90 Movies in 90 Days: She Done Him Wrong (1933)

Every day until March 31, 2024 I will be watching and reviewing a movie that is 90 minutes or less.

Title: She Done Him Wrong
Release Date: February 9, 1933
Director: Lowell Sherman
Production Company: Paramount Pictures
Summary/Review:

Set in the Gay Nineties on the Bowery in New York City, Mae West stars as barroom singer Lady Lou.  Saloon owner Gus Jordan (Noah Beery Sr.) keeps her covered in diamonds, but she’s unaware that Gus’ real source of income comes from a trafficking ring where he sends young women to San Francisco to become prostitutes and pickpockets.  Lou is involved with several men including the criminal Chick Clark (Owen Moore) who is in prison and jealous that she is not being faithful to him.  Back at the saloon, Lou current target is the temperance leader from the city mission next door, Captain Cummings (a baby Cary Grant).

I didn’t follow the intricacies of the plot all too well, but it’s mostly excuse for West and Grant to exchange quips and innuendos. I’ve seem more parody and impersonation of Mae West than the actual Mae West, so it’s surprising that she actually DOES talk like that.  She even says the thing – “Why don’t you come up some time and see me?” She also sings several songs in the bawdy barroom style.

Rating: ***

 

90 Movies in 90 Days: Million Dollar Legs (1932) and The Bank Dick (1940)

Every day until March 31, 2024 I will be watching and reviewing a movie that is 90 minutes or less.

Today, a two-fer of movies starring W.C. Fields.

Title: Million Dollar Legs
Release Date: July 8, 1932
Director: Edward F. Cline
Production Company: Paramount Pictures
Summary/Review:

This supremely silly pre-Code comedy brings us to the land of goats and nuts, Klopstokia (presumably adjacent to Freedonia and Flausenthurm).  American brush salesman Migg Tweeny (Jack Oakie) attempts to woo Angela (Susan Fleming), daughter of the President (W.C. Fields). In order to win Angela’s hand, Tweeny has to resolve Klopstokia’s financial crisis.  He decides that the strangely athletic citizens of the country must compete in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles and win a cash reward from his boss. Meanwhile, the Presidents insurgent cabinet attempts to sabotage their success with the Woman No Man Can Resist, Mata Machree (Lyda Roberti).

The movie features sight gags, wordplay, and musical numbers. In many ways it is reminiscent of Marx Brothers movie, except without the Marx Brothers is is no way near as funny (Susan Fleming eventually married Harpo, though).  Angela is characterized as surprisingly intellectually and physically capable for a woman in the 1930s movie, and is the secret hero of the film.  Oakie is a bit of a dud though, and the movie suffers for the lack of a strong lead actor.

Rating: ***

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Title: The Bank Dick
Release Date: November 29, 1940
Director:Edward F. Cline, Ralph Ceder (collaborating dir.)
Production Company: Universal Pictures
Summary/Review:

Egbert Sousé (W.C. Fields) is drunk whose own family doesn’t respect him.  But when he inadvertently captures a bank robber, the bank rewards him with a job as a bank detective. His daughter’s fiancé Og Oggilby (Grady Sutton) works as a banker, and Egbert convinces him to invest in a mining scheme with the bank’s money.  Og hopes to reimburse the bank with his bonus in a few days, but before that happens the bank inspector J. Pinkerton Snoopington (Franklin Pangborn) arrives.  The better part of the movie is Egbert’s attempts to distract Snoopington.  This is followed by another bank robbery and a kooky car chase.

There are some very funny moments in this movie.  But overall it is uneven with some longer gags that just aren’t funny.  The movie also feels rushed like they shot the movie in one take. Ultimately for me it comes down to the fact that I don’t find W.C. Fields to be all that funny so this movie didn’t work for me.

Rating: **1/2