Sextette

Customer Reviews:

MAE WEST: THE GREATEST STAR!!!.......2007-08-09

Nobody, but NOBODY could ever top Mae West! She was just as fantastic in her last movie Sextette as she always was. She was absolutely amazing regardless of the age-prejudiced attacks some so-called "critics" have written.

For one thing, there is NO OTHER movie star in history that endured the way Mae did. She is witty, sexy and as frisky as ever in Sextette. Ringo Starr told TV Guide concerning Mae's performance in Sextette, "the minute she opened her mouth I knew I didn't' have a dog's chance...she is so fan-bloody-tastic that she just wipes us out!"

It is well past time for the "critics" to give it a rest. It is time to stop trying to outdo Rex Reed in viciousness. It is also time to stop discriminating against someone because of the person's age.

The GREAT Mae West was still the Queen of Sex when she made Sextette, and she always will be!!! She is still the Eighth Wonder of the World!!!

Embalmed Cinema.......2007-04-29

If you want to see the legendary Mae West strut her stuff at age 85, step right this way! All others are best advised to watch Mae at her peak in "She Done Him Wrong" and "I'm No Angel." The once-in-a-lifetime supporting cast should have stayed home or played golf. Released two years before her death, "Sextette" was Mae's celluloid tombstone.

Marlo, remember that week and a half when you were a widow?.......2007-02-23

Sextette tells the story of Marlo Manners, played by Mae West, who is in London to marry her sixth husband. Sir Michael Barrington, played so ably by Timothy Dalton, will be Marlo's sixth husband. Oh yes, they do get married--but after the wedding ceremony the press, Marlo's Hollywood agent Dan Turner and a cast of what seems like thousands all pester Marlo and Michael. They will not leave them alone to enjoy their wedding night. The plot is indeed thin and rather silly; but Sextette keeps your attention with its campy qualities and outlandish scenarios. The subplots poke fun at whirlwind courtships and Hollywood itself--excellent!

Before the wedding night can begin, Marlo faces pressure to wine and dine a Russian diplomat so that he can have one last fling with her in exchange for his "yes" vote on an international accord. Of course, this subplot couldn't stop at that--this Russian diplomat would have to be one of Marlo's five ex husbands, too! Marlo's obligations don't end there--she must do screen tests in her honeymoon suite directed by another ex played wonderfully by Ringo Starr. Sir Michael Barrington also has a burden; he must prove to the public that he likes women after there is an honest misunderstanding during a television interview Sir Michael gives to Rona Barrett. To complicate matters even further, people hunt to find Marlo's memoirs tape which goes missing; this could harm Marlo's image if the press were to capture it.

The subplots explore whirlwind courtships and the divorces that are obtained even faster than the courtships ever were. At one point Marlo's agent asks her if she remembered "that week and a half when (she) was a widow." Marlo remembers--and she did mourn the loss of her husband, too. Sure, she played the piano to forget her pain--but "only the black keys."

The cinematography shines strongest in the opening scenes when the wedding procession arrives at the hotel; and the scenes filmed on top of the hotel are well done, too. The choreography of every scene in the hotel gymnasium and the international summit reflects careful planning, too. The song and dance numbers are particularly well choreographed.

There are a few songs in this movie although I can't call it a "true-blue" musical. Marlo sings a rendition of "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" to a young athlete training in the hotel gymnasium. "Hooray For Hollywood" and "Love Will Keep Us Together" show forethought as well. Unfortunately, most of the other songs are cute but forgettable.

There are numerous cameos to spice up the film even further: Look for George Hamilton who has a brief role as one of Marlo's ex husbands; a young Regis Philbin playing himself at the very beginning of the movie; Alice Cooper as a waiter and Rona Barrett playing herself as a television news reporter.

The DVD does not come with any extras. This disappoints me but it is a minor flaw.

I agree with the reviewer who writes that if you like Mae West you'll love Sextette. Fans of campy movies with razor thin plots will also enjoy this movie. This was Mae West's final film. Nevertheless, in Sextette Mae still did what she always did best--delivering punchy one line double-entendres and shimmying all over the screen as self-confident as ever.

Hooray for Hollywood!

