Mae West's fourth film "Belle of the Nineties" bears considerable resemblance to her second movie "She Done Him Wrong." Each film takes place during the 1890s or what has been dubbed the 'gay' nineties. West plays a highly paid singer in an upscale burlesque club who craves diamonds and would never steal another woman's man unless the woman had done her wrong. Like the burlesque house owner in "She Done Him Wrong," his counterpart in "Belle of the Nineties" is as low as they come. Indeed, according to the heroine in "Belle," the villain's mother "should have thrown him away and kept the stork." Unlike "She Done Him Wrong," "Belle" provides West with a stronger heroine who can take care of herself. She doesn't need to summon the help of a man to right wrongs committed against her. In other words, West is in control more often than she is out of control. Like her best films, West penned the screenplay and she had first-rate director Leo McCarey at the helm. The story takes some surprising turns toward the end and mistakes as well as outright skullduggery fuels the plot.
Ruby Carter (Mae West) is a much sought after singer in St. Louis, Missouri. She has been carrying on a relationship with a lovesick pugilist, the Tiger Kid (Roger Pryor of "Broken Hearts"), but the Kid's manager, Kirby (James Donlan of "College Humor"), frowns on it because the Kid's amorous outings with Ruby are interfering with his training routine. Tiger cannot get Belle out of his blood. The sly Kirby arranges for Ruby, unbeknownst to her, to leave St. Louis and go to New Orleans where she can make a bundle in Ace La Mont's Sensation House. Kirby's plan succeeds and Ruby signs a contract with Ace (mustached John Miljan of "Madame Spy") who falls in love with her. Of course, Ace's current mistress isn't happy about Belle's arrival. Ace is jealous that Ruby wants nothing to do with him but everything to do with Brooks Claybourne (future western star John Mac Brown) who loves to buy Belle expensive jewelry.
Ace is setting up a championship fight, but the other boxer backs out of him. Ace needs somebody to fill the slot and he runs into the Tiger Kid sparring in New Orleans. Before Ace can sit down, the Tiger Kid has knocked out the new sparring partner that Ace pitted him against. The Kid and Ace work out a deal, but Tiger has to help Ace out in an unethical fashion. Ace explains that his current lady friend is blackmailing him and he needs her diamond necklaces. He arranges to be in his carriage late one evening by the lake and the Tiger Kid with a bandana over his face robs them. Ruby thinks that it is suspicious that the robber didn't take Ace's ring. Later, Ruby discovers that the Tiger Kid was in on the theft with Ace. Ruby has a way of spying on Ace without his knowledge and she sees the Tiger Kid deliver the jewelry that Brooks gave her and Ace stores it in his safe.
Ruby plans payback. She convinces Brook who has been losing heavily in Ace's gambling tables, to bet on the champ instead of the Tiger Kid. Meanwhile, Ace has everything that he owns riding on the Kid. In the 29 round, Ruby slips something into the Kid's ringside bottle of water and prompts Ace to give it to him after the bell rings the end to another round. When the Kid goes out swinging, the champ flattens him and an incredulous Ace cannot believe that he has lost everything with the defeat of the Tiger Kid. At the Sensation House, Ace agrees to pay off all his wagers, but upstairs he decides to burn his place. He decks his old girl friend Molly (Katherine DeMille of "Madam Satan") and leaves her to die in a locked closet. Earlier, Belle watched Ace store her jewelry in his safe; she used her maid's opera glasses to get the combination.
The Tiger Kid visits Ruby and explains that he had no clue that she was in the carriage the night that he assailed Ace and his date. The Kid expresses his undying love for Belle and she suggests that Ace had everything to do with the Mickey in his ringside water bottle. The Kid belts Ace, but Ace doesn't get up. When Belle checks up on Ace, she discards her cigarette and the room catches on fire where Ace had spilled kerosene. Molly awakens screaming in the closet and the Kid gets her out. The Kid admits to striking Ace, but the court exonerates him and Belle and Ace get married. Amazingly enough, Brooks cleans up on the championship boxing match, but Belle goes off with Tiger.
Mae West doesn't give herself nearly enough clever lines in "Belle of the Nineties." "Take the single men," she advises her African-American maid, "and leave the husband's alone." "Belle" is as much a character study of its shrewd protagonist as it is a story about revenge. What makes it unusual is that Belle goes off with Tiger instead of Brooks. There is an interesting montage sequence at an African-American church revival while Belle warbles a song to them from her balcony. Incidentally, Mae West wears some of her best costumes in "Belle of the Nineties." Belle's opening number where she appears against a theatrical stage backdrop as a spider, a bat, and a butterfly is something to see. McCarey gained a reputation for his comedies, but "Belle of the Nineties" qualifies more as a melodrama with our heroine exacting revenge on Ace but giving Tiger a chance to make good.
Ruby Carter (Mae West) is a much sought after singer in St. Louis, Missouri. She has been carrying on a relationship with a lovesick pugilist, the Tiger Kid (Roger Pryor of "Broken Hearts"), but the Kid's manager, Kirby (James Donlan of "College Humor"), frowns on it because the Kid's amorous outings with Ruby are interfering with his training routine. Tiger cannot get Belle out of his blood. The sly Kirby arranges for Ruby, unbeknownst to her, to leave St. Louis and go to New Orleans where she can make a bundle in Ace La Mont's Sensation House. Kirby's plan succeeds and Ruby signs a contract with Ace (mustached John Miljan of "Madame Spy") who falls in love with her. Of course, Ace's current mistress isn't happy about Belle's arrival. Ace is jealous that Ruby wants nothing to do with him but everything to do with Brooks Claybourne (future western star John Mac Brown) who loves to buy Belle expensive jewelry.
Ace is setting up a championship fight, but the other boxer backs out of him. Ace needs somebody to fill the slot and he runs into the Tiger Kid sparring in New Orleans. Before Ace can sit down, the Tiger Kid has knocked out the new sparring partner that Ace pitted him against. The Kid and Ace work out a deal, but Tiger has to help Ace out in an unethical fashion. Ace explains that his current lady friend is blackmailing him and he needs her diamond necklaces. He arranges to be in his carriage late one evening by the lake and the Tiger Kid with a bandana over his face robs them. Ruby thinks that it is suspicious that the robber didn't take Ace's ring. Later, Ruby discovers that the Tiger Kid was in on the theft with Ace. Ruby has a way of spying on Ace without his knowledge and she sees the Tiger Kid deliver the jewelry that Brooks gave her and Ace stores it in his safe.
Ruby plans payback. She convinces Brook who has been losing heavily in Ace's gambling tables, to bet on the champ instead of the Tiger Kid. Meanwhile, Ace has everything that he owns riding on the Kid. In the 29 round, Ruby slips something into the Kid's ringside bottle of water and prompts Ace to give it to him after the bell rings the end to another round. When the Kid goes out swinging, the champ flattens him and an incredulous Ace cannot believe that he has lost everything with the defeat of the Tiger Kid. At the Sensation House, Ace agrees to pay off all his wagers, but upstairs he decides to burn his place. He decks his old girl friend Molly (Katherine DeMille of "Madam Satan") and leaves her to die in a locked closet. Earlier, Belle watched Ace store her jewelry in his safe; she used her maid's opera glasses to get the combination.
The Tiger Kid visits Ruby and explains that he had no clue that she was in the carriage the night that he assailed Ace and his date. The Kid expresses his undying love for Belle and she suggests that Ace had everything to do with the Mickey in his ringside water bottle. The Kid belts Ace, but Ace doesn't get up. When Belle checks up on Ace, she discards her cigarette and the room catches on fire where Ace had spilled kerosene. Molly awakens screaming in the closet and the Kid gets her out. The Kid admits to striking Ace, but the court exonerates him and Belle and Ace get married. Amazingly enough, Brooks cleans up on the championship boxing match, but Belle goes off with Tiger.
Mae West doesn't give herself nearly enough clever lines in "Belle of the Nineties." "Take the single men," she advises her African-American maid, "and leave the husband's alone." "Belle" is as much a character study of its shrewd protagonist as it is a story about revenge. What makes it unusual is that Belle goes off with Tiger instead of Brooks. There is an interesting montage sequence at an African-American church revival while Belle warbles a song to them from her balcony. Incidentally, Mae West wears some of her best costumes in "Belle of the Nineties." Belle's opening number where she appears against a theatrical stage backdrop as a spider, a bat, and a butterfly is something to see. McCarey gained a reputation for his comedies, but "Belle of the Nineties" qualifies more as a melodrama with our heroine exacting revenge on Ace but giving Tiger a chance to make good.