My Little Chickadee (1940)

I wanted to but couldn't!

An Exercise In Nonsense

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Joseph Calleia , as Jeff Badger, is the Greasewood saloon owner and town boss. He's also the masked bandit: a dead ringer for Zorro, complete with black cape, but with his mask covering his entire face instead of only the top portion. He's infamous for holding up the stage and looting the strong box. and for abducting and romancing a conspicuous new resident: Flower Bell(Mae West). It's assumed that Mae should be able to identify the bandit, but she can't. She's put on trial as a detriment to the morals of the community, and asked to leave. She boards the train for the next town: Greasewood. Along the way, a portly man, reclining on a travois, stops the train to board. He soon strikes up a conversation with Mae , who notices he has a wad of greenbacks in his traveling bag(She later discovers they're all fake),thus becomes interested in him. Soon, they are talking marriage, and a man who claims to be a minister is found among the passengers.(Actually, he's a professional gambler). Soon, a band of Indians attack. The few men aboard are worthless at shooting them. However, after being narrowly missed with a few arrows, Mae scrounges a couple of six shooters and shoots nearly every Indian off his horse. Since the new sheriff-to-be of Greasewood was killed by the Indians, Jeff suggests that Fields become the new sheriff. Nobody else wants the job, since the mean lifespan of the last 5 sheriffs was one month after taking office. Besides, Fields claims he shot all those Indians, so he must be a good shot.The masked bandit romances Mae out under the moon, then rides away. Fields, frustrated in being put off by Mae, dresses up like the masked bandit and climbs up the outside of the hotel to her room. He kisses Mae, but she knows something is wrong, and discovers his fakery. But, some town people see him descend from her window, thus assume he must be the bandit. They want to string him up soon, without a trial. Dick Foran, as the newspaper editor and town bastion of law enforcement and decency, tries to stop the vigilantes, but to no avail. Just then, Mae, who just broke out of jail and borrowed 2 six shooters, shoots the hanging rope in two, and tells the people he's not the real bandit. Says she still doesn't know the identity of the real bandit, but has a strong suspicion. She admits her "marriage" to Fields is a sham. This news further stimulates Jeff and Foran to seek a marriage with Mae. Seemingly, Mae has a choice between good(Foran) and evil(Jeff). although the masked bandit threw a bag containing his recent loot into a crowd before galloping away. Mae says she might never decide between the two.Here are some quotes: Man: "Is this a game of chance?" Fields: "Not the way I play it."Mae: "Arithmetic: I was pretty good with figures myself."Jeff: "I wonder what kind of woman you are?" Mae: "Sorry, I can't give out samples".Fields to Indian: "The bottle is mightier than the quiver."Mae: "I avoid temptations, since I can't resist them."Judge" "Young lady, are you trying to show contempt for this court?" Mae: "No, I'm trying my best to hide it."Mae is her usual self, mostly smirks, sashays and rolling her eyes upward, although she often looks unusually bored. She only has one forgettable song. Dick Foran mostly played singing cowboys, sort of a B version of Gene Autry...Other supporting actors that deserve mention: Margaret Hamilton, fresh from her two roles in "The Wizard of Oz", plays the town busybody. Donald Meek plays the gambler pretending to be a minister. Fuzzy Knight tries to inject a little humor here and there, but wasn't given much to work with. Yes, the film could have been much funnier. Also, some scenes go nowhere, appearing to be fillers.

It's an excellent film in spite of the facts that they disliked each other but were professionals on camera. A legendary pairing up of 2 screen icons. Funniest "gags" included: Their meeting on the train and fake marriage. Mae West as a schoolteacher teaching "good little boys how to be real good". The "marriage" is never "consumated" and she puts a goat in the bed! (Not as risqué as it sounds.) Many plot ideas used here were recycled in several newer comic westerns, including "Paleface", "The Harvey Girls" and "The Shakiest Gun in the West". Main plot: Mae West has to marry the no-good gambler (Fields) so she can become respectable and not get run out of town by Margret Hamilton. There is also a masked "kissing bandit" and gun-play. (Mae West picks off "them Indians" like she's in a shootin' gallery.) Both stars were well past their prime and most noticeably W.C. Fields. Stunt doubles used throughout. Her best film was actually "I'm No Angel" and his best was either "It's a Gift" or "The Bank Dick", depending on your personal taste. A very clever exchange of signature "lines" at the very end of the movie between Mae West and W.C. Fields. "Drat"!

The selling point for this movie is Mae West meets W.C. Fields but I'm not a fan of the latter. The only other movie of his I've seen is The Bank Dick, which I apparently thought was okay but I don't recall a thing about now. Fields was probably more famous back then for his vaudeville work and I don't think he created any movies for the ages like his fellow vaudevillians The Marx Brothers did.But this movie is still very much a Mae West movie and I enjoyed it like I do all her work. There are plenty of one-liners delivered by both West and Fields but no one can zing like the former can. Ergo, my main criticism about this movie is that she had to share too much screen time with Fields!

Mae West and W.C. Fields working below their abilities. She's a sassy singer run out of her community for consorting with a masked stagecoach bandit; he's a novelty salesman (with a satchel of phony money) who becomes sheriff in a troubled Old West town after falsely boasting of his shooting abilities. Mae "marries" W.C. via a gambler dressed like a preacher, only to spend most of her on-screen time with a handsome newspaper man. Fields plays bartender, trades barbs with busy-body Margaret Hamilton, and gets into bed with a goat he thinks is Mae. His quick retorts and sideline witticisms get some laughs, but this script (written by the two stars) never allows for any big, memorable moments. Mae has a song number in the saloon that seems rather lax (the Hays Code was breathing down her neck at the time), and her personality appears to have been zapped of vivaciousness. The movie doesn't look too bad, and it is certainly watchable, but one waits in vain for it to get off the ground and that sadly does not happen. ** from ****