“I’m No Angel” was Mae West’s second film in 1933 and had an original screenplay written by her. Because it wasn’t based on any of her notorious plays, it got a relatively easy ride from the sensors. The film is pure,unadulterated, Mae West from start to finish and is generally recognised as her best picture.

Mae teamed up with Cary Grant once again and the screen chemistry is there for all to see. This is particularly evident when they duet the song “I Want You, I Need You”. The scene appears so natural you’d think it was done off the cuff.

Mae had fanaticised about working with lions and realised it in this film in which she plays Tira, a circus performer, who makes the big time with a lion act in which she puts her head in the lion’s mouth.

Mae sings a couple of jazzy numbers, including a barn-stormer with her maids (played Hattie McDaniel, Libby Taylor and Gertrude Howard), “I Found a New Way To Go To Town”.  Interestingly, Libby Taylor had been Mae’s real-life maid!

The film premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and newsreel footage of the event still exists. Paramount saw to it that the premiere was a really big affair. The somewhat ostentatious programme for the evening is reproduced here.