''Go West, Young Man'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films. Backgroun ...

and starring

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

Warren William Warren William (born Warren William Krech; December 2, 1894 – September 24, 1948) was a Broadway and Hollywood actor, immensely popular during the early 1930s; he was later nicknamed the "King of Pre-Code". He was the first actor to play Perry ...

, and

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

. Released by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production and distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-olde ...

and based on the 1934 play ''

Personal Appearance ''Personal Appearance'' (1934) is a stage comedy by the American playwright and screenwriter Lawrence Riley (1896–1974), which was a Broadway smash and the basis for the classic Mae West film '' Go West, Young Man'' (1936). ''Personal Appe ...

'' by

Lawrence Riley Lawrence Riley (1896–1974) was a successful American playwright and screenwriter. He gained fame in 1934 as the author of the Broadway hit '' Personal Appearance'', which was turned by Mae West into the film '' Go West, Young Man'' (1936). Bio ...

, the film is about a movie star who gets stranded out in the country and trifles with a young man's affections. The phrase "Go West, Young Man" is often attributed to ''

New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the domi ...

'' founder

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressman from New York, ...

, and often misattributed to Indiana journalist John B. L. Soule, but the latest research shows it to be a paraphrase.

Plot

Mavis Arden (

), is a movie star who gets romantically involved with a politician. She makes plans to meet him at her next tour stop but her Rolls-Royce breaks down and she is left stranded in the middle of a rural town. Her manager arranges for her to stay at a local boarding house. She immediately set her eyes on the young mechanic, fixing her car, Bud Norton, played by

. West sings the Arthur Johnston/John Burke song, ''I Was Saying to the Moon'' as she is trying to seduce Scott.

Cast

as Mavis Arden *

as Morgan *

as Bud Norton *

Alice Brady Alice Brady (born Mary Rose Brady; November 2, 1892 – October 28, 1939) was an American actress who began her career in the silent film era and survived the transition into talkies. She worked until six months before her death from cancer in ...

as Mrs. Struthers * Elizabeth Patterson as Aunt Kate Barnaby *

Lyle Talbot Lyle Florenz Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on ...

as Francis X. Harrigan *

Isabel Jewell Isabel Jewell (July 19, 1907 – April 5, 1972) was an American actress who rose to prominence in the 1930s and early 1940s. Some of her more famous films were '' Ceiling Zero'', '' Marked Woman'', ''A Tale of Two Cities'', and '' Gone with ...

as Gladys * Margaret Perry as Joyce Struthers *

Etienne Girardot Etienne Girardot (22 February 1856 – 10 November 1939) was a diminutive stage and film actor of Anglo-French parentage born in London, England. Biography The son of French painter Ernest Gustave Girardot, he studied at an art school, but le ...

as Prof. Herbert Rigby * Maynard Holmes as Clyde * John Indrisano as Chauffeur * Alyce Ardell as Jeanette (French maid) *

Nick Stewart Nick may refer to: * Nick (given name) * A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat * British slang for being arrested * British slang for a police station * British slang for stealing * Short for nickname Places ...

as Nicodemus * Charles Irwin as Master of Ceremonies * Walter Walker as Andy Kelton *

Raquel Torres Raquel Torres (born Paula Marie Osterman or Wilhelmina von Osterman; November 11, 1908 – August 10, 1987) was a Mexican-born American film actress. Her sister was actress Renee Torres. Early life Torres was born in Hermosillo to a German e ...

Rico's girlfriend

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote that the film had "lost little" from the play and called the supporting cast "uniformly excellent." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film) ...

'' wrote that "Miss West, in her own way, is excellent" even though her persona "tires a bit and no longer is quite the novelty it once was." "Excellent Mae West vehicle filled with laughs", reported ''

Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informatio ...

''. ''Motion Picture Daily'' wrote that "the film is basically farce comedy and, while noticeably different from previous West features, it does not fail to deliver all that is expected." "The play was funny and tough; and the movie is funny, and perhaps tough too", wrote John Mosher in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''. "We mustn't, of course, ever allow anything to curb Mae West, so it is with relief that we find her in this film no more shy than before." Writing for ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''Th ...

'',

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

gave the film a poor review, characterizing it as "quite incredibly tedious", and "as slow and wobbling in its pace as Miss West's famous walk". (reprinted in: )

References

External links

* {{Henry Hathaway 1936 films 1936 comedy films American comedy films American black-and-white films Films directed by Henry Hathaway Paramount Pictures films Films with screenplays by Mae West American films based on plays Films based on works by American writers 1930s English-language films 1930s American films