Mae West: John Huston

When John Huston [1906-1987] watched MAE WEST in the 1928 stage production of "Diamond Lil," the 22-year-old son of actor Walter Huston could not stop thinking about it. John saved his copy of The New Yorker [5 May 1928] because he especially admired the illustration of a corseted, glittering, winsome Mae by the Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias.
• • Huston, however, couldn't let go.
• • Inspired and infatuated, John Huston began researching the pedigree of "Frankie and Johnny," one of the songs that Mae West had performed in her play.
• • The result was John's first play - - "Frankie and Johnny" - - and the book was illustrated by Miguel Covarrubias. New York publishers Albert and Charles Boni enjoyed the way that Huston explored the old folksong's characters and added over a dozen regional versions of the narrative to the Appendix. Huston felt that the St. Louis version of "Frankie and Johnny" was the most authentic.
• • Boni published John Huston's book on 1 January 1930. Originally dark-skinned, Frankie and Johnny became Caucasian in the hands of Covarrubias. In fact, Frankie bears a strong resemblance to. . . Diamond Lil!
• • The eccentric Oscar-winning filmmaker fulfilled a lifelong dream, portraying the character Buck Loner, opposite the idol of his youth Mae West in the film "Myra Breckinridge" [1970].
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • John Huston • • 1970 • •
NYC
Mae West.