Mae West: Beloved Brother

MAE WEST cherished immutability.
• • Charles Darwin may have challenged the fixity of species, however, Mae made up her mind that she would only play characters who were in their twenties — — women who were sexy, ambitious, sought after, in control, and decorated with diamonds.
• • The autumn of 1964 brought Mae face to face with her fears: mortality and mutability.
• • Though Mae had taken good care of her health, shortly after her 71st birthday she was hospitalized and her ailments were scrutinized. The diagnosis was diabetes.
• • As Mae was quietly convalescing at home, with Paul Novak at her side, she received the worst news. Her beloved brother John Edwin West, 64, had a massive heart attack.
• • As he matured, her kid brother's career had stalled. More than once, he had turned to his movie-queen sister for assistance. But Mae also remembered how much she had counted on John's unfailing loyalty during her court trials. In 1930, for instance, when the Pleasure Man court trial had bankrupted her, and she was too upset to seek work, John supported his two unemployed sisters and set up a nice household for the three of them in an apartment building on West 57th Street (across the street from Carnegie Hall).
• • Born on 11 February 1900, John Edwin West died during mid-October — — on 12 October 1964. Mae made arrangements for his body to be sent back to Brooklyn to the family crypt.
• • Two weeks later, Mae — — who hated to think about death — — made a Will.
• • Leon Errol [1881 — 1951] • •
• • Unfortunately, Mae West did not last too long when "A Winsome Widow" opened in April 1912. But during the rehearsals, she got to work with vaudeville mainstay Leon Errol, who was cast in the role of Ben Gay.
• • Born in Sydney, Australia on 3 July 1881, Leon Errol had a busy career as a variety artist, on Broadway, and in the cinema. He died in Hollywood, California in the month of October — — on 12 October 1951. On another occasion, Leon Errol will be discussed more fully.
• • On 12 October 1997 • •
• • On 12 October 1997, readers of the Orlando Sentinel read this intriguing news item [under the title "Author Uncovers The Real Diehl"]: You probably know that William Diehl is a successful suspense author, known for such best-selling novels as Primal Fear, wrote Sentinel Staffwriter Leslie Doolittle.  But did you know he saw the Hindenburg explode, had Mae West for a baby sitter, served as Martin Luther King's personal photographer, had his throat slashed by three Mississippi racists, didn't start writing books until his 50th birthday, played a pimp in the Burt Reynolds movie based on his first best-seller and dedicated his latest novel, Reign in Hell, to his late dog? Mae West was his babysitter, eh?
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Considering what Sex got me, a few days in the pen 'n' a $500 fine ain't too bad a deal."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about a Liberace biopic for HBO also mentioned Mae West.
• • Corinne Heller writes: Liberace, known for his flashy outfits as much as his music, never revealed his sexual orientation and successfully sued the UK tabloid The Mirror for implying he was gay in a 1956 article. When asked if he "indulged in homosexual practices," he said in court: "No, sir, never in my life. I am against the practice because it offends convention and it offends society."
• • Scott Thorson served as the entertainer's bodyguard, chauffeur, and confidant. Liberace was also linked romantically to women, including actress Mae West. ...
• • Source: Article: "Matt Damon, Michael Douglas to play lovers in Liberace biopic for HBO" written by Corinne Heller for On The Red Carpet; posted on 11 October 2011• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2081st blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in court in 1930 • •• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYCMae West.