Mae West

Happy New Year to our a-MAE-zing Mae West fans!

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:42:00 +0000

The MAE WEST Blog wishes you health and happiness throughout the coming year.
• • We welcome your questions, your news related to the Brooklyn bombshell along with updates on Mae West productions and Mae-adjacent solo shows.
• • "Whyncha come up sometime? I'm home every evening."

• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West simply managed to entertain Americans and make them laugh at the peak of the Great Depression.
• • As a gesture of gratitude, supposedly Paramount Pictures even named a building at their lot after Mae West.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I'll never believe the worst about anybody without complete proof, nor will I believe it's useless to struggle against so called Fate."
• • Mae West said: "My advice to those who think they have to take off their clothes to be a star is, once you're boned, what's left to create the illusion? Let 'em wonder. I never believed in giving them too much of me."
• • Mae West said: "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?''
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A foreign newspaper mentioned Mae West.
• • The headline was: "I've Come to Find out, Says Mae."
• • The Singapore Free Press wrote: Mae West invited goggle-eyed British reporters to "come up and see me sometime" when she ran the first gauntlet of them on her arrival at Southampton at two o'clock on Wednesday morning.
• • Just to keep everything above board, Mae asked them all to a press reception at the Savoy Hotel, explained the Singapore-based reporter. …
• • Source: The Singapore Free Press; published on Tuesday, 23 September 1947
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates another anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past twenty-plus years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,000 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started two decades ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,158th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1937 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Beloved Birthday Bombshell

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 17:44:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to MAE WEST, the beloved Brooklyn Bombshell, Screen Siren, Empress of Sex, Queen of Comedy, a notable and quotable comedienne who maintained a long career on stage, on screen, on the guest star circuit, and who also sizzled on the nightclub circuit.
• • Delivered by a local mid-wife, this feisty newborn drew her first lusty breaths in Bushwick on Thursday, 17 August 1893 (under the proud leonine sign of Leo) in her parents' bedroom. Little Mary Jane West always said: "I was born on a cool night in a hot month so I knew I could expect anything."

• • She trumped the income of every film actress of her generation because Mae was paid as a screenwriter as well as a box office draw.
• • Each day at least one publication in the world mentions her name. [We can verify our claim, too, because we have tracked this a-Mae-zing trend daily for the past upteen years now!]
• • No other movie queen coined so many witticisms — durable and dateless because Mae West relied on wordplay and rhetorical devices such as chiasmus.
• • Often imitated but never duplicated, the one and only Mae West endures in our hearts and memories.
• • Darling Mae, to your loyal followers, you don't look a day over twenty-sex!
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Even at the fourscore mark, she remains a remarkable figure of a woman. The well-padded frame, which inspired the Mae West life jacket in World War II, seems little changed.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West had been 40 when she made the first of 12 films and was an important influence on the early career of Cary Grant, teaching him much about the craft of comedy in the course of appearing with him in “She Done Him Wrong” and “I'm No Angel.”

• • The death of this sex goddess from Hollywood's Golden Age was front-page news in November 1980 when she was 87.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Come up sometime and see me. I'm home every evening."
• • Mae West said: "I give 'em what they want to see."
• • Mae West said: “The curve is mightier than the sword.”
• • Mae West said: "You have to outfight everyone else to succeed."
• • Mae West said: "I'll never believe the worst about anyone without complete proof."
• • Mae West said: "Woman is capable of more trickery than man ever dreamed of. I am not defending the tricky woman, but if she is forced to battle for the place due to her, she cannot be condemned for using any ruse she can."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • "Mae West Turns Sixty" • •
• • The Horsham Times wrote: Mae West turned 60 recently. To reporters who went along to wish her many happy returns, Miss West made it plain that birthdays are one thing a lady just doesn't discuss.
• • Fluttering her inch-long eyelashes demurely, Mae West said: "You can see for yourself, a girl's just as old as she feels."
• • Source: The Horsham Times; published on Friday, 12 September 1952
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 21st anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,000 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started 21 years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,157th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1935 and 1970 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: A Tearful Tribute on November 22nd

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 08:59:00 +0000

At age 87, MAE WEST suffered a series of strokes which finally resulted in her death on Saturday, 22 November 1980 in Hollywood, California.
• • The iconic actress took her final breaths quietly in her Hollywood apartment (Ravenswood).
• • Private services [conducted by Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie and attended by 100 close friends and family members] were held in the Old North Church at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills.

• • Her eulogy, written by Kevin Thomas and delivered by producer Ross Hunter, concluded: “Mae West always said that no one was ever to feel sorry for her, and she would not want anyone to start now. Mae West figured that in one way or another she would live forever. And she probably will.”
• • Entombment was in the West family mausoleum at Cypress Hills Abbey in Brooklyn, New York.
• • Cause of death: Complications from stroke
• • Burial: Cypress Hills Cemetery
• • Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, USA
• • Photo: Mae West, 1935
• • On Friday, 22 November 2013 in NYC • •
• • Mae West's most successful play "Diamond Lil" was performed in Jefferson Market Library on Friday, 22 November 2013 in the evening. The performance was dedicated to the Brooklyn bombshell, whose career soared after her successful run as the Queen of the Bowery onstage at the Royale Theatre.
• • And Mae West's legal woes have also inspired the stage play "Courting Mae West." Folks came to see it on Saturday, 23 November 2013 in the very same room where Mae faced off with Judge George Donnellan and 12 jurors.
• • Darlene Violette, starring as Mae West, appeared with Joanna Bonaro, Jim Gallagher, Sidney Myer, Dena Tyler, Melvin Lima, Kimmy Foskett, Jeffrey Johns, and Jane Aquilina. The popular Mae West raffle followed.
• • The play, based on true events, is set during the Prohibition Era when Mae's plays were padlocked and she was sent to jail. Talk about a woman who climbed the ladder of success wrong by wrong.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West wore the famous West diamonds, and made a late entrance very impressively.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "This is the greatest age for women. They no longer have to sit primly on a straight-backed chair with hands folded, waiting for some guy to come and make a pass at them."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • All Mae West biographies discuss the icon at the very end of her long life.
• • Somber moments are described by her biographer Jill Watts:
• • Jill Watts wrote: Soon [Mae West's] personal physician arrived. He announced that nothing more could be done. [Paul] Novak summoned a priest from the church just down the block, who gave Mae a blessing. Only a few minutes later, at 10:30 A.M., Mae West passed away [at the age of 87 years old].
• • Jill Watts wrote: ... At [Stanley] Musgrove's urging, Paul Novak organized a private service. On the afternoon of November 25, 1980, one hundred of Mae's family, friends, and acquaintance gathered at Forest Lawn's Old North Church to memorialize Mae West.
• • Jill Watts wrote: ... That night Mae's body was flown home to Brooklyn, New York and the following morning Paul Novak and Dolly Dempsey arrived at Cypress Hills for the interment. Two priests and a bishop offered short prayers and blessed the casket. …
• • Source: “Mae West: An Icon in Black and White” by Jill Watts; published by Oxford University Press, 2001
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its ongoing anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past twenty years. We reached an a-MAE-zing milestone when we completed 5,000+ blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,156th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1935 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Happy Birthday to Mae, Lioness and Legend

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 18:21:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to MAE WEST, Brooklyn Bombshell, Empress of Sex, Queen of Comedy, a notable quotable comedienne who maintained a long career on stage and on screen and also sizzled on the nightclub circuit.
• • Delivered by a local mid-wife, this feisty newborn drew her first lusty breaths in Bushwick on Thursday, 17 August 1893 (under the proud leonine sign of Leo) in her parents' bedroom. Little Mary Jane West always said: "I was born on a cool night in a hot month so I knew I could expect anything."
• • She trumped the income of every film actress of her generation because Mae was paid as a screenwriter as well as a box office draw.

