Mae West: Time's Up for Tim

Since MAE WEST had her eye on Tammany Hall perhaps for the entire time she lived in New York, she could spot a fixer. One of them didn't fix his abrupt end though, which arrived rather shabbily at the end of August on some railroad tracks well north of his Chinatown clubhouse.
• • "Big" Tim Sullivan [23 July 1862 — 31 August 1913] was a fixer extraordinaire and a born ward-heeler. This New York politician who controlled Manhattan's Bowery and Lower East Side districts as a prominent figure within Tammany Hall was the model for Mae's character Gus Jordan in "Diamond Lil."
• • Similarly, in "She Done Him Wrong" [1933] the bejeweled chanteuse and brash entertainer Lady Lou (Mae West) works in the 1890s Bowery saloon of her boss and benefactor Gus Jordan (Noah Beery, Sr.), who has given her many diamonds.
• • Several of the regulars who could be found bending an elbow at Gus Jordan's barroom were drawn from life. In 1928, many ticket-holders lining up in front of the Royale Theatre [located at 242 West 45th Street] probably would have recognized the name, for instance, of the legendary Bowery notable Chuck Connors, and relished seeing Chuck Connors, Jr. in the cast portraying his infamous Dad — — called "Lefty Eddie" in Mae's play.
• • "Big" Tim reworked as Gus Jordan • •
• • Unbeknownst to Lady Lou, slick and sleazy Gus Jordan trafficks in white slavery (prostitution) and runs a counterfeiting ring (to help finance Lou's expensive rock collection). He also sends young women to San Francisco to be pickpockets. Gus works with two other crooked entertainer-assistants, Russian Rita (Rafaela Ottiano) and Rita's lover, the suave Serge Stanieff (Gilbert Roland).
• • Not as handsome as Beery and certainly far heavier, "Big" Tim Sullivan was born to poor Irish parents in the notorious Five Points neighborhood. Determined to be successful, "Big" Tim Sullivan cultivated careers in business and politics. Over the course of 25 years beginning in 1886, Sullivan assembled a political machine that ruled the districts of lower Manhattan. A legitimate entrepreneur in the world of entertainment, Sullivan forged an effective brand of urban politics by fusing the traditional tactics of the machine with his influence in commercial leisure and organized crime.
• • Staging theatrical entertainments and athletic competitions, handing out food and clothing to constituents, and offering employment and social services to ordinary citizens won him many followers, but Sullivan's protection of key figures in the vice economy of the Lower East Side made him a rather controversial figure. Despite his frequent use of physical intimidation, "Big" Tim nonetheless worked to expand the franchise and give the disadvantaged a voice in municipal politics.
• • Both Mae West's character Gus Jordan and Tim Sullivan were active in a number of illegal activities including prostitution, white slavery, gambling, and extortion.
• • On 31 August 1913, "Big" Tim's body was found on the tracks in the Eastchester area of the Bronx, New York. He was 51 years old.
• • Sullivan's wake was held at his clubhouse — — located at 203 Bowery.
• • More than 25,000 people turned out for his funeral at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, New York on Mott Street. Perhaps some "mourners" turned up solely to make sure this politico was dead.
• • Tim's clubhouse was down the block from the notorious Bowery "resort" near Houston Street, namely McGurk's Suicide Hall [295 Bowery]. The second chapter of "Diamond Lil" (a 256-page novelization of the play published by Macaulay in 1932) is Suicide Hall.
— — Source for some of this information: — —
• • Article: "Underworlds and Underdogs: Big Tim Sullivan and Metropolitan Politics in New York, 1889 — 1913"
• • Byline: Daniel Czitrom
• • Published in: The Journal of American History, vol. 78, no.2
• • Published on: September 1991
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• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Mobile Movie Queen

The "mobile motor lodge" owned by MAE WEST has brought her history on wheels to a whole new audience: the RV buffs. Roving exhibitions have featured this vehicle along with a colorful coffeetable book.
• • In 1931, Mae West’s Paramount Studios contract included a chauffeur-driven “house car” for the star to relax in while filming movies. And it's interesting that Mae West happens to have something in common with Henry Ford [30 July 1863 — 7 April 1947] , Thomas Edison, Howard Hughes, John Madden, the Partridge Family [ABC series aired originally from 25 September 1970 until 31 August 1974], Ken Kesey, The Who, and even Barbie. All of these had a home on wheels — — be it an old converted school bus, a massive RV cruiser, or an elegant house car. These celebrity motorhomes are only the frosting on the cake in Douglas Keister's entertaining and informative new book Mobile Mansions.
• • Chico, California-based photographer Douglas Keister fills out his ultimate guide to RV nostalgia with entertaining descriptions, as well as a sampling of photos, including the deluxe motel-in-motion once enjoyed by Mae West and other cultural icons. Gibbs Smith is the publisher.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Love Goddess

