She Done Him Wrong (1933)

Director:

Lowell Sherman

Writers:

Mae West (by)
Harvey F. Thew (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 February 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

New York singer and nightclub owner Lady Lou has more men friends than you can imagine. Unfortunately...

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Singer | Jealousy | Jewelry | Cabaret Singer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Mae West	...	Lady Lou
Cary Grant	...	Captain Cummings
Owen Moore	...	Chick Clark
Gilbert Roland	...	Serge Stanieff
Noah Beery	...	Gus Jordan (as Noah Beery Sr.)
David Landau	...	Dan Flynn
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Russian Rita
Dewey Robinson	...	Spider Kane
Rochelle Hudson	...	Sally
Tammany Young	...	Chuck Connors
Fuzzy Knight	...	Rag Time Kelly
Grace La Rue	...	Frances
Robert Homans	...	Doheney (as Robert E. Homans)
Louise Beavers	...	Pearl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Adams	...	Man in Audience (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Dan's Pal (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Patron Who Hits His Girl (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Street Cleaner (uncredited)
Mike Donlin	...	Tout (uncredited)
James Eagles	...	Pete (uncredited)
Harold Entwistle	...	(uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Cleaning Lady (uncredited)
Aggie Herring	...	Mrs. Flaherty (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Arthur Housman	...	Hungry Barfly (uncredited)
Tom Kennedy	...	Big Bill - Bartender (uncredited)
Lee Kohlmar	...	Jacobson (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Tom McGuire	...	Mike - Lou's Coachman (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Convict (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Waiter-Singer (uncredited)
Fred Santley	...	The Tenor (uncredited)
Harry Wallace	...	Steak McGarry (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Pedestrian Tipping Hat to Lou (uncredited)

Directed by
Lowell Sherman

Writing credits
Mae West		(by)
Harvey F. Thew		(screenplay by) and
John Bright		(screenplay by)

Produced by
William LeBaron	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Leipold		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Alexander Hall		(uncredited)

Casting by
Fred A. Datig		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Robert Usher		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Dugan	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry Lindgren	....	sound recording engineer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Elwood Bredell	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Pittack	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Eugene Richee	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Ralph Rainger	....	music and lyrics by
Stephan Pasternacki	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert M. Gillham	....	general press agent (uncredited)
Harold Hecht	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Arthur Lubin	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents) (as Paramount Productions, Inc.)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (as Paramount Productions, Inc.)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Diamond Lady (USA) (working title)
Diamond Lil (USA) (working title)
Diamonds (USA) (working title)
Ruby Red (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | Finland:(Banned) | USA:Approved

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The National Legion of Decency was formed in October of 1933, six months after the release of this film. Legion officials cited Mae West and the film as one of the major reasons for the "necessity" of the organization.

Goofs:

Continuity: Lou's hands are at her side when she starts the "Frankie and Johnny" song, but on her hips in the next cut when seen from behind.

Quotes:

Lady Lou: It was a toss up between whether I go in for diamonds or sing in the choir. The choir lost.

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

When You and I Were Young, Maggie

Marvelous Mae West And Some Great Old Songs

Set mostly in a bawdy saloon/dance hall in NYC during the 1890s, this film is a showcase for the talents of Mae West. She plays Lady Lou, a self-confident, sassy singer with a quick wit, who entertains customers with songs that have a Blues theme and were popular in vaudeville.

In this role, buxom Mae West is at her best. She struts her stuff, she wears tons of diamonds, she smiles in a slightly mischievous way, she rolls her eyes, and she speaks in a voice that is more than a little nasal. Her costumes are glamorous and flamboyant. In short, she presents an on-screen image that is wonderfully ... unique.

The film's story is thin and largely irrelevant. It involves the people around Lady Lou, some of whom are schemers and cheats. Implicit sexual references in the dialogue, and the character of Lady Lou, led the "National Legion of Decency" to push down our throats the Production Code, a wretched policy device that censored cinematic content for some thirty years thereafter.

If I have a complaint with this film it is that the story is too serious. Mae West is placed in scenes that allow her merely to recite dialogue. She is less an actress than a singer and on-stage performer. I would have preferred a more lighthearted musical theme, to play up her musical talents.

And so for me, the best parts of this film are the musical numbers few though they may be. Mae West sings "Frankie And Johnny" and a couple of other songs. One of my favorite sequences occurs about midway through the film. In what appears to be an authentically designed music hall set, an Irish tenor with a big mustache sings "Silver Threads Among The Gold", a musical tearjerker popular with barbershop quartets of that era. The song's sad theme prompts a man in the audience literally to "cry in his beer". Gas lights point upward to the stage. And behind the singing tenor, a curtain sways back and forth, with product signs that read "Old Whiskey", "Dijon Burgundy", among others. It's a sequence that is straight out of vaudeville. Marvelous!

"She Done Him Wrong" is a film whose story almost gets in the way of the main character, played by a legendary talent. The film is worth watching more than once, but only to see marvelous Mae West, and to listen to those wonderful songs from the bygone days of vaudeville.