There are two major problems with this movie. First and foremost, it was adapted from her 1960 stage play -- and by 1978, the bawdy '50s and '60s sex comedies were already horribly dated. Mae spent years trying to get the film made, and if it had happened earlier it might've been a classic -- which brings me to the second problem... Mae was in poor health by the time filming finally commenced, so they pawned off the vast majority of screen time on the other characters. Some of it was good (Dalton, DeLuise and Ringo livened up the proceedings), some of it was bad (who thought it was a good idea to stick shock-rocker Alice Cooper in a wig and have him sing a disco song?!), and some of it was downright awful (Tony Curtis, 'nuff said). Factor in a low-budget, a British director who lacked cinematic flair, a handful of dismal songs (plus an awesome cover of "Happy Birthday, Sweet 16" that they lifted straight off of an earlier album), and an open set that was like a circus, and you have a movie that's only enjoyable in a Schaudenfreude sort of way. Yes, it would've been better if she'd ended her career on a high note (even if it was "Myra Breckinridge," which she really shined in despite the freakshow spectacle that surrounded her), but there's something oddly likable about this film if you're in the right mindset to appreciate it for the campy trainwreck that it is. I don't see it as a blight on West's career, but rather a memorably bizarre finale.
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