Movie Love

In case anybody does not know this yet, sex sells.

Dating back to the birth of cinema, this employment of the Hollywood vixen has been selling movie tickets for decades and no better is this exemplified than with the vivacious, loquacious and sagacious blond bombshell, Ms. Mae West. Long before the most modern set of Hollywood vamps emerged, there was West, who's hip, swinging swagger, sultry double talk and eyelash batting was enough to send Postmaster General Hayes into a censorship tizzy.

This past week, while searching for a silver screen gem, I came upon one of West's most provocative performances, the scandalous She Done Him Wrong, released in the early 1930s. Taking place in a New York City dance hall during the "gay 90's" (that's the 1890s), the film tells the story of the "man eating," Diamond Lou, who can only be reigned in by the dashingly debonair Cary Grant.

Buoyed by its quick wit and never ending double entendres, the film does not shy away from using sexually charged references to both entertain and charm the audience. In fact it is in She Done Him Wrong that West coins one of cinema's most famous quotes to date, "Why don't you come up and see me some time?" It is after meeting and becoming immediately smitten with the priest from the next door mission that West utters these infamous words. This seems to be the first time that a man has not instantly fallen in love with Lou, which is what makes her find him irresistible. Unable to leave any man unturned, Lou propositions the priest for a little something, something on the side, thus producing this memorable quote.

The real delight of the film though comes from West, who adds verve to her acting with her gravelly seductive voice, overtly invasive glances-at both male and female characters- and exaggerated mannerisms, which all make it seem as if she is surveying her admirers as pieces of meat that she's thinking of devouring. She knows that her power comes from the exploitation of her sexuality, and thus harnesses this to manipulate every man that she comes in contact with.

Although West spends the duration of the film trifling with the hearts of her male fan club, she ends up epitomizing the hooker with a heart of gold. After finding out that the next door priest, played by Cary Grant, is really just a "fast talking Dick" working undercover to bust her dance hall's prostitution ring, Lou's diamond exterior cracks. No longer is she a vision of unattainable richness, but rather she turns out to be a simple girl who only wants to stop looking for love in all the wrong places.