On This Day...She Done Him Wrong (1933)

 Cary Grant's 8th film was She Done Him Wrong, his first film with Mae West.

Summary:

New York singer and nightclub owner Lady Lou (Mae West) has more men friends than you can imagine, unfortunately one of them is a vicious criminal who's escaped and is on the way to see "his" girl, not realizing she hasn't exactly been faithful in his absence. Help is at hand in the form of young Captain Cummings (Cary Grant), a local temperance league leader, though.

"Playing it, the exhibitor must necessarily indicate what it is (the nature of the film for audiences), and he has the selling angles of Miss West in a well-known role, and the personal attractiveness of Cary Grant."

- C. Aaronson, Motion Picture Herald.

"Numerous ex-vaudevillians besides Miss West in the cast, including Cary Grant, Fuzzy Knight, and Grace LaRue." 

- Joe Bigelow, Variety.

Cast:

 Mae West ... Lady Lou
 Cary Grant ... Captain Cummings
 Owen Moore ... Chick Clark
 Gilbert Roland ... Serge Stanieff
 Noah Beery ... Gus Jordan 
 David Landau ... Dan Flynn
 Rafaela Ottiano ... Russian Rita
 Dewey Robinson ... Spider Kane
 Rochelle Hudson ... Sally
 Tammany Young ... Chuck Connors
 Fuzzy Knight ... Rag Time Kelly
 Grace La Rue ... Frances
 Robert Homans ... Doheney 
 Louise Beavers ... Pearl

Did You Know?

Mae West was signed by Paramount in 1931 to make a film adaptation of her stage success 'Diamond Lil'. They then spent the next two years trying to figure out a way of getting the material past the censors. The battle over 'Diamond Lil' led to the head of the Production Board, James Wingate, quitting and being replaced by the much more hardline Joseph Breen who was prompted to set up a fairly stringent and moral Production Code. In the meantime, 'Diamond Lil' transformed into the slightly watered down "She Done Him Wrong" and was one of the last films to be made before the introduction of the Production Code.

At 66 minutes, this is the shortest movie to ever receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Although they knew this film would fall foul of the censors of the day, Paramount rushed this into production. They were experiencing financial difficulties and needed a surefire hit. Something as controversial as this was their nearest guarantee. Needless to say, it was a runaway hit because of its notoriety.

Mae West was sewn into most of her costumes.

Quotes:

Lady Lou: Why don't you come up some time and see me?


Captain Cummings: Haven't you ever met a man that could make you happy?
Lady Lou: Sure, lots of times.


Captain Cummings: I'm sorry you think more of your diamonds than you do of your soul.
Lady Lou: I'm sorry you think more of my soul than you do of my diamonds.


[Captain Cummings approaches Lou with a pair of handcuffs]
Lady Lou: Those absolutely necessary? You know I wasn't born with them.
Captain Cummings: No. A lot of men would've been safer if you had.
Lady Lou: Oh, I don't know - hands ain't everything.

Press kit.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Lowell Sherman.

Produced and Distributed by Paramount Publix.

Running time: 66 minutes.