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Mae West, Cary Grant, Owen Moore, Gilbert Roland, Rafaela Ottiano ... see more see more... , David Landau , Noah Beery Sr. , Fuzzy Knight , Tammany Young , Dewey Robinson , Grace La Rue , Ernie S. Adams , Louise Beavers , Wade Boteler , Jack Carr , Charles "Heinie" Conklin , Mike Donlin , James C. Eagles , Mary Gordon , Aggie Herring , Al Hill , Robert E. Homans , Arthur Houseman , Rochelle Hudson , Lee Kohlmar , Michael Mark , Tom McGuire , Frank Moran , Harry Wallace , Tom Kennedy

"I'm the finest woman who walked the streets," declares bejeweled, hip-swishing Lady Lou (Mae West) at the beginning of She Done Him Wrong. Lou works as a singer at the Gay Nineties saloon of Gus Jord... read more read more...an (Noah Beery Sr.), who plies her with diamonds to keep her by his side. She runs afoul of stalwart mission captain Cummings (Cary Grant), who warns her that she's on the road to perdition. Mae West's first starring film, She Done Him Wrong literally saved Paramount Pictures from bankruptcy. It would remain the best of her feature films, most of which were severely watered down by the Production Code (whose renewed stringency of 1933 was brought about in great part by West herself). She Done Him Wrong was based on West's own stage play, Diamond Lil, which ran on Broadway for 97 weeks. West sings "Frankie and Johnny," "I Like a Man Who Takes His Time," and ""I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone."" ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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57% liked it

1,968 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

19 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 5 min.

Directed by: Lowell Sherman

Release Date: February 9, 1933

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DVD Release Date: April 22, 2008

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Stats: 126 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (126)

  • bottcorecords1
    February 17, 2012
    bottcorecords1
    Mae West stars as Lady Lou, a singer and very popular lady living above a saloon in the 1890s. She's quite the worldly lady when it comes to some things, but when it comes to others, she's a little bit too naive for her own good. She's got men throwing themselves at her at ever... read morey turn, including one big timer who gives her box loads of diamonds and one small timer who's serving time and literally can't wait to have Lou in his arms again. She plays them all, telling them what they want to hear and reaping the benefits. But there's one man she can't seem to get a handle on, the local captain at the missionary (Cary Grant). He's more interested in saving Lou's soul than in having her body, much to her chagrin. When a shamed woman tries to commit suicide in the saloon, Lou takes her under her wing and sends her to the mission. It turns out the boss of the saloon didn't get the girl a job like he promised but instead ran her into some sort of "white slavery" ring (where else would he get all the money to pay for Lou's diamonds?). It's strange that most of the bad in men (in She Done Him Wrong) can all be traced back to the temptations of a single woman. Cary Grant's closing line to her is "You're a baad girl" to which she replies "You'll find out" (purportedly, Mae West gave Grant his big break, choosing him to star opposite her in this film- West obviously knew a thing about male actors). She Done Him Wrong is a very good film, well shot with a nostalgia for the gay 90s and Mae West just eats up the scenery. Sure, everyone knows her schtick: the cat-like drawl, practically moaning her double entendres and innuendos, the way she swings just about every part of her body when she walks, but does everyone catch just the subtlest raised eyebrow as she belts out "Frankie and Johnnie"? I don't even know if West noticed it herself. Her performance of that character might've been like second nature to her by that point (in this, her second film, Mae was already 39 years old and a veteran of the stage). Whether or not the cast rises to the challenge of performing with her is moot, this is Mae West's film and hers alone, and she's a magnificient talent.
  • ajv2688
    September 6, 2010
    ajv2688
    Personally I don't like West, and I didn't think she and Grant had any chemistry together at all. This movie just doesn't work.
  • MeetMeinMontauk
    May 23, 2010
    MeetMeinMontauk
    Not as good as "I'm No Angel" and I think I missed some of the story somehow cause I really didn't understand the suicidal girl from the beginning and what her part was. And I really wished Cary Grant had a bigger part, but then again, don't I always?
  • mwilliams078
    April 5, 2008
    mwilliams078
    Mae West and Cary Grant shine in; "She Done Him Wrong." This film is a very good comedy where Mae West is at her best....the classic trademark platinum hair and funny one liners.
  • SunilJawahir
    February 1, 2010
    SunilJawahir
    I gotta say, at barely over an hour, this movie still kinda drags on. I love Cary Grant but his character is pretty blah. I kinda like Mae West but she's a bit much in this. The story was a bit messy and the musical numbers are just filler.
  • bottcorecords
    February 17, 2012
    bottcorecords
    Mae West stars as Lady Lou, a singer and very popular lady living above a saloon in the 1890s. She's quite the worldly lady when it comes to some things, but when it comes to others, she's a little bit too naive for her own good. She's got men throwing themselves at her at ever... read morey turn, including one big timer who gives her box loads of diamonds and one small timer who's serving time and literally can't wait to have Lou in his arms again. She plays them all, telling them what they want to hear and reaping the benefits. But there's one man she can't seem to get a handle on, the local captain at the missionary (Cary Grant). He's more interested in saving Lou's soul than in having her body, much to her chagrin. When a shamed woman tries to commit suicide in the saloon, Lou takes her under her wing and sends her to the mission. It turns out the boss of the saloon didn't get the girl a job like he promised but instead ran her into some sort of "white slavery" ring (where else would he get all the money to pay for Lou's diamonds?). It's strange that most of the bad in men (in She Done Him Wrong) can all be traced back to the temptations of a single woman. Cary Grant's closing line to her is "You're a baad girl" to which she replies "You'll find out" (purportedly, Mae West gave Grant his big break, choosing him to star opposite her in this film- West obviously knew a thing about male actors). She Done Him Wrong is a very good film, well shot with a nostalgia for the gay 90s and Mae West just eats up the scenery. Sure, everyone knows her schtick: the cat-like drawl, practically moaning her double entendres and innuendos, the way she swings just about every part of her body when she walks, but does everyone catch just the subtlest raised eyebrow as she belts out "Frankie and Johnnie"? I don't even know if West noticed it herself. Her performance of that character might've been like second nature to her by that point (in this, her second film, Mae was already 39 years old and a veteran of the stage). Whether or not the cast rises to the challenge of performing with her is moot, this is Mae West's film and hers alone, and she's a magnificient talent.
  • rickrudge
    November 18, 2011
    rickrudge
    She Done Him Wrong (1933)

