Mae West: Monte Collins

MAE WEST doted on sailors — — and several actors portrayed men in military garb in her motion pictures.
• • Born in Mae's hometown, New York City, Monte Collins, Jr. [3 December 1898 — 1 June 1951] was the son of Monte Collins, Sr. [1856 — 1929], a durable silent screen actor.
• • Throughout the 1930s he appeared in secondary roles (businessmen, butlers, soldiers, salesmen, etc.) in both feature films as well as short subjects. He is seen briefly as a sailor in one of the circus scenes in "I'm No Angel." He appeared in 167 films between 1920 — 1948. Also a screenwriter, he penned original scripts or contributed gags and other material to 32 motion pictures between 1930 — 1951.
• • According to Columbia film historian Ted Okuda, Monte Collins was the Dan Aykroyd of his day — — a reliable, skilled comedian who usually assisted other stars in getting laughs, rather than driving the action by himself.
• • At the age of 52, the five-foot-ten performer altered the spelling of his first name to "Monty" as he was about to launch his TV career when, unfortunately, he suffered a fatal heart attack in 1951 in North Hollywood, California on the first day in June.
• • • • June 1933 • • • •
• • "I'm No Angel" spread its wings in June 1933 when a script was submitted to the AMPP that month. The Paramount Pictures story files at the AMPAS Library indicate that Mae West authored the original treatment of the film. Shortly thereafter, the Hollywood Reporter printed a short news teaser announcing that Claude Binyon and Frank Butler were assigned to write the screenplay. Their contribution to the final version, however, has never been determined.
• • Over the next few months, many elements in the script and in the song lyrics would be deemed "overly suggestive." For instance, the Hays Office cautioned that the word "French" should be cut from a reference to "a set of French postcards" because it made the subject too racy. Lines like "You'll like what I've got in mind," "I'm always wonderful at night," and "But when I'm bad I'm better" were fussed over as the plot police readied a big scrap heap for Mae's best one-liners.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West with Cary Grant • • 1933 • •
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