Mae West: 15 Minutes Magazine

What Goes Down by Jules Peimer

LEGENDARY Joe Franklin, who had Mae West on his TV show many times, was guest of honor at the colorful Mae West Birthday Gala at Bill’s Gay Nineties. "Mae was a wonderful guest and a great comedienne," Franklin said. "Besides being the sexiest and highest salaried woman as a filmstar and nightclub performer during her heyday, she was also famous for her witticisms" - - such as:
* * "Keep a diary and someday it will keep you."
* * "I used to be Snow White but I drifted."
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Marta Reiman, a member of the Workshop Theater, did an admirable job of portraying Mae West’s sexuality, mannerisms, and speech patterns in the opening scene from the play Courting Mae West. "Mae West had a great style, an attitude, and her ahead-of-the-times sexuality made her one-of-a-kind," said Reiman.
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Playwright Linda Ann Loschiavo said that Mae West had been a failure for 27 years, accepted only by the burlesque community until Mae became a moviestar at age 40. "She was known for her outlandish sexuality and ability to ad lib," said Loschiavo. However, the one-liners in her play Courting Mae West are all original - - such as: "My hour glass figure makes each second count."
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In the first scene, when a reporter tells Mae West he has to finish writing a biography of General Winfield Scott before his editor will assign him to interview actresses, Mae promises, "Listen, when you're writing about me, the sun won’t be the only thing going down on you."
* * PHOTO: Marta Reiman and Linda Ann Loschiavo
* * PHOTO: Talia Castro-Pozo and Joe Franklin
[All photos taken on August 17, 2005 at the Mae West Birthday Gala.]
Text and Photos by Jules Peimer
with Olympus Stylus 400 Digital Camera
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