    I never was a big fan of Mae West, mostly because she was this ancient-old, fat, woman trying to make a come-back in the 70s. Now that I'm an old fart myself, I've learned to appreciate this old Vaudeville routine "Diamond Lil" that was re-written a fe... read morew times to sneak past the early movie codes.

    Mae West was always the queen of double entendre, so she was able to sneak some nasty zingers in her act, and frankly, she's at the top of her form in this movie. The fact that men fell all over themselves to get with her was all part of her diva act. Naturally, you need to bring in some very handsome young men like a very young Cary Grant and Gilbert Roland for her to bounce lines off of.

    The plot of this movie is pretty simple and basic. She's Diamond Lou, the arm candy of a local tavern owner and political boss, Gus Jordan (Noah Beery) competing over turf with Dan Flynn (David Landau). Captain Cummings (Grant) has a little store-front Salvation Army next door and is more interested in Lou's soul than her body. And, then of course, there's her other boy friend, Chick Clark (Owen Moore) who's in jail; the one she's doing wrong, who wants to break out and get even with everyone.

    Oh, and I almost forgot to mention her singing numbers, "That Easy Rider" and "Frankie and Johnny" aren't too bad either. This movie and her other, "I'm No Angel" really saved Paramount from going bankrupt.
  • HuskersNC949597
    July 18, 2010
    HuskersNC949597
    OK. Mae West wants everybody to "come up and see her", and by the 80th time she said that I wanted to come up and slap her.
  • buddywbond
    August 24, 2009
    buddywbond
    huh, wha? Mae West is in top form (well, for Mae West), and Cary Grant is always good but the story , especially the ending, makes little sense.
  • placeinthesun455
    April 7, 2009
    placeinthesun455
    an unsurprisingly lacking film for just over an hour. while certainly an enjoyable early comedy, Mae West being saucy just doesn't suffice to make a well-rounded film. the plot had some potential, but it was choppy and undeveloped, and the music was downright awful--classy dame... read more though she might be, Mae can't sing worth a cent. still an entertaining performance, from a young Cary Grant as well.

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
January 11, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Director Lowell Sherman turns in a commendable job. Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 11, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

A superior vehicle for Mae West. Full Review

Andre Sennwald
August 8, 2006
Andre Sennwald, New York Times

Miss West gives a highly amusing performance. Full Review

David Parkinson
February 10, 2012
David Parkinson, Empire Magazine

Mae West is at her inimitable best, in this risque tale that shot her to stardom. Full Review

Felix Gonzalez Jr.
May 9, 2008
Felix Gonzalez Jr., DVD Review

Some of it is creaky, most of the storyline is either confusing or dull, but West is a gas, and her repartee with Grant is still tantalizing. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Marvellous stuff. Full Review

Christopher Null
May 23, 2006
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

It's pretty much a bust. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 29, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

This delightful sex farce, co-starring the young and very handsome Cary Grant, is the only Mae West film to be Oscar-nominated, and it could not have been made a year later due to the restrictions of ... Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
April 25, 2005
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

West in a repeat performance of her stage role is magnificent. Full Review

July 30, 2003
TV Guide's Movie Guide

West's Lou must rank as one of the first truly liberated women ever seen onscreen... Full Review

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    • Lady Lou: Why don't you come up sometime and see me?
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She Done Him Wrong Trivia

  • In which film does Cary Grant wear the uniform of the Salvation Army for his character?  Answer »
  • The play Diamond Lil, written by Mae West, was made into a 1933 movie starring West and Cary Grant. It featured Mae West's rendition of the song "I like a man who takes his time." What was the movie?   Answer »
  • Common Misquotes- In the 1933 film "She Done Him Wrong", what did Mae West actually say?   Answer »
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