• • Each day at least one publication in the world mentions her name. [We can verify our claim, too, because we've tracked this a-Mae-zing trend daily for nearly 20 years now!]
• • Often imitated but never duplicated, the one and only Mae West endures in our hearts and memories.
• • Darling Mae, to your loyal followers, you don't look a day over twenty-sex!
• • Image: Mae West, "I'm No Angel," Paramount Pictures
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Even at the fourscore mark, she remains a remarkable figure of a woman. The well-padded frame, which inspired the Mae West life jacket in World War II, seems little changed.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West had been 40 when she made the first of 12 films and was an important influence on the early career of Cary Grant, teaching him much about the craft of comedy in the course of appearing with him in “She Done Him Wrong” and “I'm No Angel.”
• • The death of this sex goddess from Hollywood's Golden Age was front-page news in November 1980 when she was 87.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Come up sometime and see me. I'm home every evening."
• • Mae West said: "I give 'em what they want to see."
• • Mae West said: "You have to outfight everyone else to succeed."
• • Mae West said: "I'll never believe the worst about anyone without complete proof."
• • Mae West said: "I've always liked athletes because they don't smoke, don't drink, and understand the importance of keeping their bodies in top working order — — and a hard man is good to find."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • "Mae West Turns Sixty" • •
• • The Horsham Times wrote: Mae West turned 60 recently. To reporters who went along to wish her many happy returns, Miss West made it plain that birthdays are one thing a lady just doesn't discuss.
• • Fluttering her inch-long eyelashes demurely, she said: "You can see for yourself, a girl's just as old as she feels."
• • Source: The Horsham Times; published on Friday, 12 September 1952
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its ongoing anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past seventeen years. We reached a milestone when we completed 5,000+ blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,155th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: New Year 2024

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 05:08:00 +0000

MAE WEST wishes everyone an a-MAE-zing 2024. Whenever you need an uplift, just come up and see Mae.

• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,000 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,154th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1937
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Missed & Mourned

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 10:43:00 +0000

At age 87, MAE WEST suffered a series of strokes which finally resulted in her death on Saturday, 22 November 1980 in Hollywood, California.

• • The actress took her final breaths quietly in her white and gold Hollywood apartment (The Ravenswood). Private services [conducted by Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie and attended by about 100 close friends and family] were held in the Old North Church at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, California.
• • Her eulogy, written by Kevin Thomas and delivered by producer Ross Hunter, concluded: “Mae West always said that no one was ever to feel sorry for her, and she would not want anyone to start now. Mae West figured that in one way or another she would live forever. And she probably will.”
• • Entombment was in the West family mausoleum at Cypress Hills Abbey in Brooklyn, New York.
• • Cause of death: Complications from stroke
• • Burial: Cypress Hills Cemetery
• • Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, USA
• • Image: Nerman, 1930s
• • On Friday, 22 November 2013 • •
• • Mae West's most successful play "Diamond Lil" was performed in Jefferson Market Library, NYC on Friday evening, 22 November 2013, in her honor.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West wore the famous West diamonds, and made a late entrance very impressively.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "This is the greatest age for women. They no longer have to sit primly on a straight-backed chair with hands folded, waiting for some guy to come and make a pass at them."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Barron’s mentioned Mae West yesterday on Tuesday, 21 November 2023.
• • Historic Typewriters Used by Literary Giants and Celebrities Up for Auction • •
• • Eric Grossman wrote: This “type” of sale doesn’t come along very often. A bevy of historically significant typewriters from the collection of Los Angeles-based businessman Steve Soboroff, age 75, used by literary greats and celebrities—is going up for auction next month.

• • Eric Grossman wrote: Buyers will bid on vintage vessels used by some of America’s most famous writers and celebrities at a Heritage Auctions’ sale, at the auctioneer’s Dallas headquarters on 15 December 2023.
• • Image: Olympia SF typewriter owned by Mae West
• • Eric Grossman wrote: Steve Soboroff—who retired as president of the LAPD Board of Commissioners in August after a decade on the job—began his collection on a whim at an auction in 2005, when he outbid the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 1940 Remington Model J used by Pulitzer-winning Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray.
• • Eric Grossman wrote: That typewriter was followed by others used by literary titans Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and Philip Roth, and actors Mae West, Greta Garbo, Shirley Temple, Julie Andrews, and Tom Hanks. Musicians also feature, including Bing Crosby and Andrea Bocelli, as do notables such as Samuel T. Cohen (inventor of the neutron bomb) and Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. …
• • Source: Written by Eric Grossman for Barron’s; published on 21 November 2023
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,000 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,153nd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • sketched in 1932-33 by Nerman
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: 130th Birthday With Love

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:58:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to MAE WEST, Brooklyn Bombshell, Screen Siren, Empress of Sex, Queen of Comedy, a notable and quotable comedienne who maintained a long career on stage, on screen, on the guest star circuit, and who also sizzled on the nightclub circuit.
• • Delivered by a local mid-wife, this feisty newborn drew her first lusty breaths in Bushwick on Thursday, 17 August 1893 (under the proud leonine sign of Leo) in her parents' bedroom. Little Mary Jane West always said: "I was born on a cool night in a hot month so I knew I could expect anything."

• • She trumped the income of every film actress of her generation because Mae was paid as a screenwriter as well as a box office draw.
• • Each day at least one publication in the world mentions her name. [We can verify our claim, too, because we have tracked this a-Mae-zing trend daily for the past 18 years now!]
• • No other movie queen coined so many witticisms — durable and dateless because Mae West relied on wordplay and rhetorical devices such as chiasmus.
• • Often imitated but never duplicated, the one and only Mae West endures in our hearts and memories.
• • Darling Mae, to your loyal followers, you don't look a day over twenty-sex!
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Even at the fourscore mark, she remains a remarkable figure of a woman. The well-padded frame, which inspired the Mae West life jacket in World War II, seems little changed.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West had been 40 when she made the first of 12 films and was an important influence on the early career of Cary Grant, teaching him much about the craft of comedy in the course of appearing with him in “She Done Him Wrong” and “I'm No Angel.”
• • The death of this sex goddess from Hollywood's Golden Age was front-page news in November 1980 when she was 87.

• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Come up sometime and see me. I'm home every evening."
• • Mae West said: "I give 'em what they want to see."
• • Mae West said: “The curve is mightier than the sword.”
• • Mae West said: "You have to outfight everyone else to succeed."
• • Mae West said: "I'll never believe the worst about anyone without complete proof."
• • Mae West said: "Woman is capable of more trickery than man ever dreamed of. I am not defending the tricky woman, but if she is forced to battle for the place due to her, she cannot be condemned for using any ruse she can."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • "Mae West Turns Sixty" • •
• • The Horsham Times wrote: Mae West turned 60 recently. To reporters who went along to wish her many happy returns, Miss West made it plain that birthdays are one thing a lady just doesn't discuss.
• • Fluttering her inch-long eyelashes demurely, Mae West said: "You can see for yourself, a girl's just as old as she feels."
• • Source: The Horsham Times; published on Friday, 12 September 1952
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,000 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,152nd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • sketched in 1932 and 1970 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Why a Hiatus?

