My Little Chickadee (1940)

When Columbia Pictures sought to pair Mae West and W.C. Fields in a film, neither was thrilled, but since both stars' careers were on the skids, they agreed to the project. They fought about everything: script, billing, casting, philosophy, work habits, style. Onscreen, Fields is always the butt of his own jokes. West never is. He's all broad slapstick, she, all sly innuendo. In the film West hangs onto her precious image--that inimitable combo of sexiness and wit--as Fields systematically subverts it. It's the clash of the screen-legend titans.

In the Wild West town of Greasewood, West, as Flower Belle Lee (her usual seductive saloon singer), is kidnapped by the Masked Bandit (Joseph Calleia, in a role Bogart turned down). After refusing to turn him in, she's run out of town and can only return when she's "married and respectable." She meets flimflam man Cuthbert J. Twillie (Fields) on a train. He's instantly smitten: "My heart is a bargain today, will you take me?" "I'll take you, and how," she agrees, spying his satchel of cash. Many plot twists later, Twillie's on the gallows. Hangman: "Have you any last requests?" Twillie: "I'd like to see Paris before I die. Philadelphia will do." In her ideal happy ending, West's Flower Belle finds true love--with two men--the Masked Bandit and the town muckraker, Wayne Carter (Dick Foran).

The film's funniest scenes involve Field's futile attempts to get West into a compromising position: "I have some very definite pear-shaped ideas I'd like to discuss with thee." Suffice it to say that Fields ends up in bed with a goat. --Laura Mirsky Amazon.com

it's enough to make me avoid this temptation--unless, of course, I can't resist it

My Little Chickadee is a very good film starring W.C. Fields and Mae West. Sure, maybe the rumors are true that they didn't like each other; but you'd never know it when you watch this movie. Their on screen chemistry is good and the plot moves along at a good pace. It held my attention every step of the way and the acting is very convincing as well.

The action begins when Flower Belle Lee (Mae West) is kidnapped by the masked bandit when he holds up her stagecoach. Amazingly enough, Flower Belle returns that night unharmed--and a love affair starts to blossom between her and the masked bandit! He has even given Flower Belle some of the gold he stole from the stagecoach. The people of Little Bend finally give up on Flower Belle when she is caught after she obviously had another tryst with the masked bandit. She is not allowed to return to Little Bend until she is "respectable"--and married.

Flower Belle boards the train to Greasewood with her escort Mrs. Gideon (Margaret Hamilton) and she fakes a marriage along the way to a ne'er-do-well Cuthbert J. Twillie (W.C. Fields), a complete stranger she meets on the train--but she thinks Cuthbert has money so they have a wedding with a fake preacher just so Flower Belle can get her hands on that money--and she does, only to find out it was as fake as her marriage to Twillie! Flower Belle has some time avoiding Twillie who wants to consummate their "marriage;" but true to form Flower Belle always manages to get out of THAT situation.

Moreover, Flower Belle meets two men in Greasewood who catch her eye--the straight and narrow good guy Wayne Carter (Dick Foran) and the owner of a huge saloon and party club, Jeff Badger (Joseph Calleia). All sorts of interesting scenes ensue as the two men pursue Flower Belle and flirt with her even though they still think she is actually married to Twillie. Badger even makes Twillie the town's new sheriff because that's the quickest way to bump him off--and get Flower Belle to be his wife!

Of course, from here the plot can go anywhere. Will Twillie survive being sheriff? Will Flower Belle eventually be free of Twillie to marry either Badger or Wayne Carter? What about Mrs. Gideon--will she cause trouble for Flower Belle as she flirts with all these men? No plot spoilers here, folks--watch the movie and find out.

Of course, this VHS tape has no extras. This movie is available on a DVD set called Mae West - The Glamour Collection; but even there according to the reviewers there is only the extra of the original trailer for this movie.

My Little Chickadee is an entertaining film with lots of action, comedy, suspense and great acting. Mae West and W.C. Fields fans will love this film; and fans of classic movies in general will also enjoy this movie.
May 31, 2008

West and Fields: the comedy dream-team?

MY LITTLE CHICKADEE paired the two great anarchic comedians of the 1930's, Mae West and W.C. Fields, for their one and only co-starring appearance. By all accounts they couldn't stand each other, but you'll get no impression of hostility while watching this breezy, infectious western comedy.

