Monday, August 13, 2012

Mae West: Men and Mayhem

MAE WEST found a warm reception for "She Done Him Wrong" [1933] in Australia. Things didn't go as smoothly, however, for "I'm No Angel." A curious backlash had begun in a few provinces.  It was on 13 August 1934 when this headline appeared: "Mae West Season Curtailed." Let's investigate.
• • Barrier Miner wrote: The season of "I'm No Angel," starring Mae West, will finish at Johnson's Oxide Street Theatre after tonight's screening. Originally it was billed to appear for six nights, but the management has curtailed.the season.
• • "I'm No Angel" and "Happy Ever After" will be shown at the Hillside Theatre to-morrow (Tuesday) night.
• • Source: Australia's newsletter Barrier Miner on Monday, 13 August 1934.
• • Jacob Demitz a.k.a. Lars Jacobs • •
• • Jacob Truedson Demitz (birthname Lars-Erik Jacob Ridderstedt) was born in Sweden on 13 August 1948.  He is a Swedish-American writer and entertainment director who wrote a 1996 book about Scandinavian kings. Under the name Lars Jacob he has directed numerous cabaret shows in the USA and Europe since 1972.
• • Lars Jacob’s mimical spoof "Wild Side Story" ran more than 500 times (1973 — 2004) in Florida, California, Sweden, and Spain. Throughout "Wild Side Story," Mae West one-liners from her motion pictures are uttered; executed by all cast members in turn as the actors interrupt the action. Mae's version of the song "All of Me" was included as a solo for the character “Consuelo.”
• • Jacob Demitz hosted a formal celebrity dinner at Berns Salonger (Stockholm) for the Mae West Centennial on 17 August 1993. We wish him a Happy Birthday. That handsome man is 64 today.
• • On Sunday, 13 August 1922 in The N.Y. Daily News • •
• • "The Ginger Box Revue" was written to showcase Mae West's talents.  But a feckless producer made off with the advances.
• • "Ginger Revue Now a Pepless Stew as Promoter Disappears" announced the New York Daily News [on Sunday, 13 August 1922]. Thirteen Equity actors sued producer Paul Dupont (a.k.a. Mr. Perkins) to recover their salaries — — but not Mae, who was to have received a percentage of the box office.
• • On Wednesday, 23 August 1922, however, the New York Clipper noted: "Mae West, who was with 'The Ginger Box,' which opened and closed rather suddenly, has returned to vaudeville, and opened at Proctor's Fifth Avenue on Monday. ..."
• • On Sunday, 13 August 1961 in Miami Beach Sun • •
• • "Come On Up" was having a revival in the summer of 1961.
• • After touring the Midwest, "Come On Up" was staged in August in Miami's Cocoanut Grove Playhouse (air-conditioned, we hope).  "When the final curtain rang down, not a single customer made a rush to the exit. Everybody sat glued to his seat and Mae West took repeated curtain calls, from about the most enthusiastic audience I have ever seen in this theatre," gushed a critic for the Miami Beach Sun. Ticket-holders commented on "the fabulous appearance of Mae West," who was putting her energy into "Come On Up" when she was 68 years old and in full command of the crowd. 
• • The title of the coverage was "Mae West Oomph Creates New Interest in Theatre" and it was printed in the Miami Beach Sun on Sunday, 13 August 1961. Years later the comedy "Come On Up" would morph into a cinematic venture named "Sextette."
• • Save the Date: Thursday, August 16th • •
• • Thursday, 16 August 2012 will be the next Mae West Tribute in Manhattan and the evening affair will start at 6:30 pm at 155 Mulberry Street.  This year Mae-mavens will enjoy an indoor event (ahhh, air conditioning), music written by Mae West's Italian husband will be played, and attendees will be seated.
• • At the Reception, Italian wine and light refreshments will be served. The ever-popular Mae West Raffle will offer rare prizes once again to a number of lucky attendees. The public is invited.
• • Mae West was born in Brooklyn, NY on Thursday, 17 August 1893.
• • Closest MTA subway stations: Grand St. or Canal St.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "You have to outfight everyone else to succeed."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Vincent, an accordionist who studied for years with Pietro Deiro, recalled how quickly (in his words) "Guido would give Mae a good crack across the mouth."
• • An article on the Guido Deiro site mentioned his bad temper:
• • Infidelity and rumors of infidelity caused their relationship to unravel. Mae was attracted to other men and secretly carried on affairs; Guido naturally responded by becoming more possessive and violent. He bribed the phone operators to report her phone calls to him. Guido once confronted a suitor in his office and pounded on the glass-topped desk until it broke. Is it any wonder why Guido took out a $50,000 insurance policy with the Hartford Insurance Company "to protect his fingers"?  ...
• • Source: GuidoDeiro.com
By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2393rd 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 • 1933
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