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:45:00 +0000

The MAE WEST Blog, started in July 2004 when there was very little content online about the Brooklyn bombshell (except for vintage film reviews and her best known witticisms), has been an abiding presence for eighteen and a half years on Blogger, now owned by Google.
• • Censorship by Google • •

• • You might think that a long-standing Mae West Blog that attracts over 100 international visitors a day would get some respect from Big Tech. Sorry but you’d be wrong.
• • As two examples of disrespect from Google, our ads have been deactivated and “sensitive content” warnings have been slapped on some posts.
• • Why, Google? Why? • •
• • There is no “objectionable” content here, in my opinion.
• • If Mae West were here, she’d probably say, “Censors again!”
• • Mae West Blog Goes on Hiatus • •
• • Therefore, the blog will go on hiatus and the focus will shift to allowing more time to complete a fascinating, heavily illustrated book: “Mae West’s New York, 1895-1970.”
• • Pictorial Biography in Progress • •
• • Filled with rare pictures of a lost New York, the fascinating city Mae West grew up in, the sights that inspired her writing, the vaudeville houses and theatres that welcomed her performances, this will be the first bio-pictorial written by a native New Yorker.

• • Most Westian biographers have (curiously) hailed from England or from California. Unfortunately, books written by out-of-towners have had noticeable gaps in Mae’s life story — — and have lacked the perspective of a native New Yorker, someone intimately acquainted with Big Apple history and the socio-political forces unique to Mae’s birthplace.
• • A new domain? • •
• • Due to Google’s censorship, the blog may also be moved to its own domain.
• • If you wish to know more about “Mae West’s New York, 1895-1970,” feel free to leave a comment with your contact info. Personal comments will not be published; only I will see them.
• • Thank you for visiting today.
• • Please follow this blog to keep up with announcements.
• • Occasional updates on the forthcoming Mae West book will be posted — — so come up and see us sometime.
• • On Wednesday, 9 January 1889 in Brooklyn, NY • •
• • On this date, John West took his best girlfriend Tillie Decker to Brooklyn's Borough Hall to apply for a marriage license. Mae's mother's name appears as "Tillie Decker" on the form, not as "Matilda."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • Q. Did Mae West really make all those wisecracks, spontaneously, over the telephone to the thirteen editors in the nation-wide interview, or did she have rehearsals?
• • A. She did not have rehearsals. Mae's wit, both off the screen and on, is, apparently, as endless and as spectacular as her wardrobe.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "That's why I want you to see her story — — because her-story is the real lowdown."
• • Mae West said: "Sure, they are completely right when they say I make a parody of sex. That's my stock in trade. Any gal can get really sexy but it takes a smart dame to make guys and women both laugh at it."
• • Mae West said: "Every script presented to me, no matter how imaginative a story, was built around a man and a woman. Mae West pictures, as written by me, were built around a woman and men — — and the more the merrier."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Australian newspapers mentioned the high salary of Mae West.
• • "Big Incomes in the USA" • •
• • Among motion picture people, Mae West led the list with 339,000 dollars (£67,800).
• • Others were: Marlene Dietrich, 145,000 dollars (£29,000); W. C. Fields, 155,000 dollars (£31,000); Miriam Hopkins, 71,000 dollars (£14,200); Gary Cooper, 139,000 dollars (£27,000); Charles Chaplin, 143,000 dollars (£28,600); Claudette Colbert, 85,000 dollars (£17,000). . . .
• • Source: The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld.); published on Thursday, 9 January 1936
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,150 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,151st blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • colorized in 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Vanished Art Form

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 04:23:00 +0000

MAE WEST inspired and influenced numerous people. Listen to Tangarra. This is Part 2 of two parts.
• • “Tangarra, Recognized as Buffalo’s First Female Impersonator, Looks Back at a Past That No Longer Exists” • •
• • Written by Mary Kunz Goldman, Elizabeth Barr, and News Staff Reporters
• • John E. Minzer [22 October 1912 – 17 April 2004] — a.k.a. “Tangarra” • •
• • Tangarra met Mae West in 1939 • •

• • Buffalo News wrote: Eighty-eight years old (in 2001), Tangarra can claim to be Buffalo's first female impersonator, with a strange and glittering career that took him across the country. He can recall not only Mae West but also other stars like Tallulah Bankhead ("She put my hair up and I looked ridiculous," he jeers) and Ann Miller. ("She looks like a Japanese sunset!" he laughs, pointing at an old snapshot.)
• • Buffalo News wrote: When he looks back, he sees a world that doesn't exist anymore.
• • Buffalo News wrote: Tangarra feels sad that the mix of burlesque and vaudeville that had been his specialty is a vanished art. …
• • Note: John E. Minzer, AKA Tangara, Buffalo's legendary female impersonator, age 95, who was known to generations of Western New York audiences as Tangarra, died on Tuesday, 17 April 2007.
• • Buffalo News wrote: Tangarra was the last and possibly one of the best vestiges of the time when drag performers were a beloved part of any vaudeville or night club experience.
• • Buffalo News wrote: In a 1998 Outcome interview, Tangarra described a very first public performance in 1928 at the Erie County Fair as "Little Egypt."
• • Buffalo News wrote: A booking agent arranged for a (then) sixteen-year-old John Minzer to perform on the Ismailia Shrine Temple stage as "Little Egypt."
• • Buffalo News wrote: "They made me up and then they put me in a black wig! I've never had black hair in my life! They gave me a veil that went from here to here. (Tangarra indicated that it covered the face from just below the eyes to below the chin line.) I wore a heavy gold belt around my waist with long flowing fabric hanging off of the belt."
• • Buffalo News wrote: "I was pretty popular," Tangarra told Outcome Magazine, adding that she was driven around the fairgrounds while in costume, greeting and meeting fairgoers and received many presents and applause.
• • Buffalo News wrote: Tangarra retired from performing in 1974 but did perform at the 1998 grand opening of what was then known as Secrets on Allen Street.
• • Note: John a.k.a. Tangarra had lived in Buffalo, New York 14221.
• • Source: The Buffalo News; published on Sunday, 11 March 2001.
• • John Patrick West [March 1866 — 5 January 1935] • •

