In the film, Mae plays a character named Tira who is a sideshow performer and dancer in Edward Arnold’s carnival. In order to obtain a loan from her boss, she agrees present the show’s lion act and, for its finale, put her head into a lion’s mouth. This act creates such a sensation that by the time the show plays New York City, Tira is a major celebrity with many rich gentleman-admirers who give her expensive presents. |
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Mae West-2
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6 comments:
So let me get this straight; a woman putting her head in a lion's mouth will make her a major celebrity with many gentleman admirers giving her her expensive gifts??
Yeah, right.
Only in the movies, I assure you.
One of the first rules of advance advertising is that you state week days as well as dates. This should read something like Mon Apr 12 - Sat Apr 25.
Also New York City's a pretty big place- how about a lot location?
Had this film been set in the 1890s, like many of Mae’s films were, they could probably have worked in that old music hall ballad, the lyrics of which go:
Don’t go in the lions’ cage tonight Mama, darling,
for the lions are ferocious and may bite.
And when they get their angry fits,
they may tear you all to bits.
So don’t go in the lions’ cage tonight.
Ms. White,
I think the key phrase "creating a sensation", is what led to gentlemen becoming instant Santa Claus's. Putting the head in a lions mouth is pretty common, it's creating a sensation that is not common.
A much more logical plot would have had Mae playing a carnival entertainer who becomes a successful musical comedy star on Broadway. (This would have made credible the fact that her character lives in a fancy pent house apartment and has several servants.) Writing herself into a sequence where she appears in a lion act might have been Mae West’s way of engaging in some long-held childhood fantasy.
Pretty common?
You don't say!
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