Go West Young Man (1936)A movie star, stranded in the country, trifles with a young man's affections. Director:Henry Hathaway |
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Go West Young Man (1936)A movie star, stranded in the country, trifles with a young man's affections. Director:Henry Hathaway |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Mae West | ... |
Mavis Arden
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Warren William | ... |
Morgan
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| Randolph Scott | ... |
Bud Norton
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Alice Brady | ... |
Mrs. Struthers
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Elizabeth Patterson | ... |
Aunt Kate Barnaby
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| Lyle Talbot | ... |
Francis X. Harrigan
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| Isabel Jewell | ... |
Gladys
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Margaret Perry | ... |
Joyce Struthers
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Etienne Girardot | ... |
Prof. Herbert Rigby
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Maynard Holmes | ... |
Clyde
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John Indrisano | ... |
Chauffeur
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Alyce Ardell | ... |
Jeanette (French maid)
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Nick Stewart | ... |
Nicodemus
(as Nicodemus Stewart)
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Charles Irwin | ... |
Master of Ceremonies
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Walter Walker | ... |
Andy Kelton
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Movie star Mavis Arden, as amorous in private as she is pure in public, gets involved with a politician despite her watchdog publicist Morgan. Planning to meet her beau again at the next stop on her personal appearance tour, Mavis is stranded at a remote rural boarding house, with a pretentious landlady, sensible old maid, rabid film fan waitress...and strapping young mechanic Bud Norton, whom to Mavis is just the plaything of an idle hour... Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
This was Paramount's attempt to star Mae West not as her usual sui generis self, but in a well-made B'way blvd farce. (The play ran a remarkable 501 perfs and gave its original star, Gladys George, a nice Hollywood career in standout character parts.) Unlike the Marx Bros, whose similar try @ RKO in ROOM SERVICE/'38, failed to come off, Paramount really went to bat for Mae. This is a first-class pic (megged by Henry Hathaway, well cast & richly shot by the great Karl Struss) about a famous movie star forced to spend a night amid the hoi polloi at a country inn. Randolph Scott is handsome & charming as the local Mae vamps while Warren William turns out to be about the best consort Mae would ever land. Alice Brady, Elizabeth Patterson, Isabel Jewell & the rest all get tasty character turns to play and if you can bear the racial stereotypes, it's a kick to see Nicodemus Stewart and recognize the voice of Brer Bear from SONG OF THE SOUTH. Yet, the play feels like it could have worked even better @ M-G-M for Jean Harlow & William Powell. For West, it represents something of a career capitulation.