Released in 1965, the documentary "The Love Goddesses" features fabulous archival footage on MAE WEST — — and one of the movie queens sharing screen credit is attached to August 29th.
• • Using clips from the Hollywood heyday of several bold-faced beauties who graced the silver screen, "The Love Goddesses" shows how the movie industry changed its portrayal of sex and sex appeal from the silent movie era to the present. Scenes are shown from the silent classic "True Heart Susie" starring Lillian Gish, "She Done Him Wrong" starring Mae West (1933), "Love Me Tonight" (1932) starring Jeanette MacDonald (in her pre-Nelson Eddy interval), "A Place in the Sun" (1951) starring Elizabeth Taylor, and many other celluloid sizzlers — — such as the female star of "Casablanca" Ingrid Bergman, who was born on 29 August 1915 and who also died on that date on 29 August 1982.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: A-MAE-Zing Inheritance

In the summer of 1926, MAE WEST performed at a charity benefit at New York City's Polo Grounds and on the bill was 35-year-old Hazel Dawn, a member of the original Ziegfeld Follies in 1907.
• • Born in Ogden, Utah, to a Mormon family, pretty Hazel Dawn [23 March 1891 — 28 August 1988] was a stage, film, and TV actress.
• • Hazel Dawn made her screen debut as Kate Shipley in "One of Our Girls" (1914). Her association with Famous Players — Lasky film company dated from this motion picture. Dawn followed this role with others in "Niobe" (1915), "Clarissa" (1915), "The Masqueraders" (1915), etc.
• • Hazel Dawn was once the mascot of both the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy at one of their annual football games. At one point, West Point cadets tossed their hats onto the stage, one cap belonging to future U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• • In 1927 she married Montana mining engineer, Charles Gruwell — — reputedly one of the richest men in the western United States.
• • At the age of 97, Hazel Dawn died in Manhattan at the home of her daughter in the month of August — — on 28 August 1988. Born two years before Mae West, her path in life was so different.
• • Probability, like time, is its own dimension. Perhaps there was an irresistible urge in certain ladies to cultivate a million admirers. A different woman would be spending her time trying to marry a millionaire. Yet another female is determined to be that millionaire. How many chances are there in one life to rewrite the acceptable version of the public self?
• • Proust said that truth is only a point of view about things. Rick, a discerning collector of Westiana, who had inherited a million memories and a trove of Mae West souvenirs from his mother, cherishes these experiences and shares his story with our readers.
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• • In commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of Mae's burial, Baltimore-based admirer Richard S. Baynes writes about Mae West and the way he became the designated guardian of his mother's beloved keepsakes.
• • • Rick remembers: I am very happy to share my thoughts about Mae West. I happen to have a nice collection of Mae memorabilia left to me by my mother.
• • • My mother adored many of the strong women actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood. She often mentioned actresses like Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and Barbara Stanwyck — — but Mae was her favorite because she had a personal connection.
• • • My mother met Mae in 1949 when she was appearing in Baltimore, Maryland as “Diamond Lil” at the Town Theatre (which was vacant and in disrepair for years, but is being renovated this year to house a local theater company). At the time, Mae would often stop in the historic Lexington Market downtown to buy fresh fruit. I’ve read that she was actually hospitalized during her stay in Baltimore, but overruled her doctor’s objections and checked out early. I also read that her long time companion Paul Novak was from Baltimore.
• • • • • • One Man's a-MAE-zing Collection • • • • • •
• • • Ricks adds: I have two signed Playbills, a couple of posters, LPs from the 1960s, movie fan magazines with articles about Mae, old cigarette cards, and song sheets with Mae’s picture on them. Over the years I’ve added to the collection (through EBAY) items such as the Mae West “Royal Doulton” figurine, the “Esco” statue, the “Effanbee” doll, a check signed in 1940, and a picture printed from a unique negative. I have also collected various mugs, cups and plates with her likeness. I particularly value a ticket from the premiere of “Sextette” held in San Francisco in 1978. I have one room that has been turned into a Mae West museum.
• • • I remember taking a trip with my mother in the late 1970s to Hollywood. While there, we just had to visit the Ravenswood Apartment Building. No, we never caught a glimpse of Mae — — but I do remember her name and phone number were listed in the Los Angeles phone book!
• • • Initially I learned about Mae from my mother, but over the years I became more and more fascinated by her life story. To me, Mae seemed bigger than life. She epitomized the true meaning of “a movie star.” She was her own creation and stayed faithful to her image until the day she died. I would love to have met her!
• • • • • • Mae West Still Matters • • • • • •
• • • Mae still matters because she is irreplaceable — — there will never be anyone like her. Celebrities today come and go, but her star is eternal. One hundred years from now, people will know the name “Mae West” and it will bring an instant smile to their face.
• • • She may not have an organized fan club but, as all the true Mae-mavens know, there is an annual Mae West Birthday Blast in New York City and another one in Hollywood. This yearly tribute on the East Coast and the West Coast means that the Empress of Sex still has fans of all ages and races. Her movies have brought immense pleasure to my life, and I’m grateful to her for that. (By the way, I take my hat off to the MAE WEST BLOG, a daily dose of the Brooklyn bombshell that does so much to keep her memory alive and helps new fans to discover her.)
• • • Take care and God bless.
Written by: Richard S. Baynes, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Penis Rumors