A REAL JAW-DROPPER!!.......2007-01-05

What an incredible movie! Whatever were they all thinking? For sheer kitch,it's got the lot: an extremely old movie star who looks like she's wheeled in and out of shot after her lines - maybe for some more formaldahide - and who acts like she's still sexually attractive, glamourous and not in her 80's! It's got that extremely naff Englishness that happens when they try to make a Hollywood type musical, and since it's 70's vintage, the clothes and hairstyles and choreography are just laughable. All in all it's so bad it's brilliant. You'll be gobsmacked at Timothy Dalton's performance (he must have really needed the money!) In fact, this is a real hysterical jaw-dropper! Loads of fun - don't miss it - it's one-of-a-kind!

A fun romp.......2006-06-30

Now, this is a real anomaly: Mae West starring in a film based on a successful play she wrote back in 1926. So theoretically, this film could have been made into a silent movie, and here it is, turning up over 50 years later in 1978. And even in these more enlightened times, they didn't use the original title of Sex, calling it Sextette instead (although the opening credits put the first three letters into slight relief for those who might otherwise have missed it).

I'm a big fan of Mae West, and I finally let my curiosity get the better of me about her final film, which I have been warned against many times. Happily, I thought it was a delight from beginning to end.

Mae West is unique in the history of sex stars in the movies because she was able somehow to both play the role of a sex goddess and simultaneously parody that same role. So while other sex queens could not have gotten away with doing such a role as this one at the age of 85, Mae does much more than "get away with it," and even at this age it's not all parody all the time.

Allowances do have to be made for a very few things. Her wig is one of them, her slightly bizarre makeup that makes her eyes seem way too far apart is another, and her slow movements from time to time is the final one. Still, she has obviously taken very good care of herself over the years, and gets to show herself off at one point in a series of beautiful gowns (with Keith Moon over the top as her dress designer) as she supposedly prepares herself for a screen test.

She is clearly having a lot of fun. The film is set up so that she can consistently deliver the one-liners that made her famous. And these one-liners still work for her, some 45 years after she used this technique in her first film. (And the line about being "the girl who works for Paramount all day and . . . " is probably the funniest of any of her one-liners.) I sat there with a huge smile on my face anytime Mae was onscreen. I would consider her an inspiration to those who feel that after they reach a certain age, it's time to give up. Mae West is just as effervescent and zestful here as she was in her 1930s films.

Her co-stars are quite good, with Dom DeLuise leading the pack, followed closely by (in no particular order) Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, George Hamilton, and Alice Cooper. I hope I can be forgiven for thinking that Timothy Dalton, who makes up the final member of the Sextette of the title is not quite in their league (and by the way, "sex" is Latin for "six" and I suspect that the original title is more about this than it is about "the act"). Then again Dalton is playing the straight man to all these buffoons, and so his part is a little less showy than theirs. Also, his singing voice is decent although he could stand some lessons on phrasing (not breaking the musical line partway through the phrase).

And speaking of singing, Mae does three numbers through the course of the film. She makes winners out of all three both through her singing voice (remember she even creditably sang opera in 1935's Goin' to Town) and through the force of her personality. Now, this is something we would have missed out if Sextette had been made as a silent.

There are a number of star cameo turns. It's fun to see Regis Philbin way back when (I didn't realize he was that well known in 1978), it's a trip down memory lane to see the once-ubiquitous Rona Barrett, and a bit bizarre to see one Ed Beheler playing Jimmy Carter, something he apparently made a minor career out of (even in some GOP campaign ads). Probably the most touching cameo is that of George Raft, who played the lead in Mae's first film, Night After Night, from 1932.

And of course Mae loved to surround herself with bodybuilders, and she gets a scene with a number of them here. And these are not just guys they picked up off the street; they all have athletic credentials or hold titles such as Mr. America, as is indicated in the closing credits.

Okay, so Gone with the Wind it's not (hence 4 stars instead of 5). It's still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Mae West go out in such grand style.

Average customer rating:

MAE WEST: THE GREATEST STAR!!!
Embalmed Cinema
Marlo, remember that week and a half when you were a widow?
A REAL JAW-DROPPER!!
A fun romp

Sextette [Region 2]
Starring: Mae West , Timothy Dalton , Dom DeLuise , Tony Curtis , and Ringo Starr
Director: Ken Hughes
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00009B0Q5