My Little Chickadee (1940)

Director:

Edward F. Cline

Writers:

Mae West (original screen play) &
W.C. Fields (original screen play)

Release Date:

15 March 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

It's the lafftime of a lifetime ! . . as "Wild Bill" Fields tries to tame the West!

Plot:

Rightly suspected of illicit relations with the Masked Bandit, Flower Belle Lee is run out of Little Bend...

Plot Keywords:

Bar | Bandit | Con Man | Sheriff | Masked Bandit

Cast

Mae West	...	Flower Belle Lee
W.C. Fields	...	Cuthbert J. Twillie
Joseph Calleia	...	Jeff Badger
Dick Foran	...	Wayne Carter
Ruth Donnelly	...	Aunt Lou
Margaret Hamilton	...	Mrs. Gideon
Donald Meek	...	Amos Budge
Fuzzy Knight	...	Cousin Zeb
Willard Robertson	...	Uncle John
George Moran	...	Milton
Jackie Searl	...	Boy (as Jack Searl)
Fay Adler	...	Mrs. 'Pygmy' Allen
Gene Austin	...	Saloon Musician
Russell Hall	...	Candy (as 'Candy')
Otto Heimel	...	Coco (as 'Coco')
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark Anthony	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	Townsman (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Lem (uncredited)
Georgie Billings	...	Boy (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Leading Citizen (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Barfly Drinking Straight Whiskey (uncredited)
Harlan Briggs	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Bob Burns	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Eddie Butler	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Porter (uncredited)
Lita Chevret	...	Indian squaw (uncredited)
Bing Conley	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Jimmy Conlin	...	Squawk Mulligan - Bartender (uncredited)
Jeff Conlon	...	Man (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	Sheriff of Little Bend (uncredited)
Clyde Dembeck	...	Boy on Train (uncredited)
Jan Duggan	...	Uppity Little Bend Woman (uncredited)
Frank Ellis	...	Townsman Wanting to Form Posse (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Chester Gan	...	Chinese Train Passenger (uncredited)
Slim Gaut	...	Bowlegged Man (uncredited)
Ben Hall	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
Buddy Harris	...	Porter (uncredited)
Charles Hart	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Barfly Drinking Panther (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman	...	Pete - Printer (uncredited)
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Townsman Wanting to Form Posse (uncredited)
Danny Jackson	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
Si Jenks	...	Deputy (uncredited)
John Kelly	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Walter McGrail	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Charles McMurphy	...	Townsman (uncredited)
George Melford	...	Greasewood Sheriff-Elect on Train (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Anne Nagel	...	Miss Foster - Schoolteacher (uncredited)
Vester Pegg	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Bob Reeves	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Addison Richards	...	Judge (uncredited)
Betty Roche	...	Salvation Army Girl (uncredited)
Jack Roper	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Dick Rush	...	Man (uncredited)
Buster Slaven	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	Diner (uncredited)
Morgan Wallace	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Delmar Watson	...	Boy (uncredited)
Blackie Whiteford	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Joe Whitehead	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Bill Wolfe	...	Barfly in Trance (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward F. Cline

Writing credits
Mae West		(original screen play) &
W.C. Fields		(original screen play)

Produced by
Lester Cowan	....	producer
Jack J. Gross	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by
Joseph A. Valentine		(director of photography) (as Joseph Valentine)

Film Editing by
Edward Curtiss		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Martin Obzina
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph A. McDonough	....	assistant director
Ray Taylor	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Martin Obzina	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound supervisor
Joe Lapis	....	technician (as Joseph Lapis)

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
James V. King	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
James V. King	....	special process cameraman (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Paul Landres	....	consulting editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1940) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Universal Picture)
• Realart Pictures Inc. (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Cinema Classics)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (4 film set)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2012) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film set)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #6029) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005)

Filming Locations:

Railtown 1897 State Historical Park, Jamestown, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Fields walked off the set over what the director felt was a minor disagreement, but when it was clear after two weeks that he was not coming back to finish the film, nearly one third was shot using a double. The double used is unknown. It could have been John Sinclair, who had doubled for him in "Poppy" or David Sharpe who was his stunt double in later films. The double wore a plastic mask and most of the shots were long shots.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end, Flower Belle is going up the stairs and her wedding ring is visible on her hand underneath her gloves. Then at the top of the stairs, she goes to give Cuthbert the ring back and it is in her purse.

Quotes:

Wayne Carter:I think you could turn a man's head very easily if he wasn't careful.
Flower Belle:Well, there's no fun in being too careful.
Wayne Carter:Aren't you forgetting that you're married?
Flower Belle:I'm doin' my best.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Willie of the Valley

The Perfect Pairing of a Remarkable Comedic Team!

Mae West stars alongside W.C. Fields in this comedy classic from the 1930s about the Wild West. She plays Florabell who is disgraced by one town and goes to another town. Aboard the train, she meets up with W.C. Fields's shady character and they get married. Florabell's gentlemen admirers and suitors include the masked bandit who rides on a horse and robs people among others. Anyway, W.C. Fields called Mae West, his favorite co-star, probably because she was his peer. She knew how to write and make some laughs. The scene in the town school is quite memorable. Mae West had her own unique walk, style, and language all of her own worth watching. Want to know who inspired Madonna and Lady Gaga, I think Mae West would have been the first and unforgettable lady of shocking attitude. The film also stars Margaret Hamilton as the dreadful woman who hates Florabell. Hamilton also played the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz. She was a brilliant character actress of her time and is worth watching here. In the days of the Great Depression and a coming war, I could see why people flocked to the theaters every weekend.