• • Despite having an ambivalent relationship with her father, Mae West took after him and also worked for him when he peddled fruit in Brooklyn and when he helmed a "detective agency" in New Jersey and New York City. Before opening his own operation, John West had walked the beat in Coney Island and elsewhere in Brooklyn.
• • Born on Manhattan's Lower East Side in March 1866, John Patrick West [called "Jack"] grew up feisty, impatient, and strong. As a child he boasted that he'd rather fight than eat. He got his Irish up rather quickly, remembered Mae. He was easily angered and "always ready to do physical violence when the urge was on him." In 1969, Mae revealed in an interview that she thought her father was cruel — — but realized "all his fighting was done doing other people's fighting for them."
• • Jack West was 7 years old in 1873 when his family moved from Avenue C (near the docks) in Manhattan to the borough of Brooklyn, settling first in Red Hook, and then in Greenpoint.
• • On 19 January 1889, in Greenpoint, Battling Jack West and Tillie Delker took their wedding vows before a local minister with Jack's sister Julia West acting as maid of honor.
• • On Saturday, 5 January 1935, "Battling Jack" heard the final countdown; he passed away in Oakland, California of a stroke.
• • On this date we remember John Patrick West with love and respect.
• • On Wednesday, 5 January 1938 • •
• • "Paramount: Mae West Most Likely All Washed Up" was the downbeat headline in Variety Magazine on Wednesday, 5 January 1938. After the NBC broadcast brouhaha, Paramount began monitoring audience feedback to the coming attractions that were onscreen at the New York City Paramount Theatre.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • The recent dispute between Mae West, Raoul Walsh (director), and Paramount executives over the quality of the photography of her new picture, "Klondike Annie," which caused a four-day production halt while a new cameraman was found has been given much prominence in America and inspired 'Variety'' to a consideration of stars and their favorite cameraman.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Call me anything, but call me often."
• • Mae West said: "I'm going to change my tempo and work very, very fast. This picture needs a big lift to pick up the speed to wake an audience up."
• • Mae West said: "Half the people in the world impersonate me. Men, women, and even children. They put their hands on their hips or something."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on women in the theatre mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae West: An Uncommon Woman" • •
• • Anthony Chase wrote: Another American woman playwright who enjoyed the distinction of racking up the highest advance box office sales in the history of Broadway, Mae West, scored a huge hit with her 1926 play, Sex, but saw her 1928 play, Pleasure Man, closed down by the police after its second performance.
• • Anthony Chase wrote: Despite the fact that she duplicated this success in Hollywood, West’s work is not included in anthologies, she is never mentioned in theater textbooks, and her work is out of print.
• • Anthony Chase wrote: In fact, the only American woman whose plays are consistently included in the American repertoire is Lillian Hellman, and even she had to go on a deliberate publicity campaign in the 1970s when she saw a list of the nation’s 10 greatest living playwrights and found that her name was missing. ...
• • Source: Art Voice (Buffalo, NY); posted on Wednesday, 5 January 2011
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,150 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,150th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • with her loved ones in 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Tangarra Credits Mae

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 00:50:00 +0000

MAE WEST inspired and influenced numerous people. Listen to Tangarra. This is Part 1 of two parts.
• • “Tangarra, Recognized as Buffalo’s First Female Impersonator, Looks Back at a Past That No Longer Exists” • •
• • Written by Mary Kunz Goldman, Elizabeth Barr, and News Staff Reporters
• • John E. Minzer [22 October 1912 – 17 April 2004] — a.k.a. “Tangarra” • •
• • Tangarra met Mae West in 1939 • •

• • Buffalo News wrote: Late on a cold Buffalo, NY afternoon, the man who calls himself Tangarra sashays through his apartment, walking the walk that Mae West taught him.
• • Buffalo News wrote: "It's step, bounce, step, bounce," he giggles, blue eyes shining beneath his silvery toupee. His voice is a high treble.
• • Buffalo News wrote: "Mae West told me how to walk. She said, "Don't put your hands on your hips, put them down here.' " He caresses the sides of his thighs. "Massage it, like," he imitates Mae West instructing him. "And then she'd strut, bounce, strut, bounce."
• • Buffalo News wrote: Tangarra struts and bounces in his tan trousers past his Grecian fountain and into the hall, trilling his bird-like laugh.
• • Buffalo News wrote: According to Tangarra, he met Mae West in 1939, when both were working in New York clubs. Mae gave him a big, feathered hat so he could copy the millinery pattern. And she signed his playbook, which showed her decked out in Chinese attire for a number called "An Occidental Woman in an Oriental Mood for Love."
• • Buffalo News wrote: "That's probably worth a lot of money," Tangarra reflects, gazing lovingly at the photo.
• • Buffalo News wrote: But John's memories of a career as Tangarra, though, are worth far more than that. …
• • Tangarra’s fascinating story will be concluded tomorrow with Part 2. Don’t miss it.
• • Source: The Buffalo News; published on Sunday, 11 March 2001.
• • On Tuesday, 4 January 1938 in Los Angeles • •
• • ... the only proper protection ... • •
• • The Los Angeles Herald Examiner used to run a "Views and Reviews" column.

• • It was on Tuesday, 4 January 1938 that readers noticed a short item deriding Mae West: "The name of Mae West — — much more of a miss than a hit — — has been banned from use on its radio programs by the National Broadcasting Company.
• • Such action is the only proper protection for the homes of decent American citizens. ..."
• • Quite startling and horrifying, yes?
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • It used to be rare that actresses used their real names, thinking that for one reason or another they would not sell tickets. But here are eight women who did:
• • 1. Mae West; 2. Elizabeth Taylor; 3. Ingrid Bergman; 4. Olivia de Havilland; 5. Glenda Jackson; 6. Sally Field; 7. Jane Fonda; 8. Gina Lollobrigida
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “When you got the personality, you don’t need the nudity.”
• • Mae West said: "A girl in the convertible is worth five in the phonebook.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Hollywood Reporter mentioned Mae West.
• • Mae West in Paramount's "She Done Him Wrong" — Now Shooting. …
• • Source: The Hollywood Reporter, "Today's Film News"; published on Tuesday, 3 January 1933
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,149th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1937 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Unique Persona

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 01:23:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 68 of 68, the final segment.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: Highlights from the boxset • •

• • Audio commentary on "She Done Him Wrong" with critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson (2021)
• • "Mae West at UCLA" (1971, 29 mins): archival audio recording of the great performer in conversation at the University of California, Los Angeles
• • "Downtown Girl" (2021, 34 mins): appreciation of Mae West’s unique persona with academic and film historian Lucy Bolton
• • Audio commentary on "Go West Young Man" with writer and film historian Nora Fiore (2021)
• • "The Only Way Is West" (2021, 19 mins): exploration of Mae West’s cultural importance with critic and author Christina Newland
• • "She Done Him Right" (1933, 8 mins): animated short film parody of "She Done Him Wrong" featuring Pooch the Pup and other canine characters
• • "The Merry Old Soul" (1933, 8 mins): Oswald the Rabbit animated short film featuring caricatures of many Hollywood stars, including Mae West
• • "Hollywood Bowl" (1939, 7 mins): Walter Lantz animation featuring many Hollywood caricatures, including W. C. Fields
• • This long article by Mr. Andy Goulding has now been concluded. Did you enjoy it? Tell us.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Friday, 3 January 1936 in Australia • •
• • An intriguing article appeared in Perth on Friday, 3 January 1936 with this headline: "Favourite Camera Men of the Stars" (page 2) in the section "Film World" written by a Hollywood correspondent.

• • The West Australian wrote: The recent dispute between Mae West, Raoul Walsh (director), and Paramount executives over the quality of the photography of her new picture, 'Klondike Annie," which caused a four-day production halt while a new cameraman was found has been given much prominence in America.
• • The West Australian wrote: This inspired 'Variety'' to a consideration of screen stars and who was favoured as a camera man. ...
• • Note: Mae West halted production on "Klondike Annie" because her very own Karl Struss was busy with a Bing Crosby vehicle called "Anything Goes" (co-starring Ida Lupino, Charles Ruggles, and Ethel Merman as Reno Sweeney, a charismatic night club singer who is a former evangelist).
• • Source: The West Australian; published on Friday, 3 January 1936.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • In 1932, Mae West's jewel robbery was on the front page.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Hiring someone to write your autobiography is like hiring someone to take a bath for you."
• • Mae West said: "The best way to hold a man is in your arms."
• • Mae West said: "To catch a husband is an art — — to hold him is a job."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Film Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • Mae West Versus Venus • •
• • Ralph Wilks wrote: A two-foot statue of Mae West is in the window of a department store at 6th and Broadway, Los Angeles' busiest corner, has been a traffic stopper.
• • Ralph Wilks wrote: Mae's measurements are being compared with those of Venus de Milo.
• • Ralph Wilks wrote: The stunt was arranged by Victor M. Shapiro in conjunction with Mae's personal appearances at the Paramount, where her newest motion picture, "Every Day's a Holiday" is playing. …
• • Source: Film Daily; published on Tuesday, 1 February 1938
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,148th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1933 and in 1936 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Film Commentaries

