Every Day's a Holiday (1937): Mae West's New Year's Eve film
Dec 28, 2022 22:26:51 GMT
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Post by Swithin on Dec 28, 2022 22:26:51 GMT
With New Year’s Eve approaching, I’m reminded of Every Day’s a Holiday (1937), a near-forgotten Mae West film, which opens in NYC on New Year’s Eve 1899/1900. At the top of the film, corrupt police chief “Honest John Quade” (Lloyd Nolan) orders his men, including Captain McCarey (Edmund Lowe) to arrest Peaches O’Day (Mae West). (Although Peaches is a con woman, Quade is upset because she won’t sleep with him). Meanwhile, Peaches is selling the Brooklyn Bridge to Fritz Krausmyer (Herman Bing), to whom she says “Goodbye and good luck, I hope you enjoy your bridge. When this one wears out, I’ll sell you a new one.”
The movie progresses with various New Year’s Eve celebrations, and, although Peaches may break a law here and there (much to the chagrin of McCarey, who admires her), she becomes involved with a group that wants to reform politics in NYC. The group includes Charles Winninger and Charles Butterworth.
Since Peaches continues to rebuff Quade’s advances, he drives her out of town. But she comes back: with a black wig and an accent, as Mlle. Fifi, a French singer whose show is a smash. Mae sings “Fifi,” perhaps the biggest number in any of her films. She sings it first in French, then in English: “ Ladies and gentlemen, I will now sing my little French song in English. Pardon my English, she is not so good.” (Ten years later, Carmen Miranda would disguise herself as Fifi and sing the same song, in the Groucho Marx film Copacabana.) Later on, Quade makes a pass at her. Fifi rebuffs him. Quade responds that he’ll close her show, to which Fifi drops her accent and replies: “Oh yeah, this show’ll be running when you’re panhandling the Bowery.” Quade, confused, says, “Who are you,” to which Peaches responds, “You know me, take a good look. We’ve had dealings before.” McQuade: “So Mademoiselle Fifi is Peaches O’Day.”
The fight against Quade turns into an election campaign for Mayor of NYC, pitting Quade against McCarey, whose campaign is managed by Peaches. Louis Armstrong turns up, leading the band and performing “Jubilee.”
This is a highly enjoyable, underrated film, which also introduces Mae’s line: “… Keep a diary and someday it will keep you.” Here’s the trailer.
Charles Butterworth, Walter Catlett, Mae West, Charles Winninger
The movie progresses with various New Year’s Eve celebrations, and, although Peaches may break a law here and there (much to the chagrin of McCarey, who admires her), she becomes involved with a group that wants to reform politics in NYC. The group includes Charles Winninger and Charles Butterworth.
Since Peaches continues to rebuff Quade’s advances, he drives her out of town. But she comes back: with a black wig and an accent, as Mlle. Fifi, a French singer whose show is a smash. Mae sings “Fifi,” perhaps the biggest number in any of her films. She sings it first in French, then in English: “ Ladies and gentlemen, I will now sing my little French song in English. Pardon my English, she is not so good.” (Ten years later, Carmen Miranda would disguise herself as Fifi and sing the same song, in the Groucho Marx film Copacabana.) Later on, Quade makes a pass at her. Fifi rebuffs him. Quade responds that he’ll close her show, to which Fifi drops her accent and replies: “Oh yeah, this show’ll be running when you’re panhandling the Bowery.” Quade, confused, says, “Who are you,” to which Peaches responds, “You know me, take a good look. We’ve had dealings before.” McQuade: “So Mademoiselle Fifi is Peaches O’Day.”
The fight against Quade turns into an election campaign for Mayor of NYC, pitting Quade against McCarey, whose campaign is managed by Peaches. Louis Armstrong turns up, leading the band and performing “Jubilee.”
This is a highly enjoyable, underrated film, which also introduces Mae’s line: “… Keep a diary and someday it will keep you.” Here’s the trailer.
Charles Butterworth, Walter Catlett, Mae West, Charles Winninger
