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Mae West - The Glamour Collection (Go West Young Man Goin' To Town I'm No Angel My Little... |
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Mae West - The Glamour Collection (Go West Young Man Goin' To Town I'm No Angel My Little...
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by Universal Studios
Sales Rank: 10075
Price: $15.99
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Smart, seductive and undeniably funny, Mae West is one of cinema’s most enduring comedy legends. Now this larger-than-life buxom beauty charms fans all over again in an amazing 5-movie collection of some of her most wildly popular films. Revel in Mae’s breakout performance in Night After Night; join her as a bewitching lion (and man) tamer in I’m No Angel; lasso up some fun with the wealthy and the wicked in the rags-to-riches tale of Goin’ To Town; delight in a comic country romance in Go West Young Man; and see how wild the West can really get in My Little Chickadee. It’s a must-own salute to one of Hollywood’s most outrageous and hilarious leading ladies.
Viewer Reviews
Night After Night is a pre-code film might draw you in because of West, but it will make you a fan of George Raft. It is the story of a man who runs a speakeasy (Raft). He finds himself in a bind when another gang in town wants to buy him out or bump him off. He isn't worried, but when he meets a beautiful high class girl who he sets out to marry (Constance Cummings), he plans to sell for enough money to take care of her. However, in comes his old flame (West) who is by no means cautious when it comes to demolishing the good impression he is trying to make on his potential wife. West is brash and realistic in this film, but her debut role is much smaller than her later starring roles. She has some great lines though and some revealing costumes. Raft is wonderful in this film. His usual gangster character is enlightened by love; in scenes where he is innocently eager and lovestruck, he is incredibly likable. There are some scandalous elements here. We see Raft's naked hip as he steps into the bathtub, West in a loose, revealing nightgown, prostitution references, and a kiss that does not entail love.
In Go West Young Man, Marvis Arden (West) is a sensational movie star. Her following spans the world and her personal appearance tours prove her popularity. On her way home from one such appearance, Arden's car breaks down. She orders her publicity man (Warren William) to find her a place to stay, suspicious that he planned the break down to keep her away from a man. However, she soon finds herself mooning over an attractive repairman in town (Randolph Scott) and listening to his ideas about inventing equipment for film. West has many snappy quips, especially brilliant since she wrote the script herself. It is always exciting to see Hollywood parodying itself and its stars. The visual elements are quite good, especially the opener.
Goin' to Town is the story of an ambitious woman named Cleo Borden (West) who grew up in a saloon. She loves the men and the men love her, but her aspirations lead her to enter into a contract to marry a wealthy man (Fred Kohler). Fortunately for her, he dies and leaves her all of his fortune. She soon learns that although she has money, she is not yet a lady, so she embarks on a journey to become one. She has no desire to change herself, but the man she sets her sights on (Paul Cavanagh) does, so she obliges.
I've read many wonderful things about this I'm No Angel, and it certainly is an important one in the history of West's career because it is a film adaptation of her scandalous theatrical show called Sex. However, I found it to be quite dull. Basically what we have here is a study about a woman who enjoys the company of men and who gets tired of them as quickly as she falls for them. One day, a special man rolls along (Cary Grant) and she wants to become a one man woman. This does not happen, though, until about halfway through the film. Perhaps the code helped West more than it hurt her. When it was put into effect, she had to censor herself more, forcing her to limit the amount of inuendo used and to create a solid storyline. The lack of any real direction makes the movie more of a curiosity than an endurable classic. There is no refuting West's talent with words and her obvious sexuality, but you CAN have too much of a good thing, and this is a perfect example.
My Little Chickadee is the story of a wild woman (West) who is ejected from her town for her indiscreet behavior. She is only allowed to be accepted by marrying, so she fakes a wedding with a man she meets on a train (WC Fields). However, she does not give up her behavior and avoids her new husband as much as possible. The most powerful man in town takes to the woman and makes her husband sheriff, a position that does not hold members for long. West's saucy, purring voice is quite pleasing in this film. She is a suave gunslinger who is never surprised adorned with great costumes that show off her ample body. In the one song in the film, she sings "Willie of the Valley" with an excellently utilized vibrato voice with a bluesy style. She is excellent in the film, especially the schoolhouse scene. Fields makes a great entrance into the picture. He has a great personality, and an extravagant, stagy voice, but he is slightly upstaged by West. West and Fields wrote the screenplay, and it is filled with snappy, sophisticated dialogue. There are several great one-liners, like, "My heart is a bargain today; will you take me?" and "I'd like to see Paris before I die; Philadelphia will do." There are some racial stereotypes in this film including those aimed at Indians, Spaniards, and Chinese. The picture is crisp and clear, beautifully photographed.
West is her good ol' self here, complete with wiggling hips and growling voice. Either you love her or you hate her, and I find it quite difficult not to admire her. She had guts that many in the business did not have. She can put off a suggestive bit of dialogue with just enough inuendo to titilate those in on the joke, but with a subtlety that will pass over the heads of others. She is quick and expects you to keep up with her.
It is true that the packaging can be a bit frustrating, especially when they disks are not entirely full. However, the set is affordable and features some highly entertaining films with a great star. It is hard to complain too much.
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Mae West - The Glamour Collection (Go West Young Man Goin' To Town I'm No Angel My Little...
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