Goin' to Town

Shortly after the release of Mae West's BELLE OF THE NINETIES, the Hollywood Production Code started to get tough, which put the Queen of double entendre in a tighter spot than her hardworking corsets. So why would Paramount dump her into this lusterless Grade 'B' item with its faceless supporting cast? West's script hardly helps as she pitches a veritable yard's sale of story lines at us: Mae takes over the ranch when her fiancé is murdered; Mae & her horse win the Derby; Mae the commoner crashes high society; Mae gets caught in a divorce/robbery/murder scam. Oh, she still gets off an occasional eyebrow raising quip and there's something irresistible in seeing her do a bit of Saint-Saens SAMSON & DELILAH (in the original keys, natch), but it's all a bit depressing to see her brought so low.