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 01:27:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 67 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: Two special features • •

• • Andy Goulding wrote: The copious special features in the boxset include numerous commentaries from historians and critics, original trailers, interviews, and documentaries.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Two special features especially worth flagging up: Three Walter Lantz cartoons of the era, including the Oscar-nominated "The Merry Old Soul," featuring Hollywood caricatures and parodies of Mae West films.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: And also the feature length 1982 TV movie Mae West, a multiple Emmy-nominated production starring Ann Jillian as West and co-starring Piper Laurie, Roddy McDowell, and very handsome James Brolin as the decidedly unprepossessing James Timony.
• • Mae West: Highlights from the boxset • • ...
• • This long article will be concluded on the next post, which is # 68.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Tuesday, 2 January 1934 in Chicago • •
• • On 2 January 1934, when Mae's sister Beverly applied for a marriage license in Chicago, it was hoped that her second Russian-born husband would be a better companion than her ex-husband Sergei Treshatny. The groom Vladimir Baikoff made Beverly's acquaintance when both were booked on a radio program. Beverly was doing her famous Mae West impersonation for a broadcast — — and Vlad was eager to conjugate some sultry Slavic verbs with her in private, after the show.
• • On her marriage license, Beverly gave her age as 27, meaning that she had been born in 1907.
• • Note: This was consistent with Mae's calculations; in 1934, Mae West was giving her birthyear as 1900 and the siblings were seven years apart.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • Mae West simply managed to entertain Americans and make them laugh at the peak of the Great Depression.
• • As a gesture of gratitude, supposedly Paramount Pictures even named a building at their lot after Mae West.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I'll never believe the worst about anybody without complete proof, nor will I believe it's useless to struggle against so called Fate."
• • Mae West said: "My advice to those who think they have to take off their clothes to be a star is, once you're boned, what's left to create the illusion? Let 'em wonder. I never believed in giving them too much of me."
• • Mae West said: "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?''
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A foreign newspaper mentioned Mae West.
• • The headline was: "I've Come to Find out, Says Mae."
• • The Singapore Free Press wrote: Mae West invited goggle-eyed British reporters to "come up and see me sometime" when she ran the first gauntlet of them on her arrival at Southampton at two o'clock on Wednesday morning.
• • Just to keep everything above board, Mae asked them all to a press reception at the Savoy Hotel, explained the Singapore-based reporter. …
• • Source: The Singapore Free Press; published on Tuesday, 23 September 1947
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,147th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1943 and in 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Resisted a Return

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 03:42:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 66 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: Resisted a return to the screen for 27 years • •
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Though she resisted a return to the screen for 27 years (including rejecting the part of Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder’s classic "Sunset Boulevard"), Mae West’s star never dimmed.

• • Andy Goulding wrote: Mae West remains one of the most instantly recognisable figures of the twentieth century.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: And thanks to this wonderful boxset, I now understand what all the fuss is about.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: "Mae West in Hollywood" is released by Indicator on limited edition Blu-Ray on 13 December 2021.
• • Mae West: Two special features • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Wednesday, 29 December 1937 • •
• • Variety did an article on the ill-fated broadcast Mae did on NBC: "Mae West Case Big Dilemma in Washington." This piece was printed in Variety on Wednesday, 29 December 1937.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • "Mae is Mae West as always, sartorially magnificent in the stunning screen wardrobe for "Every Day's a Holiday" [1937] designed for her by Elsa Schiaparelli."
• • And she wore it well, let's not forget.
• • Elsa Schiaparelli was born in Rome in 1890, making her three years older than Mae West.
• • Elsa Schiaparelli, who had a brilliant career in fashion, died in Paris, France in 1973.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: ''I like movies about strong women. I was the first liberated woman, y'know. No guy was gonna get the best of me.''
• • Mae West said: "I take it out in the open and laugh at it."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Film Bulletin mentioned Mae West.
• • “Every Day’s a Holiday” Is One of Mae West’s Best Paramount [80 Minutes] • •
• • She likes Edmund Lowe, an honest detective, who disobeys orders issued by Lloyd Nolan, a crooked inspector, to arrest Mae.
• • She dresses up as a French actress with dark wig and proceeds to woo Nolan.
• • He becomes jealous of Lowe and fires him from the staff. The two men are later rivals. …
• • Source: Film Bulletin; published on Saturday, 1 January 1938
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,146th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1934 and in 1937 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: A Damp Squib

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:19:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 65 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: A high point in a damp squib • •

• • Andy Goulding wrote: It’s a high point amongst what is, unfortunately, a damp squib of a film.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: While “The Heat’s On” might feel like a limp ending to Mae West’s glory days, it was only the end of her screen years (not counting the roundly-panned duo of films she made in the 70s, later reclaimed by some as artefacts of high camp).
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Though her popularity as a screen attraction had waned, she was not recognised as an institution thoroughly embedded in the culture and her return to her stage roots, including lucrative stints in Las Vegas, proved wildly popular.
• • Mae West: Resisted a return to the screen for 27 years • • …
• • Note: Drawing of Walter Plunkett's beautiful gown for Mae West.
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On 28 December 1919 on Broadway • •
• • It was 28 December 1919 and Mae West was very busy in Manhattan — — double-booked, in fact.
• • The 26-year-old "firefly of vaudeville" was appearing that night at the Lyric Theatre [on 42nd Street, west of Broadway]. Sharing the Lyric bill with her were these entertainers: Eugene and Willie, the Howard Brothers; Carl McCullough; the 4 Haley Sisters; and "8 other favorite acts."
• • On the same night, Mae West performed at the 44th Street Theatre [near Broadway]. On the program was the top-billed act — — Sophie Tucker and Her Kings of Syncopation — — along with Ames and Winthrop, Mae West, Riggs and Witchie, and "8 other favorite acts."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Though Mae West staked her claim on the shimmy-shewabble, alas, so did Gilda Gray, who was eight years younger, lithe, lean, and long-legged — — and inclined to shake her chemise.
• • In Her Own Words • •

• • Mae West said: "Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big, black space where the audience is."
• • Mae West said: "But above all, you've gotta have a certain something."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Film Bulletin mentioned Mae West.
• • “Every Day’s a Holiday” Is One of Mae West’s Best Paramount [80 Minutes] • •
• • Where Mae West has always been popular, the recent publicity about her radio role will hardly be an adverse factor. This will get good grosses.
• • In the smaller family communities she has probably been hurt but, then, her pictures probably meant little there before.
• • The story is laid in 1899, with Mae portraying the part of a shrewd confidence woman who sells Brooklyn Bridge to a tourist played by Herman Bing. …
• • Source: Film Bulletin; published on Saturday, 1 January 1938
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,145th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1943 and in 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: For Completists

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 01:50:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 64 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: For completists • •

• • Andy Goulding wrote: Though not a disaster, “The Heat’s On” is the epitome of a weak film of its era.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: The comedy, which mostly comes courtesy of Victor Moore rather than Mae West, is unfunny; the plot is perfunctory and the majority of the musical turns are drippily dull.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: The notable exception to this latter point is the wonderful Hazel Scott, a jazz pianist and civil rights activist who completely steals the film with a routine in which she plays two pianos simultaneously. The use of black keys on white keys on one piano and white on black on the other predates the message of ‘Ebony and Ivory’ by decades, and the music’s better too!
• • Mae West: A high point in a damp squib • • …
• • Note: Drawing of Walter Plunkett's beautiful gown for Mae West.
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Monday, 27 December 1937 • •

