This is one of two very good films that Mae West made, with her finest roles. The other is "My Little Chickadee" with W. C. Fields. "I'm no Angel" has more of a plot than most of her 13 films. And, this is the only film in which West actually falls for one guy. That guy, of course, is Cary Grant.
West plays Tira and Grant is Jack Clayton. Edward Arnold leads a very good supporting cast as Big Bill Barton, head of Barton's famous circus shows. Tira goes from being a tantalizing sex symbol to draw men to the tent show, to a fearless lion tamer who puts her head inside a lion's mouth. She has some live action with several lions in the big cage. Clayton is the head of a family business and is worried that a cousin, Kirk Lawrence (played by Kent Taylor) may be throwing away his career and fiancé over his infatuation with Tira. Lawrence also has been lavishing expensive gifts on Tira.
Of course, when Clayton meets Tira, he falls for her himself and soon jostles Lawrence to the side. The attraction is mutual with Tira, and the two become a genuine couple. At least, more genuine than she has been able to be before, and than audiences have ever seen before. This is one of the few films in which Grant plays the piano, and he's quite good.
As with some of her other work, Mae West did most of the writing for this film. It was her story and screenplay, and her dialog, with just suggestions from one other writer. West's telltale writing is evident in her dialog. She is most known for her one-line zingers with appropriate glances or peers, and an accompanying bump, swagger or other body movement. She seldom has any lines of substance in any of her films. Just those that may be necessary to tie pieces together of whatever plot there may be.
I rate this film Mae West's best just for one thing - the courtroom scene. She has some zingers here, but mostly her dialog pries answers out of witnesses that cause much of the laughter. I think this also is among the best films with comedic court scenes. Following are some of the funny lines with Mae West zingers from this movie.
Alicia Hatton (played by Gertrude Michael), "I suppose you know why I'm here?" Tira, "Hardly! You see, I'm a lion tamer not a mind reader."
Beulah (the maid, played by Gertrude Howard, "Miss we was thinking you're a one-man woman." Tira, "I'm one man at a time."
Alicia, "Then it might refresh you to know that I'm Kurt's fiancé." Tira, "There's nothing refreshing about that." Alicia, "You want me to swear?" Tira, 'Never mind. I can do that myself."
Tira, "Oh, Beulah!" Beulah, "Yes, ma'am." Tira, "Peel me a grape."
Tira, "When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better."
Tira, "It's not the men in your life. It's the life in your men."
Tira, "Somewhere there's a guy with a million waitin' for a dame like me."
Tira, pointing to a picture and telling her maid about her jewelry, "He gimme 'em."
Tira, "When I was born with this face, it was the same as strikin' oil."
West plays Tira and Grant is Jack Clayton. Edward Arnold leads a very good supporting cast as Big Bill Barton, head of Barton's famous circus shows. Tira goes from being a tantalizing sex symbol to draw men to the tent show, to a fearless lion tamer who puts her head inside a lion's mouth. She has some live action with several lions in the big cage. Clayton is the head of a family business and is worried that a cousin, Kirk Lawrence (played by Kent Taylor) may be throwing away his career and fiancé over his infatuation with Tira. Lawrence also has been lavishing expensive gifts on Tira.
Of course, when Clayton meets Tira, he falls for her himself and soon jostles Lawrence to the side. The attraction is mutual with Tira, and the two become a genuine couple. At least, more genuine than she has been able to be before, and than audiences have ever seen before. This is one of the few films in which Grant plays the piano, and he's quite good.
As with some of her other work, Mae West did most of the writing for this film. It was her story and screenplay, and her dialog, with just suggestions from one other writer. West's telltale writing is evident in her dialog. She is most known for her one-line zingers with appropriate glances or peers, and an accompanying bump, swagger or other body movement. She seldom has any lines of substance in any of her films. Just those that may be necessary to tie pieces together of whatever plot there may be.
I rate this film Mae West's best just for one thing - the courtroom scene. She has some zingers here, but mostly her dialog pries answers out of witnesses that cause much of the laughter. I think this also is among the best films with comedic court scenes. Following are some of the funny lines with Mae West zingers from this movie.
Alicia Hatton (played by Gertrude Michael), "I suppose you know why I'm here?" Tira, "Hardly! You see, I'm a lion tamer not a mind reader."
Beulah (the maid, played by Gertrude Howard, "Miss we was thinking you're a one-man woman." Tira, "I'm one man at a time."
Alicia, "Then it might refresh you to know that I'm Kurt's fiancé." Tira, "There's nothing refreshing about that." Alicia, "You want me to swear?" Tira, 'Never mind. I can do that myself."
Tira, "Oh, Beulah!" Beulah, "Yes, ma'am." Tira, "Peel me a grape."
Tira, "When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better."
Tira, "It's not the men in your life. It's the life in your men."
Tira, "Somewhere there's a guy with a million waitin' for a dame like me."
Tira, pointing to a picture and telling her maid about her jewelry, "He gimme 'em."
Tira, "When I was born with this face, it was the same as strikin' oil."