I’m No Angel

I’m No Angel casts Mae West as Tira, a circus performer who finds herself juggling the affections of several men – including Ralf Harolde’s Slick Wiley, Kent Taylor’s Kirk Lawrence, and Cary Grant’s Jack Clayton. Screenwriter West is clearly not looking to stray far from her comfort zone here, as I’m No Angel boasts (or suffers from) a structure that is, to put it mildly, typical for West’s early career. There’s a consequent lack of momentum that grows more and more problematic as time progresses, with this vibe perpetuated by West’s dogged refusal to infuse the narrative with elements designed to push things forward. West, along with director Wesley Ruggles, chooses instead to pad out the proceedings with musical numbers and hopelessly disposable sequences, with the most obvious example of the latter a long, pointless, and somewhat unpleasant interlude set at the aforementioned circus’ animal show. It goes without saying, of course, that I’m No Angel benefits substantially from West’s expectedly engaging (and entertaining) turn as the seriously sassy central character, and the film contains just as many memorable one-liners as one might’ve hoped (and anticipated) – including the justifiably legendary “when I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better” crack. The oddball climactic court case that closes the film is kind of interesting (if completely absurd), with the end result a predictably erratic Mae West vehicle that wouldn’t even be worth mentioning were it not for her.

** out of ****