by Melanie Cross
She Done Him Wrong challenged and tried to subvert societal norms by pushing the envelope with regards to sexual undertones and innuendo. Lady Lou, the main character, played by Mae West is a confident, outspoken, and sexual woman. This persona was not necessarily considered a socially acceptable one when the film came out, although based on the popularity of the film and its star, it was at least an intriguing one for many people to witness. More so than her appearance and attire, it was West’s demeanor and Lady Lou’s attitude that were sexually charged. An example of this attitude was when she was having a conversation with her servant and said, “Listen, when women go wrong, men go right after them”. Another example of this was early in the movie when Lou is first shown walking into the saloon. An old town woman says, “Ah, Lady Lou, you’re a fine gal, a fine woman.” Lou’s response is, “One of the finest women ever walked the streets.” Although these lines were meant to be comedic and light-hearted, I’m sure they raised more than a few eyebrows when audiences (and movie censors) heard them. Not only was her attitude provocative, her lines were rich with double entendre, especially when she was shown flirting with one of the many men in the saloon who were under her spell. “Outrageous coincidences or deus ex machina devices” as Geoff King points out in his book Film Comedy, are more accepted in comedies than they would be in other genres of film. This device can be seen at the conclusion of film, when Lady Lou is proposed to instead of being arrested. In a drama, this would be a far-fetched scenario and most likely be detrimental to the way in which audiences respond to it. On the contrary, in the case of a comedy like She Done Him Wrong, this ending seems to fit somehow with the overall tone and helps to wrap everything up nicely, while playing on the irony of the situation for comedic value.
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