Mae West Quote of the Week: Religion vs. Jewels
“You know it was a toss-up whether I go in for diamonds or sing in the choir. The choir lost.”
The line would be funny regardless, but West does so much with it: She pauses in between the sentences for emphasis. She follows up the words with an arch look at her love interest of the hour (Cary Grant) and then smokes. She struts up and down the room an unnecessary amount of times in their short conversation. She makes a number of references to position and anatomy before and after the gems (which are clearly a stand-in for her sexual escapades).
Thought for the day: Ever wondered whether any woman in this world could be as suggestive in an hour as She Done Him Wrong‘s Lou (West) in five minutes?
This quote is part of my monthly tribute to West.
