My Little Chickadee (1940)

Universal Pictures

Director: Edward F. Cline

Starring: Mae West, W.C. Fields

For this feature the headline would be about the triumph collaboration of two of the most popular names in cinematic comedy joining forces on a singular motion picture; something one would never see again. However My Little Chickadee was far from a happy experience for its two stars as it would produce the only time Mae West and W.C. Fields would be seen on screen together. It is a comedy that drew in audiences with it headlining stars, blending together two different styles of humor that would please fans of either star, providing Universal Pictures with one of the studio’s most successful films of the year.

My Little Chickadee is a comedic western about a woman who is shunned for falling in love with a mask bandit, and her attempt to bring herself respectability by marrying another gentleman; however he happens to be a con-man.  While riding on a stagecoach out west Flower Belle (Mae West) is kidnapped during a holdup by The Masked Bandit (Joseph Calleria), but it becomes apparent that she had fallen in love with the disguised outlaw, bringing her shame by way of the moralists in a small town. To bring respectability to her name, and also hoping for money , she marries Cuthbert Twillie (W.C. Field), who turns out to be a con-man in a shame wedding. After receiving primarily the cold shoulder from his new wife Twillie attempts to shine light on Flower Belle’s affair with The Masked Bandit, himself disguising as the veiled lover, but he is discovered by the town’s people and sentenced to hanging as the Masked Banit. Flower Belle, after discovering the true identity of her secret admirer in the charming saloon owner and noble townsman, rescues Twillie and reveals that their marriage was not legal. As the two say their goodbyes and go their separate ways Fields and West pay tribute to each other by quoting a famous phrase of the other to close the picture.

The film would have attracted both audiences of Mae West pictures and W.C. Fields films as both style were prevalent through the feature. The movie has the feeling of a Mae West feature with its content primarily, because the story was written by West, the major driving force behind the scenes with the film. However Fields provides his usual mumbling dialogue and object of degrading situations that made him a memorable comedian of his day. Fields also received the benefit of director Edward F. Cline, whom Fields had work with many times in the past, and would have the tremendous task of joggling these two personalities. It was a bit of an event to see these two superstars of comedic cinema on screen together, but it would turn out to be a one time occasion.

The title of the picture comes the final moments of the picture which is the most memorable scene in the picture. Fields closes with a sweet moment with inviting West to “come up and see me sometime,” while West responds with “I will, my little chickadee.” These two lines, which are the final words of the picture, were well known phrases of the opposite performers. These were very nice tributes to one another’s careers and humor, but times on the set were in fact very hostile for the film’s two big names.

One time only, Fields and West collaborate on a single picture.

Most of the credit of this picture would have to go to Mae West in this feature as she was the primary writer, bringing most to the table in overall scope of the feature. However with the equally large ego of W.C. Fields, who was used to being top billing in his film, he refused to be outshined by his female counterpart. Fields would rewrite nearly all of his lines to augment his presence on screen, which included his insistence of his ad-libbing while on set. This infuriated West who insisted on keeping to the script, which set her character up for perfectly placed punchlines. Both stars were given top billing and equal writing credit although it was not all equal, because the two stars both refused to back down.

Since the advent of the Production Code in the mid-1930s West’s humor of sexual double entendres would be heavily censored, nearly destroying everything she had going for herself in her previous successful pictures including She Done Him Wrong and I’m No Angel.  Since censorship limited her, her box office numbers declined and she would be dropped by Paramount Picture leading hert here with Universal. My Little Chickadee was her first feature with Universal, who produced Fields’ previous picture, and the two were paired in the same film to boost both stars’ appeal. This experiment worked by bringing in moderate returns for Universal, but would not be attempted again.

In the film we see Margate Hamilton fresh off her most recognizable role as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Here she serves as the center of the moral barometer that shuns Flower Belle in the old West. Hamilton remains a delightful supporting actress in Hollywood, even though it would become difficult to not imagine her as the famous Oz villain.

The picture also features the wonderful Donald Meek in a small role as a gambler who marries West and Fields simply because he looked like a preacher with the suit he wore, create the scenario that their marriage was never for real.

Joseph Calleia plays the love interest of Mae West as the Masked Bandit. Calleia’s slight accent and swashbuckling debonair that has hints of Errol Flynn or Douglas Fairbanks (perhaps thanks to his mustache) making him a fine choice for role of the disguised outlaw that steals Flower Belle’s heart. The character becomes more buried by the comedic relationship of West and Fields who are lost in bickering and one-liners.

My Little Chickadee attracted audiences to bring in profits for Universal, but was received with mixed reviews. West’s career was on the decline from the moment censors broke out their red pens and eliminated line after line of her material. Fields, although a lovable drunk, continued to provide the same style of material. He pushes himself a little more than usual professionally to make his performance stand up to West’s large screen personality.

Despite huge spats on set, the picture still finds its way to completion and brings plenty of laughs to audiences. The numbers proved to bring up the numbers of the two stars from their previous productions, but the stars would practically vow not to work with each other again. The film remains a tribute to the two stars, forever capped with the memorable last scene that makes the production appear amicable. Even though behind the scenes this was not the fact, the feature remains a movie that brings plenty of laughs to fans of either of the stars.