Mae West: 1947 UK Tour

In Great Britain, an historic seaside hotel visited by Hollywood film stars - - and personally re-christened by Mae West in 1947 after a major renovation - - has been demolished despite campaigners attempts to save it. An article in the Liverpool Echo pictured Mae West during her 1947 British tour, and made no mention of any other notables associated with this landmark except for our beloved American actress. Nice to see such respect for Mae, still one of a kind. The article is excerpted below.
• • New Brighton's Grand Hotel was built in the 1850s, and when it was revamped in the 20th century it was given a glitzy reopening by film icon Mae West.
• • In its heydey the Grand was just that. It was one of the most popular and glamorous hotels in the area attracting visitors from all over the country. At cocktail hour a pianist would serenade guests from a revolving turntable, while later there was a Spanish restaurant where dinner dances were held nightly. In 1953 an advert for the hotel read: "Boldly situated on the broad seafront and commanding magnificent views of the ever changing panorama of river and sea... an hotel of infinite charm, supreme comfort and personality." But with the decline in popularity of New Brighton, the hotel became a nightclub and then, for the last 15 years, had been derelict and an eyesore. ...
• • • When Mae came to Merseyside • • •
• • HOLLYWOOD siren Mae West is not someone you would expect to see on a wet weekend in Merseyside. But the star was in Liverpool in 1947 to perform the play she wrote herself, Diamond Lil, at the Liverpool Empire. Billed as a "World-famous comedy melodrama of the gay Nineties" it played in the city for two weeks in November, and was revived three times on Broadway. ...
• • excerpt from: "Life of grand old building is brought to a sorry end"
• • By Homa Khaleeli, Liverpool Echo, 15 March 2006
________________________________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo • Mae West • 1947 UK tour
NYC
Mae West.