• • "Every Day's a Holiday" starring Mae West was reviewed (on page 8) for Film Daily on Monday, 27 December 1937.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • At that time there were no sex symbols, said Marlene Dietrich [born on 27 December 1901]. In my opinion this notion first came into being with Marilyn Monroe. Sex was then taboo.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "If you need a face job, why not?"
• • Mae West said: "I speak two languages, Body and English."
• • Mae West said: "Permissive is just another word for dirty. Sex is not dirty."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Film Bulletin mentioned Mae West.
• • “Every Day’s a Holiday” Is One of Mae West’s Best Paramount ― [80 Minutes] • •
• • Although the buxom star still casts meaningful glances, swings her hips and drops an occasional double entendre, “Every Day’s a Holiday” relies more on directly clever dialogue and fast moving action than any of her prior vehicles.
• • Additionally, she is surrounded by a most competent cast of fun-makers, notably Charles Butterworth, Charles Winninger and Walter Catlett. They get plenty of laughs on their own.
• • Note: Actor Charles Butterworth [26 July 1899 — 14 June 1946] specialized in comedy roles.
• • Charles Butterworth was killed in an automobile accident in Los Angeles in June 1946. Unfortunately, he lost control of his car on Sunset Boulevard and crashed. He was 46. …
• • Source: Film Bulletin; published on Saturday, 1 January 1938
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,144th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1943 and in 1937 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Continued Interest

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 02:15:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 63 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: The film strings together showpieces • •

• • Andy Goulding wrote: This kind of musical, in which an afterthought of a plot is used to string together a series of showpieces, was not uncommon in the 1930s and 1940s.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: But they don’t tend to get shown much now because the material has often dated poorly.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: “The Heat’s On” seems to have survived above its contemporaries chiefly because of Mae West’s involvement and the continued interest in her work.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: However, its previous availability had been quite limited.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Its preservation here then is a cause for celebration for completists, even if it had little to offer the average viewer.

• • Mae West: For completists • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On 26 December 1946 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • Bosley Crowther wrote an obit: W.C. Fields, 66, Dies; Famed as Comedian.
• • According to Bosley Crowther's coverage: Pasadena, Calif., Dec. 25 — W. C. Fields, the comedian whose deadpan gestures, raspy remarks and "never give a sucker an even break" characterizations made him a showman beloved the nation over, died today at the age of 66.

• • During the last ten years, the principal motion pictures of W.C. Fields were "Poppy," "The Big Broadcast of 1938," "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man," "My Little Chickadee," written by Mae West and Mr. Fields and starring both; . . . .
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Aileen St. John Brenon wrote: There are many things in Mae West’s life you've never even heard about, and that she'd never dream of mentioning.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "The idea for 'Every Day's a Holiday' came to me in 56 seconds."
• • Mae West said: "I had been starred but I was glad to go to Hollywood as a nobody."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Film Bulletin mentioned Mae West.
• • “Every Day’s a Holiday” Is One of Mae West’s Best Paramount ― [80 Minutes] • •
• • Mae West, Edmund Lowe, Charles Butterworth, Charles Winninger, Walter Catlett, Lloyd Nolan, Herman Bing, Louis Armstrong.
• • Directed by A. Edward Sutherland.
• • Here is one of Mae West's funniest pictures (probably the best since her first), yet it is the least suggestive. …
• • Source: Film Bulletin; published on Saturday, 1 January 1938
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,143rd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1943 and in 1940 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: A Musical Revue

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 03:51:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 62 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •

• • Mae West: Not good but not bad either • •
• • Andy Goulding wrote: In other words, Mae West’s final film of the Golden Age was not a Mae West film at all.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: “The Heat’s On” is not a good film but neither is it the abomination that most online reviews make it out to be.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: These reviews largely come from disappointed West fans who were hoping for something more akin to what they’d come to expect from her work, or at the very least something she’s actually in!
• • Andy Goulding wrote: What “The Heat’s On” is instead is a musical revue.
• • Mae West: The film strings together showpieces • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Sunday, 22 December 1935 in The L.A. Times • •
• • Photographs of Mae's Los Angeles apartment were featured in the Sunday edition of The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, 22 December 1935.
• • On Sunday, 22 December 1963 • •
• • "Mae West Will Guest" • •
• • Hollywood — — Mae West will make one of her rare television appearances when she is the guest star in an episode of “Mister Ed,” stated The Fresno Bee on Sunday, 22 December 1963.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Producers issued a new "verboten" order prohibiting visitors in studios and on sets. But if you happen to be a president's son, then the new ukase means nothing.
• • Elliott Roosevelt saw Mae West making "It Ain't No Sin."
• • Elliott Roosevelt [23 September 1910 ― 27 October 1990] is aviation editor for Universal News Service.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I hate to spoil a good story but I don't believe in secret marriages. Whenever I take a husband I'll be the first one to know it. And I'll tell the world."

• • Mae West said: "Santa Baby, come and trim my Christmas tree."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Motion Picture Herald mentioned Mae West.
• • Mae West Double Tours City for "Belle" Date • •
• • For his street ballyhoo on "Belle of the 90's" Taylor Myers, Loew's Broad, Columbus, Ohio, used a Mae West double in flashily decorated open car driven by officer in uniform.
• • "Mae" stopped at various prominent corners, visited office buildings and department stores distributing smaller teaser cards reading "It Ain't No Sin to see Mae West," et cetera. …
• • Source: Motion Picture Herald; published on Saturday, 6 October 1934
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,142nd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1943 and ornament • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Top Billing

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 00:41:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 61 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: Her next film was in 1943 • •
• • “THE HEAT’S ON” (79 mins., 1943) • •

• • Mae West’s role: Fay Lawrence • •
• • Andy Goulding wrote: “The Heat’s On” was Mae West’s first film in three years but something was very different.
• • Mae Got Top Billing • •
• • Andy Goulding wrote: While she still received top billing over the title, she had to share it with two men.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Her name was nowhere to be found amongst the writing and story credits.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Worst of all, her screen-time was negligible and her performance disengaged and without the wit or flair audiences had come to associate with her.
• • Mae West: Not good but not bad either • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Sunday, 21 December 1969 • •
• • "Too Much of a Good Thing Can Be Wonderful" ran the headline of a lengthy piece on Mae West in the L.A. Times's Sunday magazine section called West. It was published on 21 December 1969 and quoted her tips on staying youthful and living a happy life.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • Aileen St. John Brenon wrote: Mae West is tight-lipped, that's what she is, about her personal affairs.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "There he was with a show house that wasn't doing so good, and there I was with a play that I was certain would make him money. He wouldn't take it. He wouldn't even read it."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A review of "Belle of the Nineties" mentioned Mae West and the music.
• • Abel wrote: "Troubled Waters" introduces a little of the Elder Michaux revival meeting. That's in the offing, but within seeming earshot, and thus Mae West does a semi-spiritual against the heated colored revival meeting background which productionally is rather well worked in. ...
• • Source: Variety; published on Tuesday, 25 September 1934
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,141st blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • lobby card in 1943 and in 1956 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Pitched to Fans

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 23:07:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 60 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: A film aimed at existing fans of both icons • •

• • Andy Goulding wrote: “My Little Chickadee” was very much a film aimed at existing fans of both these comic icons and the thrill of the film is in seeing them in the same picture.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Whether they enhance or detract from each other’s impact is a matter of taste.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: As a recent Mae West convert and a complete W.C. Fields novice, perhaps this is a 1940 motion picture I should revisit after I’ve seen more of the latter’s work.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: For now, “My Little Chickadee” is a not-quite-successful curio.

