Made in 1932, “Night After Night” was Mae’s first film and the only one, until Myra Breckenridge 37 year later, in which she would play a supporting role.

George Raft was the star and all of the pre-release hype was around him to promote him in his first starring vehicle. That all changes when the public saw the film, and as George Raft said at the time, “Mae West stole everything but the cameras”.

The film as a whole is terribly slow paced. Mae’s natural style was to have a lot of activity going on a around her so that she could take her time. But she astutely observed during the making of the film that if she slowed her pace below that of the other characters then she would end up at a standstill. Instead, she quickened her pace and crammed her dialogue with wisecracks.

Her most memorable quote from the film is in response to a Hat Check Girl when she observed “Goodness what beautiful diamonds”. Mae replied with the line that was to become the title for her autobiography, “Goodness had nothing to do with it, Dearie!”.

The result was an assault to the senses and anyone who’s managed to watch the film the whole way through will testify that Mae’s entrance makes a devastatingly delightful impact on the viewer. From that moment on, all the audience wants, is more Mae West. This was an appetite Paramount was delighted to feed and immediately slated Mae to star in her fist staring film vehicle, “She Done Him Wrong”.

Mae didn’t get to sing in “Night After Night” and the film is the poorer for this omission.