My Little Chickadee (1940)

After being run out of town by its "good" citizens, a woman (Mae West) fakes a marriage to a con man (W.C. Fields) to gain respectability. At their new town, he's elected sheriff and she continues her affair with the masked bandit who got her kicked out of the first town. One would think that the one and only teaming of two comedy legends should give off sparks and laughs but this is a rather anemic affair. West was 46 and looking more matronly than sexy and the Production Code kept her hands tied when it came to her brand of bawdy humor. She does have one good scene though when she substitute teaches a class of unruly boys. As for Fields, comedy being subjective and all that, his appeal has always escaped me and this film didn't do anything to change my opinion. West and Fields both get credit for the movie's screenplay though reputedly, they didn't get along during the filming. Directed by Edward F. Cline whose job must have been a headache directing these two or at least trying. With Margaret Hamilton, Dick Foran, Joseph Calleia, Donald Meek, Ruth Donnelly and Fay Adler.