• • Note: Did you spot this goof? When the 'train' stops to pick up the W.C. Fields character, it consists of the locomotive only. The carriages then reappear in the next scene.
• • Note: The title text, 'The End,’ was superimposed over Mae West's gluteus maximus as she walked away from the camera.
• • Mae West: Her next film was in 1943 • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Monday, 20 December 1926 • •
• • It was on Monday, 20 December 1926 that the controversial tabloid Evening Graphic printed a publicity picture of Mae West onstage, costumed as Margy LaMont, actor Barry O'Neill sprawled out in a chair, under her. In her 1926 Broadway play, Mae wanted to depict a woman who has power over her men, a novel idea at the time for theatrical dramas.
• • On Monday, 20 December 1937 • •
• • On Monday, 20 December 1937, The Hollywood Reporter heaped praise on Mae West and "Every Day's a Holiday," writing that the motion picture was "sumptuous in atmosphere and setting."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Modern Screen wrote: If you can measure prosperity by the length of a person's automobile, then Mae West is the wealthiest gal in the world. Mae must have been saving the money she usually invests in diamonds, for she has just stepped out with a swank Dusenberg that's almost as long as a feature picture.
• • Modern Screen wrote: Mae's pretentious buggy sort of puts Bob Montgomery's imported Bentley Racer in the anti-climax department, but it hasn't taken away any of Mr. M's enthusiasm for his car.
• • Source: Modern Screen; issue dated Vol. 12, No. 1, December 1935.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "My mother always understood me. I found out all there was to know about me. Then when I grew up, I changed the things I didn't like and spotlighted the things I admired."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Motion Picture Herald mentioned Mae West.
• • "Klondike Annie" ― ― Mae West, Victor McLaglen • •
• • Motion Picture Herald wrote: A report in the paper says that the county attorney of Lancaster county, Nebraska, has applied for a court order restraining the theatres of Lincoln from showing Mae West in "Klondike Annie."
• • Motion Picture Herald wrote: Lincoln, Nebraska always was kinda funny that way. If they will team Mae up in a vaudeville act with Aimee “Scrapie” McPherson, we'll betcha it will draw the spotlight position on every vaudeville show in the land. …
• • Source: Motion Picture Herald; published on Saturday, 4 April 1936
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,140th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1940 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Closing Gag

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 23:56:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 59 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: Enjoyable to wait for Mae’s next scene • •

• • Andy Goulding wrote: It made me curious to watch more of W.C. Fields’ work to see if his peculiar style is a taste I can acquire or not.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: But I did spend most of his solo scenes here mostly looking forward to Mae West reappearing.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: The closing gag, in which (mild spoiler here) the two stars speak each other’s catchphrases, is the key to “My Little Chickadee.”
• • Note: There’s a story that goes like this: W.C. Fields walked off the set over what director Edward F. Cline felt was a minor disagreement. When it was clear after two weeks that he was not coming back to finish the film, nearly one-third was shot using a double. The double used is unknown. It could have been John Sinclair, who had doubled for him in “Poppy” (1936), or David Sharpe, who was his stunt double in later films. The double wore a plastic mask and most of the shots were long shots.
• • Mae West: A film aimed at existing fans of both icons • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Sunday, 19 December 1948 • •

• • The date was Sunday, 19 December 1948.
• • Mae West sat in the VIP section of the audience during the famed TV variety favorite hosted by Ed Sullivan. The actress was in rehearsal in New York City at that time, auditioning for a new cast and preparing for a revival of "Diamond Lil," a production that would open on Broadway on 5 February 1949.
• • During the program's place in its own line-up [for Season 2, Episode # 15], it was still being called "Toast of the Town."
• • Note: Wearing a mink coat, Mae West shows off a fancy dress underneath. Atypically, though, Mae has taken off her hat.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Libby Taylor has been assigned to a comedy role in a RKO featurette, "Headline Comedy," in which the dramatic actress Ruth Etting brings her public career to a close. Meanwhile, Libby Taylor goes right ahead with her film career while also "maiding" for Mae West.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "The thing that worries me most ... is the reformers likin' me. When they do, I'll know I'm slippin'!"
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A newspaper in Perth, Australia mentioned Mae West.
• • In the Sunday Times, a gossip columnist noted that, to celebrate the completion of her last picture, Mae West has given director Edward Sutherland a gold watch case inscribed "Come up and see me sometime — — and I'll give you the works." …
• • Source: Times [Perth, Australia]; published on Sunday, 19 December 1937
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,139th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1948 and a poster seen by Musso and Frank's • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Dry Martini

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 12:03:00 +0000

A witty line said by MAE WEST in a motion picture is often attributed to her. But fortunately we have Sam, the answer man, to set the record straight regarding the originator.
• • QUOTE: "Let's get out of this wet clothing and into a dry Martini."
• • Who said this? asked Jim Anderson of Bathgate, England.
• • Sam's response: This witticism was originally coined by Robert Benchley's press agent.
• • But later the line was taken up by Mae West in her 1937 screen comedy "Every Day's A Holiday."

• • Mae's character was Peaches O'Day, a con woman who tried to sell the Brooklyn Bridge to tourists.
• • Fun fact: Mae West gives her first screen kiss in this motion picture to the character portrayed by Charles Winninger.
• • Mae West said, "By now I think Charlie's old enough not to take it too seriously."
• • Source: Column: "Showbiz: The Man in the Know" written by Sam; published by the California Chronicle on Saturday, 6 March 2010
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,138th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1937 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest NYC Mae West.

Mae West: Misogynistic Humor

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 03:22:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 58 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: But the joke is aimed at W.C. Fields • •

• • Andy Goulding wrote: The joke is aimed at Fields, with the double punchline being that he hurt his foot on her corset and that she came back the following day and beat up both her attackers.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: But it’s hard to see where the humour ever was in a speech that features the line “I starts kicking her in the midriff.”
• • Andy Goulding wrote: It’s an odd example of violence against women being seen as an acceptable punchline.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: And this is a trope that, unfortunately, lasted well into the 1980s.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: “My Little Chickadee,” for all its failings, is a handsomely mounted film that passes 80 minutes quite enjoyably, especially when Mae West is onscreen.
• • Mae West: Enjoyable to wait for Mae’s next scene • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Monday, 15 December 1930 • •
• • On Monday, 15 December 1930 this material was copyrighted: "Frisco Kate, a play in 3 acts" by Mae West.
• • Mae listed her address as 200 West 57th Street, New York, NY in 1930.
• • On Friday, 15 December 1933 • •
• • The release date for "She Done Him Wrong" in France was on Friday, 15 December 1933. In that country, the film's title was "Lady Lou."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • Mae West — the femme fatale of the Bowery, bowling her leading men over one by one with her classical interpretation of a story-book strumpet.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I walk two or three miles a day. I eat lots of proteins and ... I don't think about anything that might bother me."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A new-sheet Gunsite Gossip mentioned Mae West.
• • Jeff Cooper wrote: In the German magazine Visier, we see the new H and K SOCOM as "Zu viel des Gutes," which means "Too much of a good thing." Are any of you old enough to recall what Mae West had to say about that?
• • Jeff Cooper wrote: According to the legend, she said "Too much of good thing is ... marvelous!"
• • Source: Gunsite Gossip; posted in December 1997
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,137th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1940 and in 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Spoof Western

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 02:19:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 57 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: W.C. Fields and his pompously eloquent persona • •

• • Andy Goulding wrote: Fields has some funny moments, like a borderline surreal bath sequence in which we see just his legs washing themselves, and his pompously eloquent persona is amusing, though a little goes a long way and it’s so broad that he makes Mae West look subtle.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Once again, there are elements here that haven’t aged well.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: This is a spoof Western and so there are the usual Native American stereotypes of ululating savages that were pretty much a staple in early examples of the genre.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Far stranger is a speech by Fields as he fills in behind a saloon bar, in which he tells a story about how he and another barman beat up a female bandit.

