Go West, Young Man (4 Stars)

"Go West, Young Man" is a simple little comedy, but I enjoyed it more than the other Mae West films that I've seen so far. Mae plays Mavis Arden, a famous movie star whose Rolls-Royce breaks down during a publicity tour, leaving her stranded in the country and staying at a local boarding house. There she takes a fancy to Bud Norton, a handsome young mechanic and inventor played by Randolph Scott, whose ambition is to develop a device for synchronising sound and film. Mavis sets about trying to seduce him, while her press agent Morgan does his best to prevent her from causing another scandal. It's a fairly slight story, but the film moves along nicely and has enough comic situations and Mae West one-liners to keep it entertaining.

Gladys, one of the maids at the boarding house, is a huge fan of Mavis Arden and is thrilled to have her idol staying there. Gladys is played by Isabel Jewell, who I found gorgeous. Even in a relatively minor role she outshines Mae West whenever she's on screen. Mae, of course, has the bigger personality and the film is built around her, but Isabel has a natural screen presence that I found much more appealing. She made more than 60 films in her 40-year career, but always in supporting roles. It's a shame she never became a big star.