The absurd Lady Gaga whisperings that the chart-topper might have a penis bring to mind the equally ridiculous speculations about MAE WEST decades ago.
• • Though critics never seem to wonder if a male performer might have a vagina tucked inside his trousers, the same columnists and dart-throwers have often compared Mae to a drag queen, hinting that the movie queen was really born a male.
• • At the time, Mae tossed out this curved ball to the press corps: “Well, was he for me — — or against me?”
• • When I die, you are going to be very surprised! • •
• • In connection with a special Pride show on Thursday, 24 June 2010 in Manhattan, Joan Rivers got a column devoted to her in The Villager, whose hard-working reporter asked the Botoxed-to-death comedienne if there was anything yet to be revealed. “Only for you,” Joan Rivers said, referring our plea for an exclusive nugget: “I am a man. Mae West did that all her life. Mae would say to her audiences, ‘When I die, you are going to be very surprised!' Then she died and there was no surprise — — but how clever.” [Source: The Villager, Volume 80, Number 4 | June 23 - 29, 2010.]
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Brooklyn Ben

MAE WEST sung "Willie of the Valley" in "My Little Chickadee" [1940]. Though the composer was uncredited, this native New Yorker is being unmasked on the anniversary of his death — — August 26th.
• • Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ben Oakland [24 September 1907 — 26 August 1979] was a pianist, composer, and lyricist most active from the 1920s through the 1940s. A child prodigy, Oakland performed at Carnegie Hall in a piano concert at the age of nine. He later accompanied Helen Morgan and George Jessel in variety. Oakland composed mainly for vaudeville shows and Broadway, though he also worked on several Hollywood scores including for the motion picture classic co-starring Mae West and W.C. Fields.
• • Typically, Ben Oakland would focus on writing the music and collaborating with lyricists including Oscar Hammerstein II, Bob Russell, Milton Drake, L. Wolfe Gilbert, and Artie Shaw.
• • In 1940, he wrote "Willie of the Valley" with Milton Drake [1916 — 2006] for the film "My Little Chickadee" and this had a double distinction of being the only number in the movie and it was sung by Mae West herself.
• • The Songwriter's Hall of Fame lists Ben Oakland on their notable (non-inducted) songwriters list for contributions to the American popular song. At age 71, Oakland died in Hollywood.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: James C. Morton

It was 25 August 1912 when MAE WEST was dazzling the audience who had come to see their hometown vaudevillian at the New Brighton Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. The stage was right off the boardwalk. Years before, the comedienne's father had patrolled that esplanade, a fact that local journalists often mentioned, having encountered Battling Jack walking the beat in Coney Island.
• • Short-tempered policemen, court officers, and judges were not some of the Brooklyn bombshell's favorite folks. But James C. Morton had been cast as all of them during his long silver screen career. In his modest role as an 1890s bartender, James C. Morton had appeared with Mae in "Every Day's a Holiday" [released in the USA on 18 December 1937].
• • Born in Helena, Montana in the month of August — — on 25 August 1884 — — the balding character actor often worked for Hal Roach and, typically, he was the the butt of shenanigans by such comics as The Little Rascals, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, The Three Stooges. As Mae did, he had worked with W.C. Fields.
• • James C. Morton died on 24 October 1942 in Reseda, California.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Smart Blondes

