My Little Chickadee

USA 1940

Dir: Edward F. Cline

83 mins

Cast: Mae West, W.C. Fields, Joseph Calleia

Rating: G

The Western spoof My Little Chickadee benefits from the superstar teaming of West and W.C. Fields, both also earning credit for the screenplay. She’s (what else?) a woman of loose morals who ends up romancing a masked bandit sought by the law; he’s (what else?) a shyster who gets no respect yet still manages to wiggle out of several sticky situations. The plot is sloppy and at least one major storyline is never resolved, but the stars nevertheless shine — Fields is particularly funny and commands most of the best scenes. ...

Matt Brunson, Film Frenzy

Edward F. Cline (The Bank Dick/Hook Line and Sinker/Private Buckaroo) directsMae West and W.C. Fields in a clash of comedy shticks that should have been great because of who was in it but was too uneven to reach such acclaim despite their usual gags performed throughout. West superbly delivers her scripted well-timed sexual burlesque humor of double-entendres, swagger and wisecracks (weakened by the Production Code’s censorship); while Fields delightfully runs through some of his arsenal of scam artist and misogynist routines that include witty ad libs, his ridiculous fumbling of things and well-delivered elocution lessons.

Dennis Schwartz, Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Mae West was a victim of a fearful film industry that decided to capitulate to a small, but vocal, group on the religious right, even though her films were huge successes. And even with the evil censors Scissorhandsing her 1940 hit My Little Chickadee to smithereens, and the mixed reviews it received, the film remains incredibly entertaining, and one of West's most feminist and subversive films. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself! ...

Directed with moderate flair by Edward F. Cline, the film was brutally censored, with dialogue excised or changed, but it still became Universal's highest grossing film. It's such a shame we will never be able to see the uncut version.

Frank J. Avella, Edge Media Network