Night After Night

I'm sorry, but I do not understand most of the reviews here taking so much time on Mae West (not my aunt). This was the first movie in which I was aware of Constance Cummings, and for me, she makes it. Mae West is an amusing diversion, a counterpoint to the core story, but it is not her movie. Constance Cummings is both gorgeous and icily, mysteriously seductive. In every one of her scenes. she fascinates and dominates.

Yes, it's fun to hear the first iteration of Mae's "goodness had nothing to do with it", and yes, the ending is simplistic and abrupt, but it was the Cummings character that kept me watching.

Night After Night finds George Raft as a former boxer now owner of a swank speakeasy who is looking to move up in class. A part Raft could really identify with considering his own humble circumstances.

In addition Raft is juggling three women, society girl Constance Cummings, former flapper Wynne Gibson, and the one and only Mae West.

Without Mae in this film, Night After Night would be just a routine film with nothing terribly special. But because Mae made her screen debut, the film has come down as a legend.

West is only on the screen for about 15 minutes of the film, but it's 15 unforgettable minutes. Raft is trying to acquire some culture and polish and hires Alison Skipworth to educate him in the finer arts. He brings her along to dinner with Constance Cummings to impress Cummings and Mae crashes the party.

When Paramount hired West they apparently did not know what to do with her. The part she has here as originally written is a supporting role. Remember she was a star on Broadway and wrote a lot of her own material. Mae persuaded the powers of Paramount to let her write her own lines and she wound up stealing the film.

As this was pre-Code the budding relationship of Mae to Skipworth shows more than a hint of lesbianism. As it was Mae West was quite the gay community icon, still is.

Without her, Night After Night is a routine, even substandard melodrama, with Mae it's a classic.

I was expecting a lousy film whose only value was as the debut film of Mae West - I mean Leonard calls it a "crashing bore"! But what I got was a delightful film, excellently acted by all, with a profound theme and great dialogue. It is a film about dissatisfaction - all the characters are unhappy with their lot and desperately grasping for change. George Raft, the slick gangster, wants an education and true love. Constance Cummings also wants true love, although she thinks she wants security. And Alison Skipworth wants the wild life instead of school teacher drudgery. Only Mae West seems happy with her place as a man-devouring cosmetician.

This film is not a comedy - although it has many hilarious scenes (wait until you see West and Skipworth in bed together!). It is a frank and insightful drama, very risque and dangerously sexual. George Raft is unusually sensitive, Constance Cummings outstanding and Alison Skipworth dazzling. The supporting cast is also fine - led by the incomparable Mae West. A rare treat from the early 1930's.

It is not fantastic but amazingly wonderful of some of the great stars of the 30s I hardly know. But it is an early part for George Raft in his first big film, he seems a bit strange but I suppose it was the time but he made 8 films that year including Scarface. Constance Cummings only 22 at the time and also made 8 films that year this one of her first films and she is lovely. We have to wait for about half an hour before Mae West arrives, her very first film and every thing gets going when she is there. It was clear that she was going places as she sparkled so much more even though there are so many others running around. Amusing and fun to see all the others but really it is Mae West.

Although this film is will always be remembered for introducing Mae West to cinema audiences it is actually a starring vehicle for George Raft. He had made quite an impact in 'Scarface' and here he is top billed for the first time. The studio really wanted him to be a 'Valentino' type and he certainly looks the part in this film. He's the snappiest dresser you ever did see and there's a lot of heavy makeup on his face to accentuate his smouldering good looks. He even gets to take a bath and it's quite obvious he's naked for the scene - it's all geared up to make the ladies in the audience come over all unnecessary! Unfortunately for George he suggested Mae West for a small role in the film and when she appears she hits it like a whirlwind. It's a pretty slow movie and when Mae arrives she knocks it for six with her quick-fire delivery and outrageous behaviour. She may be fat and nearly forty but she is a wow and for those people who suggest she may have been a man in drag just take a look at her in her negligee and you'll see it's quite clear she's all woman!There's not much in the way of a plot, the art direction is nothing to write home about and there's nothing innovative in the way of camera work but it's worth watching to see these two sexy, classic stars make their mark in Hollywood history. If you want to see how they ended up then you should watch 'Sextette' made forty six years later but I don't think I'd recommend it! Enjoy them in their prime!