Born a brunette in Brooklyn, MAE WEST slowly migrated to the silver screen's more desirable honey hues (during an era when motion pictures were shot in black and white). Have you ever noticed that the Empress of Sex has not been dumped into the same unflattering "dumb blonde" category where Marilyn Monroe or Jayne Mansfield wound up?
• • Reporter Jojo Moyes writes: There is a glowing list of movie stars who have not exactly had to struggle against the dictates of their hair colour: Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, and Grace Kelly to name a few. I’d quite enjoy the spectacle of watching someone trying to tell Dame Helen Mirren that she was seen as lightweight. And I would venture that Meryl Streep’s blondeness has been an irrelevance to her stellar career. She is celebrated for what she is: a smart, talented, actress who has made wise choices. ...
• • Letters about being blonde can be sent to dtletters@telegraph.co.uk (for The Daily Telegraph).
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: "What's up, blondie? Mariella Frostrup claims that blondes are subject to Fifties-style sexism. But Jojo Moyes argues it’s what you do with your hue that counts."
• • By: Jojo Moyes
• • Published on: 18 August 2010
• • Published in: The Daily Telegraph — — www.telegraph.co.uk
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Kathleen Freeman

It was 23 August 1922 when The Clipper announced that MAE WEST had returned to vaudeville and would be opening (again) at Proctor's Fifth Avenue Theatre starting that Monday. This was the same venue that had booked "Mae West and Sister" in its charming auditorium steps from Madison Square Park.
• • A laugh-getter who appeared with Mae in "Myra Breckinridge" [released in the USA on 24 June 1970] also had ties to variety. Chicago native Kathleen Freeman made her vaudeville debut at age 2, becoming a part of her parents' act.
• • Born on 17 February 1919, the heavy-set comedienne portrayed Bobby Dean Loner in the screen version of Gore Vidal's bestseller. The UCLA graduate's first goal had been to shine as a professional pianist but, after thoroughly enjoying her work with several stock productions, she changed gears. Kathleen Freeman once said: "I think comedy is more powerful than drama in the long run. Comedy is more difficult. It's very easy to make people cry."
• • She made her first motion picture appearance in 1948 at 29 years old. The reliable character actress was used as a comic foil by Jerry Lewis in several of his films. Her stocky figure, expressive face, energetic laugh, and supple voice-craft served her well, keeping her in demand and busy juggling parts on the silver screen, TV, and also on Broadway.
• • Kathleen Freeman, 82 years old, was cast in a Broadway production when she died in New York City during the month of August — — on 23 August 2001 — — of lung cancer. Engaged on stage until the very end, the octogenarian had given her final Tony nomination performance for her role as the piano player in Broadway's musical hit "The Full Monty" on August 18th, and five days later she was gone.
• • John Garcia, Executive Director/ Producer of "The Column" Awards, created an award in her honor. This prize is given to individuals who overcome personal, physical, or other major problems in their lives and continue to work in theater, whether behind or in front of the curtain. Kathleen Freeman embodied the true spirit of the Broadway gypsy: "The show must go on." Applause!
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Parker's Published Piffle Purged

• • MAE WEST was born, she has often said, "on a cool night in a hot month" in Bushwick.
• • Since several solid biographies have been written about her, many Mae-mavens know this already. Therefore, it is unsettling, disappointing, and irritating when a Kings County newspaper has managed to get the basic facts wrong for several years in a row.
• • Brooklyn's Error-Prone Columnist Vernon Parker • •
• • Fortunately, one of two things has just occurred. Either (a.) Vernon Parker accidentally collided with the truth about Mae West's birthplace on the MAE WEST BLOG or (b.) a few of her fed-up fans notified the Brooklyn Eagle's error-prone history columnist.
• • The Brooklyn Eagle's bylined columnist Vernon Parker [Email: history@brooklyneagle.net] had offered truly annoying poppycock to his readership in a long-running section — — "On This Day in History: AUGUST 17" — — during this month as well as in past years.
• • Previously on Mae's birthday, Vernon Parker had steamed into his first paragraph like this: Mae West was born in Brooklyn on August 17, 1893. That she was born in Brooklyn, there is no doubt — — but exactly where is a subject of controversy. Even in her biography, she simply said “I was born on a respectable street in Brooklyn.” It is almost a certainty that she was born in the Greenpoint section at 184 Franklin Avenue, which would be the Astral Apartments. Another controversial question is when. Mae always claimed the year as 1893 — — but there are those who have calculated the year to be more like 1888. ...
• • Although Vernon Parker continues to misstate Matilda's birthyear as 1875 (instead of 1870), he has dropped some silly statements and amended others. Vernon Parker's column now states that Mae was born in Bushwick. Applause! Though his footnote does not thank the MAE WEST BLOG, it does indicate his revision. To wit, "CORRECTION: This article initially stated that Mae West was born at 184 Franklin Avenue in Greenpoint," writes Vernon Parker.
• • Obviously, two minutes of primary research at the venerable Brooklyn Historical Society, the Brooklyn Public Library, or the Brooklyn City Directory would give Vernon Parker and other local news people the exact street address. So would a peek into a good full-length biography on Mae West.
• • Oh, the alkaline tang one gets from published piffle. Why do some columnists continue to be careless unless they get a pie in the face? And why do newspapers no longer employ fact checkers?
• • The Brooklyn Eagle was established in The City of Brooklyn before Mae was born.
• • Feel free to read and/ or contact the Brooklyn Eagle at 30 Henry Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201; email: publisher@BrooklynEagle.net, edit@BrooklynEagle.net; Tel 718-422-7400.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: The Hofbrau Firefly

