Night After Night
Directed by Archie Mayo
Written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Vincent Lawrence from a story by Louis Bromfield, additional dialogue by Mae West
1932/US
Paramount Pictures
IMDb page
First viewing/Criterion Channel
Hatcheck girl: Goodness, what beautiful diamonds!
Maudie: Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.
The way Mae West lights up the screen in her debut is the main reason to see this film. She wakes up this rather meh love triangle whenever she appears. George Raft said she stole everything but the camera!
Raft plays Joe Anton an ex-boxer who invested his winnings to buy a lavish mansion and convert it into a speakeasy. He’s not a gangster but he has many chances to stand up to them. Leo (Roscoe Karns) is his valet and enforcer.
Joe is seeing a floozy named Iris Dawn (Wynne Gibson). But he longs for the finer things and takes lessons in proper grammar and culture from Miss Mabel Jellyman (Alison Skipworth).
Joe spots beauty Jerry Healy (Constance Cummings) sitting alone a table in the club every night. It turns out the club is operating in the house where she spent a very happy childhood. The tables turned and now she is going to marry a rich man she doesn’t love (Louis Calhern).
Joe is instantly drawn to Jerry and invites her to tour her old home. The chemistry is right until Jerry informs Joe she is going to marry for money. Then he thinks she is no better than Iris and tells her so. Iris is also not about to let Joe go without a fight.
West’s character acts mostly as a way to entertain Mrs. Jellyman while Joe is off romancing Jerry. She slings around the double entendres with her customary boldness.
This was Raft’s first major role and he does a workman like job without being too exciting. The romance is pretty standard. But if you want to see West before she put on about 20 pounds this the place to do it. She looks gorgeous in her slinky gowns.
