Thursday, July 05, 2012

Mae West: Latest Burlesque

Although July is a winter month in Australia, they had MAE WEST to keep them warm. Here's an article The Argus ran, announcing her latest picture at the Capitol Theatre on Monday, 5 July 1937.
• • Mae West's Latest Burlesque of Herself • •
• • The Argus wrote: Regarded merely as a gorgeous burlesque of herself, Mae West's performance in Paramount's "Go West Young Man" is precisely what would be expected of her, a caricature of a voluptuous Hollywood star with a reputation and a "public" to be considered.
• • The Argus continued: Artistically, with consummate showmanship and a sense of humour, she exploits her stock in trade — — those languorous eyes and provocative mouth, a figure which at her age is a monument to self-denial and a greed for masculinity like a tigress after blood.
• • The Argus added: It is all very delightfully and ironically exaggerated in the simple story of Mavis Arden, the cinema star (who, of course, is Mae West herself), stranded in a country boarding house and amusing herself with the subjugation of a muscular young inventor. The really clever feature of the burlesque is the subtle suggestion of a dual character assumed for publicity purposes, of which both the sophistication and the simplicity are equally posed. It  may be objected that in it Miss West is no different than in any other of her films but so vivid is her personality that she is entertainment from first to last, even if she only undulates and ogles — — not high art but very human.
• • Source: Article: "Mae West's Latest Burlesque of Herself" in The Argus (on page 7); published on Monday, 5 July 1937.
• • Alison Skipworth [25 July 1863 — 5 July 1952] • •
• • Alison Skipworth was born in July in London, England on 25 July 1863.
• • While filming her scenes for "Night After Night" [1932], Mae West clashed with veteran actress Alison Skipworth, then 69 years old and three decades older than the newcomer.
• • The portly British-trained thespian, suspecting that the younger woman would steal the scene by injecting it with jolt of energy, told the director that Mae West's timing was off.
• • "You forget," she declared, turning to West, "I've been an actress for forty years."
• • "Don't worry, dear," West tartly replied. "I'll keep your secret."
• • Alison Skipworth died in New York City in the month of July — — on 5 July 1952. Another two weeks and she would have been 89.
• • On Tuesday, 5 July 1932 in Variety
• • Casting problems caused delays for Paramount in the summer of 1932. As Mae waited to film her scenes with George Raft, as his former flame Maudie, offers came in for her to create material for others.  In their issue dated for Tuesday, 5 July 1932, Variety printed this headline: "Mae Mulls Sock Yarns for Marlene and Jean." 
• • Mae demurred.  Years later, explaining the situation to a British reporter, she admitted to being reluctant.  "If I thought of something funny," said Mae, "I wasn't about to give it to them."
• • On Monday, 5 July 1943 • •
• • "Mae West Stages Screen Comeback" • •
• • Hollywood, July 5, Associated Press — Mae West, who added a dash of hip-swinging when she revived the Lillian Russell era, is coming back to the screen after a two-year respite.
• • Associated Press wrote:  And if you should go up to see her sometime, you'd learn our "Diamond Lil" is going tropical.
• • Associated Press wrote: The blond Miss West (buxom only by costume) stated in an interview yesterday that she is already at work on a film with a hot country setting for Columbia Pictures.  Mexico will provide part of the background.
• • Source:  Spokane Daily Chronicle (page 11) printed this on 5 July 1943.
• • On Sunday, 5 July 1970 • •
• • While the motion picture "Myra Breckinridge" was not a hit, the media exposure engendered a "Mae West revival," explained The New York Post.
• • On Sunday, 5 July 1970 The New York Times ran an interview with Mae West. It was a good chance to tell her fans what she thought of Gore Vidal's novel and the screenplay.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I'm no model lady. A model's just an imitation of the real thing."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on vaccines mentioned Mae West.
• • Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen wrote: Mae West once said, "Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can't figure out what from." Well, we know what we want to protect your kids from: diphtheria, influenza, measles, . . .
• • Source: Article: "For the sake of entire community: vaccinate" written by Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen for The Telegraph Herald; published on 5 June 2012
By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2353rd 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 • 1936
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