When MAE WEST was on Broadway during the 1920s, her "shady lady" characters smoked onstage. Offstage, the Brooklyn blonde was seen lighting up in nightclubs and restaurants.
• • At the time, a lot of actors and actresses who smoked were being tapped to appear in well-paid endorsements for tobacco products — — and Mae promoted the Old Gold brand. Years later, when she had contracted maturity onset diabetes and was being more careful about her health, she quit smoking. Thus began the tall tales about having had her stage cigarettes "de-nicotinized" — — as if this was [ahem!] a common request during the Prohibition Era.
• • As much as Mae enjoyed playing the bad girl on Broadway, in her private life she really delighted in something even more rebellious: going off her diet and high-diving into rich German food. Tillie was always reminding her five-foot-tall daughter to take smaller portions. She told an interviewer that one reason she never taught Mae to cook or bake is because she feared her darling would overdo it, stuffing herself on homemade Black Forest Cake, Apple Torte, Spritzkuchen [crullers], and other fatal forkfuls.
• • The Triangle Hofbrau, 1893 — 1999 • •
• • Occasionally, Mae sneaked away for culinary thrills on Hillside Avenue at the Triangle Hofbrau, a comfortable place where she could smoke and eat far from her mother's scrutiny. One evening, as her cigarette burned in the ashtray, Mae was gorging on a Wiener Schnitzel and didn't notice the tablecloth caught on fire. A quick thinking waiter put out the flames.
• • Where Myrtle Meets Hillside Avenue • •
• • According to a local Queens County historian Carl Ballenas: "A part of Richmond Hill was unofficially known as 'Berlin' in the 1800s on account of its large German population."
• • According to The Wall Street Journal's real estate reporter Kavita Mokha: The intersection of Myrtle and Hillside Avenues is a historic landmark unto itself and illustrates the changing landscape. It was once home to three iconic businesses that have each closed their doors in recent years after nearly a century in existence: Jahn's, a German-owned ice-cream parlor; the Triangle Hofbrau, a German eatery; and Salerno's, a longstanding Italian restaurant. ... And a few steps from where Jahn's once stood is a medical office building that until the year 1999 housed the Triangle Hofbrau, once the oldest restaurant in Queens. The Hofbrau, opened in 1893, is said to have been a favorite haunt of Babe Ruth and Mae West. ...
— — Source: — —
• • Article: "New Immigrants Put Stamp on Richmond Hill"
• • By: Kavita Mokha
• • Published in: The Wall Street Journal
• • Published on: 20 August 2010
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: 26th Annual Fete

On 17 August 2010 MAE WEST was commemorated by an exaltation of Hollywood larks — — who flew in from all directions to alight at the venerable House of Ram.
• • Ramfis "Ram" Diaz, who hosted the very first Mae West Birthday Tribute back in 1984 as a simple spaghetti supper, is a Westiana curator of a vast collection possessing surreal scope and almost Smithsonian dimensions. His latest invitation is shown here.
• • Attendee and fellow devotee R. Mark Desjardins, who journeyed to California from Canada, and who has been researching the private life of Mae West for the past ten years, has penned a first-person account of this merriment.
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• • R. Mark Desjardins writes: The Mae West soiree was billed as a hot time and it certainly lived up to expectations and more! Here is my review.
• • It was a HOT night of Hot fun for a HOT star in Los Angeles, this past August 17th. Mae West always quipped she was born "in one of the hot months" and she loved the number eight. Born in 1893, this was the 117th anniversary of her birth and Los Angeles musician, Ramfis (who prefers to be known simply as "RAM") held his 26th consecutive annual Mae West party on the penthouse floor of his apartment residence, coincidently, suite number 710! All those "eights" can make a Mae West giddy, and what fun it was!
• • The South Gramercy address, once operated as a hotel beginning in 1936 for Paramount Studio, still has an elegant Art Deco feel. Although somewhat faded in glory, it still retains much of the ambiance that must have cheered Paramount stars who lived there in the mid 1930s.
• • Over 85 participants, male and female, straight and gay, from 20-something to late-80s, African American, Latino, Caucasian, and any shade in between came together under a half moon on a gloriously warm night, the Hollywood sign visible to the north, tall palm trees swaying in the tequila colored sunset, coming together to raise a cup of cheer to the memory of Mae West. • • Tables laden with ethnic pot luck dishes homemade by the guests included Chicken Mole, Mexican rice, Thai noodles, salsas and salads of every description and all with a "hot" factor.
• • Among the participants were Kevin Thomas, film critic for the LA Times; Bob Buchanon, a former Dean at USC who befriended Mae; Damon Devine, Mae West fan extraordinare; Chris Basinger, former Ravenswood front desk clerk and friend of Miss West. Other guests included such far flung fans as John Beuscher from the Fort Lauderdale area, by way of Mae's old neighborhood in Brooklyn, and Mark Desjardins from Vancouver Canada, who has been researching the life and times of Mae West for 19 years. Another notable guest who made a brief appearance was the New York City-based Broadway entertainer and Mae West and Sophie Tucker impersonator — — talented Sharon McNight. [See her photo on yesterday's blog post.]
• • Shown in this party portrait, left to right: Mark Desjardins, Kevin Thomas, Chris Basinger, Gary Wares, Andre Simpson, John Beuscher.

