Every Day's a Holiday

This movie is too disjointed to be good. In my view, the only thing going for it is Lloyd Nolan, the classic Hollywood MD. How many real doctors dreamed of imitating Lloyd Nolan's probity? So, it's a scream to see Nolan play a high-strung, wheeler-dealer, police chief.

True, Louis Armstrong does a cameo. He plays a trumpet, wears a marching costume and says nothing.

Mae West "wrote" the script and so there are basically no other women in the movie. Her double-entendres were too tired by the time this movie was made. But Mae West certainly knows how to wear a hat, and fill out her extravagant costumes.

This lesser-known Paramount frolic, directed by Edward Sutherland, is one of Mae West's funniest and breeziest vehicles in her late period. It turned out to be her last Paramount picture, from her own solidly crafted screenplay. I had the opportunity of watching it recently along with another West movie called "Klondike Annie"(1936), directed by Raoul Walsh. Though Walsh is a vastly superior director than Sutherland, I much prefer this one to "Klondike Annie."

Set in the 1890s New York, Mae delightfully plays Peaches O'Day, a notorious confidence woman who sells the Brooklyn Bridge and flees the city while the police are looking for her capture. She later returns disguising as a hilariously droll French singer, Madamoiselle Fifi. Then she promotes the city's election candidate Capt.McCarey (Edmund Lowe), who also plays the good cop tracking down the corrupt police chief (Lloyd Nolan). Mae is aided by uniformly fine supporting players: Charles Winninger, Herman Bing, Charles Butterworth, Chester Conklin, and Louis Armstrong as the musical street cleaner.

Mae's suggestive one-liners are sparkling and fresh, especially the moment when she impersonates the French dame. Sutherland's unpretentious direction flows breezily through several hugely entertaining moments.

Pleasant and thoroughly enjoyable, "Every Day's Holiday" is must viewing for Mae West fans or anyone looking for harmless, pleasurable escape.

Chief of police Quade (Lloyd Nolan) has had enough of con-woman Peaches O'Day (Mae West). She had sold the Brooklyn Bridge again and she keeps doing it. Quade orders Police Captain Jim McCarey (Edmund Lowe) to arrest her, but he is taken with her charms. She promises to leave town, but instead she charms the wealthy recluse Van Doon (Charles Winninger) and his butler Larmadou Graves (Charles Butterworth).

Mae West wrote the script. It's not my favorite. It is a little unnecessarily complicated. Van Doon and Graves should be her underlings right from the start. Their connection confuses me. Maybe I am missing something about these characters or maybe they are awkwardly presented. Nevertheless, McCarey simply needs more time with Peaches O'Day. This should be a rom-com. I'm not laughing at the comedy as much as I see the comedy and appreciate it.

Written by the awesome miss west herself. It's new year's eve, 1899. Peaches has been kicked out of the city, but she's been spotted back around town. The usual antics and adventures... she tricks funny man charles butterworth into breaking and entering, a little larceny. And returns in grand fanfare as madamoiselle fifi. Hijinx ensue. It's mae west! Fun and silliness. The plot doesn't really matter...we're all going to have fun. Someone must have the rights to this locked up tight.. they never show it on turner classics. Too bad. Directed by ed sutherland. He really was married to marjorie daw, just like the children's poem. One interesting note... in the film, they have the parties at rector's dinner club; and george rector actually did run numerous restaurants, including one on broadway! High rating, just for being mae west!

Well it's safe to say that "McCarey" (Edmund Lowe) isn't much of a cop as he has to apprehend con artist "Peaches" (Mae West) but befriends her instead and let's her go. His deductive skills aren't great either as she returns bedecked in French frills and speaking like ziss, now purporting to be the celebrated Parisian star "Mmme. Fifi" and he's none the wiser. Naturally, she becomes a roaring success and quickly attracts the attention of local bigwig "Quade" (Lloyd Nolan). He's a budding candidate for mayor, is as dodgy as the day is long and takes a shine to her. When she declines his kind advances, he determines to drive her out of town. Luckily, "McCarey" is having none of this malarkey so steps in to challenge him for elected office, and soon has the shrewd and savvy "Fifi" pulling strings to help him, and her, to be shot of their scheming nemesis. This plot is really nothing new and this is all really a vehicle for (screenplay writer) West to glamourise the role with some grand frocks and a few stage routines that she carries off effortlessly. Nolan seems to enjoying himself but Lowe adds little even as the writing gives us a few pithy one-liners and a little fun as this all builds to a fairly predictable conclusion. The film does look good, the story doesn't hang about and if you're a fan of a woman who knew exactly which buttons to press with an audience, then it's perfectly watchable.