Mae West: Brooklyn Roots

MAE WEST and other Kings County cut-ups are discussed in an excellent article published by the venerable Brooklyn Eagle. Written by Brooklyn historian John B. Manbeck, "When Brooklyn Lost its Groove" is worth looking at.
• • Enjoy a tiny bit below to whet your appetite:
• • According to John Manbeck, Comics on the radio and in the movies sustained the image of the dumb but lovable mug from Brooklyn. Vitagraph Films and Hollywood stole the Brooklyn bumpkin from vaudeville and moved him to Coney Island. There he was impersonated by Buster Keaton, Fatty Arbuckle, Harold Lloyd, and John Bunny. Brooklyn women, although few had native roots, usually acted sharper than their counterparts act and were personified by MAE WEST, Marie Dressler, Jean Harlow, Gloria Grahame, and Pamela Britton. Masie, played by Ann Sothern, became a female William Bendix.
• • Radio added an aural dimension to the portrait. . . .
Source: The Brooklyn Eagle - - http://www.brooklyneagle.com/
Byline: John B. Manbeck
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
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Mae West.