• • On August 17th, the guests were entertained by various turns at the karaoke microphone by Ram, a Cher impersonator, and a local cabaret singer named Sonji, who transfixed the audience with her version of "All of Me."
• • Ram, who held the first Mae West Birthday Tribute back in 1984, as a small scale spaghetti supper, has been experiencing health concerns lately which threatened the party this year. An incredible array of friends came to his rescue painting his front room, decorating, arranging the food and cleaning up afterward. Such stalwart pals as Chris, Robert, Tim, among many others know how important this event is and would not accept the soiree being canceled at any cost!
• • The morning after, as this writer looked at an early morning cloud formation, he could swear he saw the visage of Miss West herself winking down on him indicating she was very pleased with the whole affair!
Written by: R. Mark Desjardins of Vancouver, B.C. Canada
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• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Rambunctious Celebration

On 17 August 2010 MAE WEST was saluted on a typical tropical night — — in Hollywood — — at The House of Ram.
• • Ramfis "Ram" Diaz, who hosted the very first Mae West Birthday Tribute back in 1984 as a simple spaghetti supper, is a Westiana preservationist of epic proportions. Indeed many Angelenos would say that Ram's acquisitions of the movie queen's rarities would equal the passionate commitment of Thomas Bruce, the Seventh Earl of Elgin, who seized upon the Parthenon Marbles and brought these artifacts to Britain.
• • Devotee Damon Devine, who was photographed at the party, arrived late — — since he was being pursued all night by autograph seekers.
• • California transplant David Pekrol, a New Jersey native, invited an East Coast performer to the festivities — — and the very talented Sharon McNight delighted the attendees with her Mae West impersonation.
• • Sharon McNight portrayed Mae West at the party • •
• • Sharon McNight, who made her Broadway debut in 1989, is the recipient of the coveted Theatre World Award for "Outstanding Broadway Debut" which was presented to her by Carol Channing. McNight's current project is "Betty, Betty, Bette," created to celebrate the screen legends Grable, Hutton, and Davis. She has six solo recordings to her credit. One of these is "The Sophie Tucker Songbook," which contains the music of her one-woman show based the show business legend. "The Sophie Tucker Songbook" debuted at New York's Rainbow & Stars as part of an ASCAP Sunday night showcase March 1996. Since then, she developed it into a one-woman musical, Red Hot Mama.
• • Canadian guest R. Mark Desjardins, who has been researching the private life of Mae West for the past ten years, has a full report on this annual jubilation in Southern California. His commentary will appear soon, punctuated by more photographs.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Los Angeles party guests 17 August 2010 • •
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Mae West.

