I’m No Angel

Ich bin kein Engel

Retrospective 2022

Source: Deutsche Kinemathek, courtesy of Universal Studios Licensing, LLC

From carny caravan to luxury apartment. Tira starts out as a sideshow performer on the carnival circuit and develops a stellar career as lion tamer. Among her many admirers in New York is wealthy Kirk Lawrence, who is, however, already engaged to be married. Tira doesn’t give up on grabbing him until his business partner and friend Jack Clayton asks nicely – and the two fall in love. But when Tira’s past raises its ugly head in the form of pickpocket and former boyfriend Slick Wiley, who pretends to be her lover, Clayton calls off the wedding. Tira takes Jack to court to defend her honour ... “Come up and see me sometime”, a much-misquoted line that West actually utters here, while talking to a member of the (all male) jury. In the courtroom scenes, where Tira defends herself, Mae West takes a bit of a detour as she approaches the witness box, providing her a chance to show off her peerless sashay to the jury. And she is not above doing the same for film audiences. All of her dialogue and moves seem directed at the movie public. As an actress, Mae West was not least of all unique and unrivalled in her ability to break the fourth wall.

by Wesley Ruggles
with Mae West, Cary Grant, Gregory Ratoff, Edward Arnold, Ralf Harolde, Kent Taylor, Gertrude Michael, Russell Hopton, Dorothy Peterson, Wm. B. Davidson USA 1933 English 87’ Black/White

With

Mae West
Cary Grant
Gregory Ratoff
Edward Arnold
Ralf Harolde
Kent Taylor
Gertrude Michael
Russell Hopton
Dorothy Peterson
Wm. B. Davidson

Crew

Director	Wesley Ruggles
Screenplay	Mae West
Dialogue	Mae West
Cinematography	Leo Tover
Editing	Otho Lovering
Sound	Philip Wisdom, F. E. Dine
Art Director	Hans Dreier, Bernard Herzbrun
Producer	William LeBaron

Produced by

Paramount Productions, Inc.

Additional information

DCP: Universal Pictures International Germany