Flower Belle Lee (Mae West) is run out of town after she's seen kissing a masked bandit in her bedroom. On the train bound for the wild west city of Greasewood, she meets Cuthbert Twillie (W.C. Fields), a fast-talking con man. She brings a new meaning to the term "shotgun wedding", when, after an action-packed Indian attack, she manages to bribe a phoney minister and marry Twillie, so she can get her hands on his carpetbag stuffed with cash--later revealed to be as fake as the man carrying it! Once in Greasewood City, Flower Belle dumps her 'husband' like a sackful of potatoes, but Twillie plugs away, determined to impress his beautiful bride using any means he can...

It's not Mae West's finest hour, but MY LITTLE CHICKADEE is inexplicably one of her most popular titles. West and Fields each had screenwriting credit, and the script has lots of comic schtick so both can shine. But when they come together, it's completely charming (especially during the Indian attack, and that great scene with the goat). W.C. Fields was a compulsive drinker and would often turn up on the set with foul-smelling breath, much to the annoyance of Mae West, who refused to be subject to his drinking habit on any level. You'll notice that Fields and West never actually get very close at all in the movie. That's the reason. Mae looks a treat in her Vera West-designed costumes, and button-nosed W.C. Fields has lots of physical comedy gags.

Mae West sings "Willie of the Valley". The supporting cast includes Margaret Hamilton, Dick Foran, Joseph Calleia, Donald Meek, Ruth Donnelly, and Fuzzy Knight. April 9, 2008

Clash of the Comic Titans

The legendary teaming of W.C. Fields and Mae West has some hilarious moments, but does not make for classic cinema. "My Little Chickadee" (1940) is an unsuccessful patchwork of two distinct comedic styles that simply do not mesh. In fact, the Western satire works best when the stars keep their distance by doing their own thing. Not surprisingly, the film was more successful for Fields than for Miss West - who detested the Great Man until the day she died. Worth seeing for historical purposes. November 3, 2006

Moderately Successful Pairing of Two Comic Greats.

"My Little Chickadee" pairs two great comedic personas and former vaudevillians: Mae West and W. C. Fields, who famously did not get along. West and Fields wrote the screenplay as well as starred in the film. It doesn't live up to the high expectations that a Field/West duo implies, but it's entertaining. Fields has his moments. West displays her sassy wit and looks younger than her 46 years.

In the Wild West of the late 19th century, flirtatious young Flower Belle Lee (Mae West) is abducted by the Masked Bandit when her stage coach is robbed. Forced to leave town for romancing the outlaw, Flower Belle meets Cuthbert Twillie (W.C. Fields) on the train. He is a disreputable lizard oil salesman, but, believing Cuthbert is wealthy, Flower Belle marries him. The couple lodges in the town of "Greasewood City", where Cuthbert is appointed Sheriff, a job in which no one lasts long. Under pressure to capture the outlaw Masked Bandit and wrest power from Jeff Badger (Joseph Galleia), a corrupt saloon owner who has eyes for his wife, Cuthbert is more concerned with winning Flower Belle's favor.

"My Little Chickadee" isn't as funny as it should be. W.C. Fields isn't funny at all until halfway through. But he does have some memorable scenes beyond that point. Mae West's lines fall a little flat too, perhaps because this is a period piece, which isn't precisely up her alley. On the other hand, I found Flower Belle Lee to be one of West's more sympathetic characters, because she isn't always in control of her circumstances. The two stars pay tribute to one another in the film's final scene, exchanging lines for which they are famous: Cuthbert invites Flower Belle to "come up and see me sometime." And Flower Belle calls him "my little chickadee." May 2, 2006

"Easy on the ears and a Banquet to the eyes"

My Little Chickadee is the story of a wild woman (Mae West) who is ejected from her town for her indiscreet behavior. She is only allowed to be accepted by marrying, so she fakes a wedding with a man she meets on a train (WC Fields). However, she does not give up her behavior and avoids her new husband as much as possible. The most powerful man in town takes to the woman and makes her husband sheriff, a position that does not hold members for long.

Mae West's saucy, purring voice can sometimes be annoying, but it is quite pleasing in this film. She is a suave gunslinger who is never surprised adorned with great costumes that show off her ample body. In the one song in the film, she sings "Willie of the Valley" with an excellently utilized vibrato voice with a bluesy style. She is excellent in the film, especially the schoolhouse scene.

WC Fields makes a great entrance into the picture. He has a great personality, and an extravagant, stagy voice, but he is slightly upstaged by West.

West and Fields wrote the screenplay, and it is filled with snappy, sophisticated dialogue. There are several great one-liners, like, "My heart is a bargain today; will you take me?" and "I'd like to see Paris before I die; Philadelphia will do."

There are some racial stereotypes in this film including those aimed at Indians, Spaniards, and Chinese.

The picture of this film is crisp and clear, beautifully photographed.

Overall, this is an excellent film. November 13, 2005

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