Mae West

I'M NO ANGEL

Paramount, 1933.  Directed by Wesley Ruggles.  Camera:  Leo Tover.  With Mae West, Cary Grant, Gregory Ratoff, Edward Arnold, Ralf Harolde, Kent Taylor, Irving Pichel, Nat Pendleton.

Click for larger image

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Tira works as a dancer and occasional lion tamer for a circus, but her greatest pleasure in life is in her liaisons with wealthy men.  During one of her dances, she makes eye contact with a gentleman wearing a huge diamond ring.

He later joins her in her hotel room for a nightcap but is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Slick Wiley, a pickpocket who thinks of himself as Tira's "man."  Slick knocks the gentleman unconscious and steals his ring but later is arrested and thrown in jail.

The circus owner offers to lend Tira money for a lawyer to avoid prosecution on condition that she put her head in a lion's mouth as part of a new act to tour major cities.  Tira agrees and becomes the star attraction, gaining fame and wealth from her success.  Various society patrons visit Tira backstage, among them Kirk Lawrence and his fiancée Alicia Hatton.

Alicia is disdainful of Tira, but Kirk becomes infatuated with her, and a whirlwind romance ensues, with Kirk lavishing expensive gifts on Tira.  Kirk's friend and associate Jack Barton calls on Tira to ask her to give up her relationship with Kirk on Alicia's behalf.  Tira agrees and she and Jack fall seriously in love.

One night after his release from jail, Slick enters Tira's penthouse and pretends to be her lover when Jack arrives.  Jack calls off his engagement to Tira, who, unaware of Slick's ruse, sues Jack for breach of contract.

Tira represents herself in court and proves to all concerned that she is a respectable woman and deserves substantial payment for damages.  Realizing he was set-up, Jack agrees to the settlement.

Later, he and Tira reaffirm their love for each other.

American Film Institute Catalog

Additional photos courtesy of Gary