I'm No Angel (1933)

Circus performer Tira seeks a better life pursuing the company of wealthy New York men with improbable comic complications along the way.

Director:

Wesley Ruggles

Writers:

Mae West (story), Mae West (screenplay)

Stars:

Mae West, Cary Grant, Gregory Ratoff

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mae West	...	Tira
Cary Grant	...	Jack Clayton
Gregory Ratoff	...	Benny Pinkowitz
Edward Arnold	...	Big Bill Barton
Ralf Harolde	...	Slick Wiley
Kent Taylor	...	Kirk Lawrence
Gertrude Michael	...	Alicia Hatton
Russell Hopton	...	The Barker
Dorothy Peterson	...	Thelma
William B. Davidson	...	The Chump (as Wm. B. Davidson)
Gertrude Howard	...	Beulah
Libby Taylor	...	Maid

Storyline

The bold Tira works as dancing beauty and lion tamer at a fair. Out of an urgent need of money, she agrees to a risky new number: she'll put her head into a lion's muzzle! With this attraction the circus makes it to New York and Tira can persue her dearest occupation: flirting with rich men and accepting expensive presents. Among the guys she searches the love of her life, from whom she only knows from a fortune-teller that he'll be rich and have black hair. When she finally meets him, she becomes a victim of intrigue.

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Plot Keywords:

circus | lion tamer | peeled grape | dancer | pickpocket | 

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Taglines:

A story about a gal who lost her reputation - and never missed it!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ich bin kein Engel

Filming Locations:

Jungleland, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$225,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,850,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mae West's famous line in this film, "Beulah, peel me a grape," was inspired by West's pet monkey, Boogie. The monkey loved grapes, and one day West noticed that although he would eat grapes by the dozens, he would always peel the skin off each one before popping it into his mouth.

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Goofs

During closeup when Tira sorts through a pile of phonograph records with different titles (That Dallas Man, That Frisco Man, etc.), all the labels have same serial number.

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Quotes

Ernest Brown: I like to get around and travel; and, believe me, I've been places and seen things.
Tira: Mmm-hmm. I've been things and seen places. That sort of evens us out.

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Crazy Credits

Before the Paramount logo appears on screen in the opening credits, a sign declares that the studio is an NRA (National Recovery Act) member with the text "We do our part" written beneath.

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Connections

Featured in The Girls Next Door: Calendar Girls (2007)

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Soundtracks

I Want You, I Need You
(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Harvey Brooks
Lyrics by Ben Ellison
Played on piano and sung by Mae West

User Reviews

When I'm Good, I'm Very Good. But, When I'm Bad... I'm Better

The dancer and lion tamer of a circus Tira (Mae West) meets with an admirer at a hotel room and her lover, the pickpocket Slick Wiley (Ralf Harolde) try to steal the man and hits his head with a bottle. Slick believes that he had killed the man and flees, but he is arrested by the police.

Tira fears to be betrayed by Slick and asks for a loan to Big Bill Barton (Edward Arnold) to leave the place. However, he offers her the money provided she accepts to put her head into the mouth of a lion. The show is a success and the circus move to New York, where the millionaire Kirk Lawrence (Kent Taylor), who is engaged but becomes her "protector", giving expensive gifts to Tira. But when she meets Kirk's partner Jack Clayton (Cary Grant), they fall in love with each other and decide to get married. But Big Bill does not want to lose his great attraction and plots a scheme with Slick to call off the engagement of Clayton and Tira.

"I'm No Angel" is one of the most important films of the controversial Mae West, the actress who saved Paramount Pictures from bankruptcy after the Great Depression. This actress was responsible for the censorship code in Hollywood and her malicious quotes are great. For example, "When I'm Good, I'm Very Good. But, When I'm Bad... I'm Better"; or the song "No One Does It Like a Dallas Man", that was forced to be changed "No One Loves Me Like a Dallas Man". My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Santa Não Sou" ("Saint I am not")