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My Little Chickadee (1940)
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WHY DID MY LITTLE CHICKADEE CROSS THE ROAD?
MY LITTLE CHICKADEE (MLC) starring W.C. FIELDS and MAE WEST, 2 of Hollywood's top comedians of the 30's, was released with great anticipation and fanfare, back in 1940.
MLC is now 70(!) years old. (My-Oh-My, How time flies!) And, yes, I certainly do take into consideration that attitudes and opinions towards everything, including that of comedy, changes over time, but, all the same, this flick really should've been a whole lot more comical than it actually was. In fact, the teaming up of FIELDS and WEST should've made MLC an absolute laugh riot. It's true.
I guess, to MLC Producers at MGM, the potential comic-possibilities of pairing up FIELDS and WEST probably sounded irresistably hilarious on paper. But on screen the teaming up of this supposedly comical dynamic-duo bombed (in my opinion), big time. MLC was a real comedy flop-eroo. It barely produced a giggle, or, even a snicker from me.
And , what I found ironic was that MLC's script was actually a team-of-two collaboration between FIELDS and WEST, exclusively. Even though the Hay's Office Censors were hot on MAE WEST's case about all that sexual innuendo-stuff, this team effort certainly gave FIELDS and WEST the golden opportunity to write themselves all kinds of great jokes and side-splitting lines. Thinking about it from that point of view, this could've very well been where a lot of the problem lay in why MLC faltered, comically. Both FIELDS' and WEST's material in MLC was noticeably weak in the humor department.
In particular, I found that the scenes in MLC where FIELDS and WEST were placed together, conversing with one another, were always the moments when things were the least amusing. From closely observing FIELDS' and WEST's interaction with one another, I'm dead-certain that I actually detected a subtle hint of genuine animosity going on between these 2 entertainers. I could be mistaken about this, but I don't think I am. I mean, it is kind of suspicious that the number of scenes in MLC where FIELDS and WEST were actually dealing directly with each other were few, and far between. For the most part they played their scenes apart, with other actors, which allowed either FIELDS, or WEST, to be the one, and, only, center of attention.
Personally, when choosing between these 2 comedians it's W.C. FIELDS whose comic-style that I prefer, overall. FIELDS' cantankerous, insulting demeanor, combined with his quick-wit and comical leanings towards dishonesty and craftiness can be so wonderfully hilarious at times. Especially, when these comic-talents are mixed generously with heaping-portions of good, old-fashioned slapstick.
But, on the other hand, MAE WEST's 'Come-Up-And-See-Me-Sometime' shtick really wears thin, fast. In the long run this calculated performance of hers comes across as far too trite to be amusing. All of WEST's supposedly seductive manerisms - from the eyes turned up to the ceiling; to the hair patting; to the big, fat-assed bum wiggle; and, of course, the affected voice - are all so predictably repetitive that instead of being provocative and enticing, as I believe WEST intended them to be, they were utterly repulsive and downright revolting.
I know as a heterosexual male that I'm expected to find MAE WEST and her sexually-raunchy mannerisms irresistably appealing, but, I don't. In many ways WEST frequently reminded me of a drag-queen/female impersonator. All that sort of sexually-ambiguous stuff doesn't go over well with me, at all.
You know, I've actually heard it rumored that MAE WEST was, indeed, really a man.....Who knows.
Anyhow, that about wraps up my review of MY LITTLE CHICKADEE. Even from a purely nostalgic point of view MLC isn't very good comedy entertainment. It isn't.
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