Je ne suis pas un ange

Easily one of the funniest comedies of the 193O's, this pre-code West-ern is a real treat. La West plays Tira, a carny gal who's been around the block a few times: in order to raise some dough, she sticks her head into a lion's mouth - and basks in the attention she receives from various fans. The scene between Mae and Gertrude Michael is hilarious: "You haven't a shred of decency in you!" spouts the snobbish Michaels to which Mae retorts "I don't show my good points to strangers!" A young Cary Grant is one of Tira's many admirers and Edward Arnold is memorable as Tira's loud, gruff boss, Big Bill Barton. Mae's courtroom plea, where she puts every man in his place - and wins the admiration of the judge is a gem. This film was made just after Mae's sensational hit SHE DONE HIM WRONG. Feeling indebted to West because the film's success single-handedly saved Paramount Pictures from impending bankruptcy, mogul Adolph Zukor promised Mae that she could do anything she wanted for her next film. Because she had been fascinated by lions since childhood, she had her fantasy written into the movie's plotline.

The dancer and lion tamer of a circus Tira (Mae West) meets with an admirer at a hotel room and her lover, the pickpocket Slick Wiley (Ralf Harolde) try to steal the man and hits his head with a bottle. Slick believes that he had killed the man and flees, but he is arrested by the police.

Tira fears to be betrayed by Slick and asks for a loan to Big Bill Barton (Edward Arnold) to leave the place. However, he offers her the money provided she accepts to put her head into the mouth of a lion. The show is a success and the circus move to New York, where the millionaire Kirk Lawrence (Kent Taylor), who is engaged but becomes her "protector", giving expensive gifts to Tira. But when she meets Kirk's partner Jack Clayton (Cary Grant), they fall in love with each other and decide to get married. But Big Bill does not want to lose his great attraction and plots a scheme with Slick to call off the engagement of Clayton and Tira.

"I'm No Angel" is one of the most important films of the controversial Mae West, the actress who saved Paramount Pictures from bankruptcy after the Great Depression. This actress was responsible for the censorship code in Hollywood and her malicious quotes are great. For example, "When I'm Good, I'm Very Good. But, When I'm Bad... I'm Better"; or the song "No One Does It Like a Dallas Man", that was forced to be changed "No One Loves Me Like a Dallas Man". My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Santa Não Sou" ("Saint I am not")

This movie, which West had complete creative control over, is her masterpiece. While 'She Done Him Wrong' is uneven and confusing 'I'm no Angel' is brilliant throughout. West is all woman without a bit of cat or mouse, and there is delicious chemistry between West and Grant (although this movie was made the same year as 'I'm no Angel', Grant looks older and his acting is stronger). And as much fun as it is to see masters at work in 'My Little Chickadee' (and imagine West and Feilds writing together), this movie outshines even that. If you want to know what Mae West is all about, this is the film to see.

Knowing that I enjoy watching some of the older movies, a friend at work lent me a VHS copy of `I'm No Angel'. It's not really something I would have picked up on my own. I guess I had some preset ideas about Mae West movies. For some reason, unknown even to myself, this is the first time I ever watched an entire Mae West movie. What a pleasant surprise it was to find my preconceived notions were totally wrong. Cary Grant and Mae West were great together. Very good acting all the way around and some interesting characters really helped to make this a very enjoyable viewing. This movie had a bit of drama, lots of comedy, it was a bit of a musical, and had some romance. All of this was combined into a masterful blend to make this movie very entertaining. I was really surprised that the comedy was so effective for today's audience considering the movie was made 71 years ago. This was a very good movie that I recommend. Glad I watched it.

Mae West was an unlikely sex symbol. She was a small woman with a face that defied most standards of beauty and an unremarkable body--and by the time she hit film she was edging into middle age. But as West herself might have said, it ain't what ya got, its what ya do with it. If anybody knew what to do with it, Mae West certainly did, and I'M NO ANGEL finds her doing it in remarkably fine style indeed.

The story and script, by West herself, is hilariously improbable. West stars as Tira, a carny entertainer who divides her work between a hootchie coochie act (which gives her the opportunity to perform a sizzling "They Call Me Sister Honky Tonk") and a lion taming act--but when she runs afoul of a small town romeo she hits the road for New York, where she captivates both city and Cary Grant with her circus act. Needless to say, there are comic complications galore, but like the Mounties, Mae West always gets her man.

West did a number of justly famous films during the 1930s, but I'M NO ANGEL is arguably her best, salted with with one memorable quip after another as she cracks whips, snubs snobs, frolics with her maids ("Peel me a grape!"), and waylays the willing Cary Grant with considerable aplomb. If you've never seen a Mae West movie but have always wondered what made her a great star, this is the film to see!

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer