Mae West: Wahl's Influence

Millinery maven and movie critic extraordinaire, Jan Wahl said MAE WEST influenced her.
• • Here is an excerpt from a spirited interview helmed by Tiffany Maleshefski.
• • "San Francisco’s beloved movie reviewer Jan Wahl tells us about her life’s lessons, the women who have influenced her, and how it’s important to find the positive within unexpected happenings," writes Tiffany Maleshefski.
• • What person has influenced the course of your life most — personally or professionally?
• • Two women come to mind. My mother, who is a strong, world-traveling, kick-butt woman, and she’s so bright. To this day, she’s just bright and funny and feisty and always has a cause. She’s always got fire in her belly. Vitality. That’s one of my favorite characteristics of anybody. And another person is Mae West and Bette Midler — — I guess there’s a theme going here with strong women.
• • What do you consider to be your “golden rule?”
• • “Plant your feet and tell the truth.” Jimmy Cagney said that. And then from Emile Zola: “I’ve come to live out loud.” And the other one is from Auntie Mame, who said, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” Oh, and Harold and Maude. "Harold and Maude" is one of my favorite movies ever made. It was filmed in San Francisco, by the way, and Ruth Gordon who plays Maude, one of her lines is “Live, live, live! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room.”
• • What is the best lesson you’ve learned and what is the hardest you’ve learned?
• • The best lesson is not to be invested too heavily in what other people think of you. And women, particularly women, need to know that. Women have the tendency to people-please and cookie cutter themselves to the shape of what others want them to be and they need to know to march to their own drummer. The hardest, is what Bette Davis said: “They only shoot at stars.” . . .
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: Credo: Movie reviewer Jan Wahl
• • Byline: Tiffany Maleshefski
• • Published in: The San Francisco Examiner — — www.sfexaminer.com
• • Published on: 1 March 2009
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• • Born in West Los Angeles, journalist Jan Wahl is also heard on radio. Ms. Wahl's regular cultural and show business reviews are featured on KCBS Radio, All News 740-AM. Audiences loved her long-running show, “Hollywood Calling” on KNBR.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
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Mae West.