She Done Him Wrong **** (1933, Mae West, Cary Grant) – Classic Movie Review 1273

Director Lowell Sherman’s provocative 1933 Pre-Production Code comedy stars Mae West in her second film, who done Cary Grant right by putting the handsome young actor in the spotlight and famously asking him ‘come up some time and see me?’

It successfully taps in to the essential essence of naughty but nice Mae West as a 1890s New York singer and nightclub owner called Lady Lou, who wants to carry on with the man from the mission next door. The city mission is a thinly disguised Salvation Army outfit, located next to the bar. But its handsome young director, Captain Cummings (Cary Grant), is in reality an undercover Federal agent working to infiltrate and expose the illegal activities in the bar.

It’s an outrageously camp, amusing and pacey comedy, extremely well produced and West is a total delight, notching up a huge hit. The movie is famous for West’s many doubles entendres and saucy quips, including ‘I always did like a man in a uniform. That one fits you grand. Why don’t you come up sometime and see me? I’m home every evening.’ It was Oscar-nominated for Outstanding Production, now known as Best Picture, at 66 minutes, the shortest film so honoured.

The screenplay is adapted by Harvey F. Thew and John Bright from West’s hit Broadway play Diamond Lil. The original music is composed by Ralph Rainger, John Leipold and Stephan Pasternacki. Charles Lang is the cinematographer while the costumes are designed by Edith Head. The supporting cast features Owen Moore, Gilbert Roland, Noah Beery Sr, Rochelle Hudson and Louise Beavers.

West suggestively sings ‘I Like a Guy What Takes His Time’, ‘I Wonder Where My Easy Rider’s Gone’ and ‘Frankie and Johnny’.

West famously says: ‘When women go wrong, men go right after them.’

West’s famous catchphrase finally became ‘come up and see me sometime’ in her next picture, I’m No Angel, also with Grant, the same year.

West always claimed to have discovered Cary Grant, saying that up until then Grant had only made ‘some tests with starlets’ though he starred in Blonde Venus with Marlene Dietrich the previous year.

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