Mae West: "Hard to Handle"

When MAE WEST was getting fitted for her costumes for the ill-fated "Myra Breckinridge"
[release date 24 June 1970], one creation by Edith Head cleverly reprised Mae's Statue of Liberty moment in the 1934 movie "Belle of the Nineties."
• • During March 1970, Edith Head [1897-1981] was working on Mae's wardrobe.
• • This is Edith Head's sketch for Mae's character Leticia Van Allen.
• • Author Gore Vidal, who disowned the screen version of his novel, had named his character "Letitia" - - but Mae West insisted that her role should be advertised as "Leticia," citing "the obvious reasons."

• • In this production, Mae West performed the songs "Hard to Handle" and "You Gotta Taste All the Fruit." During the shoot, the actress would come to work surrounded by young, muscular males. She would tell the studio security, "They're with me!"
• • Director Michael Sarne did not use a lot of the material Mae West had written for her scenes, she later complained to newspaper reporters.
• • This box office disappointment was the feature debut of actor Tom Selleck.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Illustration: • • Mae West's costume by Edith Head • • 1970 • •
NYC
Mae West.