Mae West: Brooklyn Eagle Boo-Boo

On 17 August 1893 MAE WEST was born in her parents' bedroom — — in Bushwick. The young Mom-to-be [born December 1870] and Dad-to-be [born March 1866], wed on 19 January 1889, had gone to a hospital for the birth of their firstborn child Katie, who entered their world in August 1891 but who, most unfortunately, died in infancy. Perhaps this is why the couple opted for a midwife and a home delivery when little Mary Jane West was due.
• • Since several solid biographies have been written about her, many Mae-mavens know this already. Therefore, it is unsettling when a Kings County newspaper manages to get basic facts wrong.
• • For example, how many mistakes can a Brooklyn Eagle columnist make in one bio-note? Ah, brave new world that has such people in it.
• • The Brooklyn Eagle's bylined columnist Vernon Parker [Email: history@brooklyneagle.net] offered this claptrap to his readership in a long-running section, "On This Day in History: AUGUST 17" — —
• • Vernon Parker slides into his first paragraph like this: Mae West was born in Brooklyn on August 17, 1893. That she was born in Brooklyn, there is no doubt — — but exactly where is a subject of controversy. Even in her biography, she simply said “I was born on a respectable street in Brooklyn.” It is almost a certainty that she was born in the Greenpoint section at 184 Franklin Avenue, which would be the Astral Apartments. Another controversial question is when. Mae always claimed the year as 1893 — — but there are those who have calculated the year to be more like 1888. ...
• • Let's look more closely at that suspicious phrase "more like 1888."
• • In his final paragraph, Vernon Parker misstates Matilda's birthyear as 1875 (instead of 1870), indicating he is challenged by simple arithmetic. Following Vernon Parker's logic, if Matilda had been born in 1875, and if Mae had been born in 1888, then Tillie would have given birth to Mae at age 13, and her firstborn would have come along when she was 11, and she would have wed Jack West as a nine-year-old. Of course, none of this is so, Vernon.
• • Examine his first paragraph again. It is, in fact, a certainty that Mae was not born on Franklin Street nor anywhere else in Greenpoint.
• • Two minutes of primary research at the venerable Brooklyn Historical Society or the Brooklyn Public Library would give Vernon Parker the exact street address. So would a peek into a good full-length biography on Mae West.
• • Why are columnists so careless? And why do newspapers print misinformation?
• • The Brooklyn Eagle welcomes letters • •
• • Feel free to contact the Brooklyn Eagle at 30 Henry Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201; email: publisher@BrooklynEagle.net, edit@BrooklynEagle.net; Tel 718-422-7400.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1918 • •
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Mae West.

Mae West: August 17th

On 17 August 1893 MAE WEST was born in her parents' bedroom — — in Brooklyn. There have been so many biographies written about her that it is unsettling when a respected source manages to get it all wrong.
• • For example, how many mistakes can Playbill.com make in one short bio-note? Let's count 'em.
• • Playbill.com's bylined columnists Ernio Hernandez and Robert Viagas offered this information to their readership in their long-running section, "Today in Theatre History: AUGUST 17" — —
• • Playbill.com states: 1892 Mae West is born.
• • • • We say: No, it was 1893.
• • Playbill.com states: While best remembered as a film actress from the 1930s, West started out as a Broadway stage actress.
• • • • We say: No, Mae West launched her career in vaudeville.
• • Playbill.com states: On stage West appeared in many plays she also wrote. Among these were Sex (1926), Diamond Lil, and The Drag, which was actually banned from New York because it was judged too risque.
• • • • We say: No, Mae West never appeared in "The Drag" [1927].
• • Playbill.com states: At the curtain speech of her 1944 play "Catherine the Great" West explained that "Catherine had 300 lovers. I did the best I could in a couple of hours."
• • • • We say: True. Moreover, "Catherine Was Great" was on Broadway from 2 August 1944 — 13 January 1945.
• • [Source for these errors is Playbill.com, Today in Theatre History: AUGUST 17, 17 Aug 2010.]
• • Mae West Double Feature on 17 August 2010 • •
• • To commemorate the birthday of Mae West, the Asheville Film Society will screen "Night After Night" [1932] and "She Done Him Wrong" [1933] on Tuesday 17 August 2010 at 8:00 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and the evening will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.
• • Tell them you heard about it on the MAE WEST BLOG.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • by Ron Coddington • •
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Mae West.

Mae West: Annual Tribute

MAE WEST is one of many pop-culture references in “Shine: A Burlesque Musical,” now being staged at La MaMa Etc. as part of the New York International Fringe Festival. The cast's lines will call to mind Sally Rand, Marlene Dietrich, the Pussycat Dolls — — and also the down-and-dirty burlesque movement of The Big Apple's juicy pre-Giuliani past. Critics are saying the show needs work. Let us know what you think.
• • Noticing this article on 13 August 2010 was quite sad: "Mae West ate here: Brooklyn Arby's shuts, landmark building stays." Writing for Examiner.com about the storied destination eatery of long-ago Gage & Tollner, Jane Lasky noted: "Yesterday, after just seven months on its landmark building, a beautiful Brooklyn Arby's shut down. . . . The former showplace where Mae West ate (Jimmy Durante, too) at 372 Fulton Street will rise again as it has before. ..."
• • Spiritual Uplift (Gone Gaudy) at Actors Temple • •
• • But here in Gotham yesterday, the weather was ideal as gentlefolk along The Great White Way looked agog as the gilded hoofbeats grew louder, and then a gorgeous ivory brougham turned onto West 47th Street, halting in front of Actors Temple at 9:30 PM on Saturday, 14 August 2010 — — and a caped footman gallantly escorted The Gaudy Girls into the ancient tiled foyer.
• • Portraying Mae West and Sophie Tucker at the Annual Mae West Birthday Tribute were the beautiful cabaret stars Anne Marie Finnie and Maggie Worsdale, respectively, garbed in seductive glitter, couture millinery, and sequined gowns.
• • There shall be more to tell on a future post.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Annual Mae West Tribute in NYC • •
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Mae West.

