Belle of the Nineties
| Belle of the Nineties | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by |
Leo McCarey James Dugan (assistant) |
| Produced by | William LeBaron |
| Written by | Mae West |
| Music by | Arthur Johnston |
| Cinematography | Karl Struss |
| Edited by | LeRoy Stone |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 75 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $800,000 (estimated)[1] |
Belle of the Nineties (1934) is Mae West's fourth motion picture, directed by Leo McCarey and released by Paramount Pictures. The film was based on West's original story It Ain't No Sin which was also to be the film's title until censors objected. Johnny Mack Brown, Duke Ellington, and Katherine DeMille are also in the cast. Shooting commenced on March 19, 1934 and concluded in June. The film was released on September 21, 1934. It had a domestic (U.S.A.) gross of $2,000,000. As usual with West's films, some scenes were removed to be shown in different States. To be shown in New York, one of the biggest markets, they had to completely re-shoot the final scene.[2] Mae West's character and the Tiger Kid were originally to complete their nuptials without a marriage ceremony, the ceremony had to be included.
A publicity stunt went awry when 50 parrots were trained to shout the original title of "it ain't no sin". The parrots were subsequently released in the jungles of South America still repeating "it ain't no sin" over and over again.[3] Sheet music of the song "My American Beauty" was also printed with the film's original title and corrected with a rubber stamp.
Cast
- Mae West as Ruby Carter
- Roger Pryor as Tiger Kid
- Johnny Mack Brown as Brooks Claybourne (as John Mack Brown)
- Katherine DeMille as Molly Brant
- John Miljan as Ace Lamont (owner, Sensation House)
- Duke Ellington as Piano player (Sensation House)
References
- ↑ "Box office / business for Belle of the Nineties". IMDb. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ↑ Tuska, Jon (1975). The Films of Mae West. Secaucus: Citadel Press. p. 92. ISBN 0-8065-0502-8.
- ↑ A Woman at War: Marlene Dietrich Remembered, p. 28, at Google Books
External links
- Belle of the Nineties at the Internet Movie Database
- Belle of the Nineties at AllMovie
- Belle of the Nineties at the TCM Movie Database