Mae West: Best When She’s Bad

Madonna rightfully gets credit (or blame) for trying to stretch society’s sex boundaries, but she’s doing it with lots of support in fairly liberal times. In case we forget, comic actress Mae West, who was born 100 years ago Tuesday, was trying to do the same thing in the early 1930s, but in a severely sexually restrictive era.

Since nudity and swearing were forbidden in those days, West had to work with innuendo--so she became a master of the sexually suggestive one-liner. It’s fun to watch her old movies with the notion that she was always trying to outwit the hard-nosed censors.

In honor of the West centennial, MCA/Universal has released nine of her movies at $15--seven coming to home video for the first time. In video outlets, you’ll see West movies prominently displayed for the next few months. Some may seem amateurish and appallingly low-budget, but bear with them. Forget the usual considerations--including plot--and focus on the sly comedy. If you want to sample West, and don’t know much about her, try these few:

“She Done Him Wrong” (1933)--She plays a Gay ‘90s saloon lady with her sights on a handsome young man, played by Cary Grant. Her sexual swagger is at its peak in this one. Her overly stylized singing is a kick too--particularly on “Frankie and Johnny.” Loaded with naughty zingers--some of her most famous--this is probably her best movie. If you had to get just one West movie, this is your best bet.

“I’m No Angel” (1933)--This is nearly as good as “She Done Him Wrong,” with West playing seductive games with Cary Grant again. He’s an upper-crust lawyer that bad-girl West--a lion-tamer this time--cuts down to size.

“Belle of the Nineties” (1934)--The plus here, for jazz buffs, is the Duke Ellington orchestra. This is probably the best showcase of West’s sexy singing. B-Western fans will appreciate the role by Johnny Mack Brown.

“My Little Chickadee” (1940)--West teams with another comedy giant, W.C. Fields, in this Western spoof. She was past her peak and some of the comedy is strained, but there are enough funny moments to make it worth a look.

Geographic Tapes

Placing non-theatrical tapes in video outlets has never been easy because retailers prefer to stock what does the most business--movies. So National Geographic Video, which releases documentaries originally telecast on the PBS and TNT networks, has discovered a way to market its tapes--package them in themed boxed sets.

Reported National Geographic Television marketing official Todd Berman: “Stores like the K marts and the Wal-Marts--stores that sell rather than rent videos--want to stock the sets. We want to get our tapes in those stores.”

To accommodate demand, National Geographic has just released the three-volume “The Lost Ships Collection,” with a four-volume nature set, “The Predators,” due Oct. 13. While suggested retail is $80, the discount houses will offer them for much less.

Videobits

Formerly more than $95, Steven Spielberg’s “Hook” has been repriced to $20 this week . . . Speaking of Spielberg, his current hit, “Jurassic Park,” say distributor sources, won’t be out until 1994. But another big summer movie, “Sleepless in Seattle” should be out around Thanksgiving . . . Kiddie favorite Barney the dinosaur is featured in a new half-hour video, “Barney Home Sweet Homes,” due out next Wednesday.

New Releases

“Chaplin” (LIVE, $95). While Robert Downey Jr. performs impressively as comic actor-director Charlie Chaplin, the portrayal doesn’t have much impact because the rest of director Richard Attenborough’s movie is a plodding bore. Rather than a coherent tale, it’s disjointed and episodic, focusing on Chaplin’s seamy side--such as his many marriages and affairs--while not shedding much light on his moviemaking skills. You’d be better off renting some of his movies or a documentary about him.

“Mad Dog and Glory” (MCA/Universal, no set price). A lonely police photographer (Robert De Niro) saves the life of a gangster (Bill Murray), who rewards him with a temporary companion (Uma Thurman). Conflict arises when the photographer and the companion fall in love and the gangster--also a frustrated stand-up comic--wants his “gift” back. An unusual, leisurely paced--but also intriguing--comedy/drama that’s full of subtle pleasures. It’s interesting to watch Murray and De Niro tackle offbeat characterizations.

Upcoming on Video

Just announced: FoxVideo’s “Jack the Bear,” starring Danny DeVito as a widower with two sons, comes out Oct. 6. Also that day: “The Night We Never Met,” a romantic comedy featuring Matthew Broderick and Annabella Sciorra. Orion’s “The Dark Half,” with Timothy Hutton, is due Oct. 27.

Also: “Groundhog Day,” “The Temp” and “Boiling Point” (Wednesday); “This Boy’s Life,” “CB4,” “Alive” and “Point of No Return” (Sept. 1); “Map of the Human Heart” and “El Mariachi” (Sept. 8); “National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1” and “Fire in the Sky” (Sept. 15); “Married to It” (Sept. 22); “Aladdin” (Oct. 1); “Indecent Proposal” (Oct. 13); “Three of Hearts” and “The Sandlot” Oct. 20; “Posse” (Oct. 27).