Mae West: Cherchez LaMae

The very first time MAE WEST had her real age disclosed was in August of 1935. "Yesterday, incidentally, was Miss West's birthday," revealed her former husband Frank Wallace to the news media, "and — — she was 42."
• • Not only did the movie queen deny that she had walked down the aisle. She also emphasized that, as she had always said, she was born in the year 1900. Unfortunately, both were proven to be untrue.
• • According to Henderson, Kentucky based reporter Frank Boyett, this is how a colorful truth unspooled itself.
• • Frank Boyett writes: A Henderson native and her boyfriend found themselves at the center of a national media firestorm back in 1935.
• • The highest-paid actress that year was the sultry Mae West, who earned more than $480,000 in 1935 alone. That was serious money back in the depths of the Great Depression.
• • And she was a seriously powerful sex symbol. Snapping off double entendres like a pistol and flaunting her voluptuous figure, she hotted up the screen with a string of hit movies and bedazzled virtually every man in America.
• • Never telling her age, she made it clear she was single and available. That was part of her box office salability.
• • But then along came Myrtle Lorraine Sands. The young clerk's eyes nearly bulged out when, while helping re-index official records in Milwaukee, Wis., she came across a marriage certificate showing that West had married a man called Frank Wallace on April 11, 1911.
• • West denied it was her, but "the great fact-finding machinery of the U.S. Press began to hum," according to the May 6, 1935, issue of Time magazine. Local reporters in Milwaukee found that Mae West and Frank Wallace had appeared in a vaudeville show called "A Florida Enchantment" about that time in 1911.
• • Reporters in New York City tracked down Wallace, who was staying "in a theatrical hotel with his dancing partner, Trixie LeMae," and he affirmed the marriage was real. "The nerve of a brass monkey," was West's response.
• • And so began a long-running feud.
• • Cherchez LaMae • •
• • Wallace's real name was Frank Szatkus. LeMae was born as Marie Carey at 535 Second St. Usually her stage name was spelled LaMae, but on her death certificate it's spelled LeMae. Most people just knew her as Trixie.
• • She was smelted brassy sexuality poured right from the same mold as Mae West. Frank Wallace took up with her after West had gotten a better opportunity in show business. The exact date is unclear.
• • Back in August 1935 the Mae West marriage revelation was still big enough news that The Gleaner carried a story on 18 August 1935 saying that Wallace and Trixie were visiting her mother, Lena Carey.
• • That story said Wallace and Trixie had become dance partners seven years earlier, which would have been about 1928. "At the time of his marriage to Mae West, Wallace said, they were stage partners and were playing at the Gayety Theater in Milwaukee," The Gleaner reported. He called it a "kid marriage."
• • He then went on to say something that was sure to make West's blood boil: "Yesterday, incidentally, was Miss West's birthday and she was 42, Wallace revealed."
• • Things went quickly downhill after that. Wallace filed a lawsuit a couple of years later in an attempt to get West to acknowledge their marriage, something she had steadfastly refused to do. He quickly earned the name "Mr. Mae West," which was helpful in a show business way, but didn't exactly affirm his manhood. Their divorce wasn't final until 1943.
• • In July 1937, in response to a legal interrogatory, West finally admitted she had been married to Wallace, although she maintained she had been a "kiss-less bride." He and Trixie were again staying at 535 Second St., but this time — — at the advice of his attorneys — — he refused to talk to The Gleaner's reporter.
• • Trixie jabbered away, however. Again she said she and Wallace had joined up seven years ago, which would have moved the date up to 1930. Later on, in a Nov. 24, 1966, article in The Gleaner, she said they had first partnered in 1937 — — which is pure fabrication.
• • One of the few clear dates in Trixie's life is that she returned to Henderson for good in 1952 to operate two different nightclubs, the most widely known being Trixie's Alibi Club, which was located on U.S. 41-North near the entrance to Audubon State Park. Wallace accompanied her, and died here Oct. 15, 1966.
• • "He'll always remain in the wastebasket of my memories," West quipped on learning of Wallace's death.
• • Trixie entered Redbanks in 1988, and livened it up for a decade. She died 2 January 1997, at the age of 104.
— — Source: — —
• • Article: "Miss Trixie: Henderson's own LeMae was poured from Mae West mold"
• • By: Frank Boyett
• • Published in: Evansville Courier & Press [Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group]
• • Published on: 14 August 2010
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
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Mae West.