CinemaSerf
6.0/10Jul 02, 2025
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.
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