal Appearance") which was a major hit on Broadway several years before. Strange as it seems, that play when it came out seemed a perfect vehicle for the pre-code Mae, but from what I've researched on the play, the sexual innuendos in the original script were definitely removed. Two strong leading men, amusing character performers and some very amusing lines, however, make this a film worth viewing for more than just Mae's many fans.
Post-code wasn't kind to Mae West, her personality too big to be reciting dialog with the blood cut out of it. She has good moments, and Randolph Scott is appropriately cast as the man she desires. Such great character actors as Elizabeth Patterson, Etienne Girardot and Alice Brady have some very funny moments (Patterson in particular when she apes Ms. West). Nicodemus Stewart, the black actor playing the farm handyman, adds a rare effeminate quality to his character, one rarely seen after the code, and especially one (if ever) seen in a black characterization. This is made all the more noticeable since his physical appearance appears to be masculine, while his demeanor is unmistakeably feminine.
While this doesn't come close to being Ms. West's signature film, it is still solid entertainment, and a rare opportunity to see a film version of a now forgotten play ("Personal Appearance") which was a major hit on Broadway several years before. Strange as it seems, that play when it came out seemed a perfect vehicle for the pre-code Mae, but from what I've researched on the play, the sexual innuendos in the original script were definitely removed. Two strong leading men, amusing character performers and some very amusing lines, however, make this a film worth viewing for more than just Mae's many fans.