• • Mae West: But the joke is aimed at W.C. Fields • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Tuesday, 14 December 1937 • •
• • Conservative Catholic Martin Quigley's hand-wringing article, "Radio Begs Trouble," found its way into Motion Picture Daily who ran it on page 10.
• • The issue, centered around the controversial NBC Sunday evening broadcast starring Mae West, was dated for Tuesday, 14 December 1937.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Hollywood — Owen Moore is back from New York to play with Mae West in her first Paramount starring vehicle, "Ruby Red."
• • Owen Moore is abandoning a personal appearance tour which started in Hollywood last April.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I've never seen any of Marilyn Monroe's movies but she's probably a sweet kid."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Scarsdale Inquirer mentioned Mae West.
• • The Scarsdale Theatre on Garth Road would be screening the Mae West picture called "Belle of the Nineties" on December 19th and 20th, 1934. …
• • Source: The Scarsdale Inquirer; published on Friday, 14 December 1934
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,136th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1940 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Shambolic Slapstick

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 20:38:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 56 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: W.C. Fields and his shambolic slapstick • •
• • Andy Goulding wrote: “My Little Chickadee” is passable fun.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: But for me here the major problem with their 1940 film is W.C. Fields himself.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Frankly, I am undecided on whether I enjoy W.C. Fields, either his work as a performer.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: The odd mix of Fields' verbose wordplay and shambolic slapstick is fascinating to watch.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: However, it needs a lot of space in which to work.
• • Unfortunately, W.C. Fields’ style does not blend with Mae West as a comedy partner • •
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Fields’ style doesn’t blend with a comedy partner, least of all one as equally dominant as Mae West.
• • Mae West: W.C. Fields and his pompously eloquent persona • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • On Friday, 13 December 1912 in Variety • •
• • At Hammerstein's Victoria the stagebill was always crowded.
• • In December 1912, the singing comedienne Mae West opened right after intermission, a difficult spot on the Program because the audience was still taking seats, waving to friends as they strolled down the aisle, and not paying attention to the act onstage.
• • Variety noted, in their issue dated for Friday, 13 December 1912 that Mae West was at a disadvantage that evening and "some of her very good material went for naught."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • Mae West's style is too subtle for Hollywood, it seems. They don't get her. After seeing Mae West in "She Done Him Wrong," I went around shouting like a fan fanatic. Is that being sophisticated? Well, Richard Cromwell joined me.
• • Thank God for youth and the finer susceptibilities. As I say, Hollywood couldn't make Mae out.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "A man in love is like a clipped coupon — — it's time to cash in."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A newspaper in Brisbane mentioned Mae West.
• • Mae West as Star of Theatre • •
• • The Courier-Mail wrote: Mae West's latest film, now showing at the Majestic Theatre, is a story of broken romances. It also provides her with a more or less straight part to play as Mavis Arden, a theatre star under a five-year contract, which stipulates that she must not fall in love.
• • The Courier-Mail explained: Her press agent and adviser (Warren William) has a fulltime job to see that the clause of her contract is carried out, but he himself falls in love with her.
• • The Courier-Mail added: Before this, however, he manages to break up her romances with Harrigan (Lyle Talbot), an old sweetheart of hers, and a local farmer (Randolph Scott). ...
• • Source: The Courier-Mail (Brisbane); published on Monday, 13 December 1937
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,135th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1940, in 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Best Material

noreply@blogger.com (Mae West NYC) — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 21:25:00 +0000

MAE WEST came to the attention of Tinseltown ninety years ago in 1932. Step into the Time Machine with me for a long, leisurely ride. This is Part 55 of 68.
• • Mae West in Hollywood 1932 – 1943 • •
• • Mae West: The screenplay conspires to keep them apart • •
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Neither West or Fields seem like the sort of performers who benefit from an onscreen partner.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Both thrive more as solo performers who are allowed to dominate their respective films.

• • Andy Goulding wrote: “My Little Chickadee” seems to recognise this to an extent, and though they do have scenes together the screenplay conspires to keep them apart for much of the runtime, with separate set-pieces allowing them to do their thing.
• • Andy Goulding wrote: Mae West gets the best material, with the highlight being a scene in which she substitutes for a teacher with a class of unruly boys.
• • Mae West: W.C. Fields and his shambolic slapstick • • …
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Blueprint Reviews U.K.; posted on Friday, 3 December 2021.
• • Mae West on NBC, Sunday, 12 December 1937 • •

• • Perhaps no other radio segment of The Chase and Sanborn Hour has sparked more commentary than the Sunday, December 12th, 1937 broadcast starring Mae West, the 44-year-old movie queen, who usually hid the fact that she was unable to read a script without eyeglasses.
• • The popular star of Paramount Pictures rarely appeared on radio. When she did, the sole purpose was to promote one of her films. West had guest-starred on The Shell Chateau with Al Jolson in 1936 and also Louella Parsons’ blackmailing program Hollywood Hotel on 26 April 1935, with featured guest Paul Cavanagh in an adaptation of her (then most current) screen gem: "Goin’ to Town."
• • When the producers of The Chase and Sanborn Hour offered the sex goddess the opportunity to appear on the weekly show — — then currently the highest-rated program of the year — — she accepted the invitation to boost the awareness of her latest film, "Every Day's a Holiday."
• • Mae West often wrote her own scripts and even produced her own plays, so she offered NBC the option of a sneak peek at some scenes from her new screen comedy set during the 1890s in New York City.
• • Interesting, but rarely commented on, is the fact that Mae wore a spectacular black gown framed by expensive furs and jewelry when she showed up at NBC's Hollywood headquarters on Sunday, 12 December 1937 — — an eyeful that could only be appreciated by the live studio audience.
• • As if to be extra-cautious, Mae donned eyeglasses and also wore a fancy lornette on a chain around her neck, not unlike the extra-careful gentleman who wears suspenders and a belt. Then she stepped up to the microphone and threw caution to the fates.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Hollywood — Mae West, who makes her screen debut in "Night After Night," and Roscoe Karns have been given Paramount contracts.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "To me the most difficult part of placing a successful motion picture story is getting it cast correctly."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about 12 December 1937 on radio mentioned Mae West.
• • "Snake Drive: Old-time radio listening, 12 December" • •
• • Jeff Kallman wrote: The irony of a ventriloquist becoming a radio star receives perhaps its most notorious counter-irony tonight, when a comedy sketch written by an up-and-coming horror and suspense master triggers a furor that comes close enough to bringing the tentacles of government into a choke-hold around the neck of NBC.
• • Jeff Kallman wrote: Arch Oboler, making his name already as the brains that succeed and nearly transcend Wyllis Cooper in the latter’s creation, Lights Out, writes an otherwise silly sketch parodying the Garden of Eden, tailoring the portrayal of Eve specifically to stage and screen siren Mae West, with original host Don Ameche as Adam. ...
• • Source: The Examiner; published on Saturday, 12 December 2009
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,134th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1937, in 1940 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest