AFI Silver Classic Film Weekend: SHE DONE HIM WRONG + Introduction by film historian Farran Smith Nehme

Date and Time for this Past Event

• Thursday, Jun 13, 2024  4:15pm - 6:30pm

Location

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Event Category

In-Person

About

"Pre-Code: Sex and Censorship" electrifies the first AFI Silver Classic Film Weekend. Immerse yourself in the thrilling era of pre-Code cinema, a fleeting moment from the late 1920s to 1934 when films defied convention before the Hays Code stifled Hollywood's boldness. These movies, lighthearted or dramatic, showcased complex women and flawed heroes struggling against social injustice, and unflinching explorations of sex, ambition and crime. Witness legendary stars ignite the screen: Clara Bow, James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow, Joan Blondell, Spencer Tracy, Warren William, Anna May Wong and Josephine Baker. Festival guests, including film historians Richard Koszarski, Steven C. Smith, Farran Smith Nehme, Katie Gee Salisbury and David Stenn, will introduce each film

SHE DONE HIM WRONG
Introduction by film historian Farran Smith Nehme

Mae West exploded onto the screen as a leading lady with Lady Lou, the sassy, diamond-dripping dancehall singer at an 1890s Bowery saloon in this bawdy adaptation of her hit Broadway play "Diamond Lil." Lou juggles her jailbird boyfriend and the saloon's owner (Noah Beery) with a collection of eager suitors — including a handsome missionary (Cary Grant, in one of his first starring roles) and a dashing gangster (Gilbert Roland). Packed with West's signature double entendres and smoldering sensuality, the film challenged censors, as seemingly innocent dialogue and lyrics became racy when delivered by West. Highlights include the song "Slow Motion Man (A Guy What Takes His Time)" and lines such as, "When women go wrong, men go right after them." West's brazen wit and unapologetic sex appeal make SHE DONE HIM WRONG a timeless pre-Code gem.