Mae West: French Curves

"Curves Ahead," an illustrated article in Colliers, outlined how much MAE WEST had influenced French designers and Parisian fashions in October 1933.
• • In Colliers, Marie Beynon Ray wrote:  West is no longer merely a region; it's a woman. A brand new type of "Western" has suddenly appeared — — nothing to do with cowboys and the great open spaces, but wild enough for all that. Mae West is a whole Wild West show in herself, as everyone knows who has seen the Broadway production of Diamond Lil — — renamed "She Done Him Wrong" in the American cinema version and "Lady Lou" in the French.
• • Marie Beynon Ray continued: In any language, Lil is tough, she's vulgar, she's brazen, she's everything the Ten Commandments forbid — — and she's a sensation.  Particularly in Paris. And when  Paris goes crazy about anyone, it does something about it. So today Paris is producing Lady Lou styles — — and you are going to wear them.
• • Marie Beynon Ray added: Of course, we shan't go about looking like Diamond Lils. We'll be just a little plumper than we are — — a little curvier, anyway. We won't be hour-glasses but we'll have long, flowing natural lines, decidedly unboyish. Diamond Lil fashions won't be a literal translation from the films. Whatever we take from that quaint era must conform to 1934 standards and conditions. We won't change our figures radically, we can't change our way of living. But we will, for our leisure hours at least, assume greater elegance and glamour. We'll wear a picture hat and a velvet gown for an occasion — — but we'll stick to our casual felts, our tweeds and our straight lines for the regular business of life. ...
• • Source: Article: "Curves Ahead" written by Marie Beynon Ray for Colliers; published  on Saturday, 7 October 1933.
• • Andy Devine  [7 October 1905 — 18 February 1977] • •
• • Born in Flagstaff, Arizona in October, Andy Devine had a long career on the silver screen and on TV as a character actor and comic cowboy sidekick, always known for his distinctive raspy voice.
• • Andy Devine was cast as Coyote Bill in "Myra Breckinridge" [1970] when he was in his mid-60s.
• • On Friday, 7 October 1932 • •
• • On Friday, 7 October 1932, The N. Y. Times reported the dramatic changes in Mae West's career. Though the critical reception of "Night after Night" was lukewarm, Mae West was a whole sultry sideshow unto herself, preventing the reviewers from dozing off when she was onscreen.  Paramount signed Mae to a generous contract on October 6th.
• • On Saturday, 7 October 1933 • •
• • It was on Saturday, 7 October 1933 when Mae recorded "They Call Me Sister Honky Tonk" for the Brunswick label.  The song was written for the motion picture "I'm No Angel."
• • On Saturday, 7 October 1933 • •
• • Marie Beynon Ray wrote an article about Mae West's influence on fashions — — "Curves Ahead" — — for Colliers Magazine. It ran in the issue dated for 7 October 1933.  And a review of "I'm No Angel" appeared in Motion Picture Herald (page 38) in the issue dated for 7 October 1933.
• • On Monday, 7 October 1935 • •
• • "I saw both pictures myself and they are definitely wrong," wrote Joe Breen to Will Hays on Monday, 7 October 1935.  This was the reason he gave to Paramount when he denied permission to re-release two hits starring Mae West distributed in 1933 to a blitz of ticket sales.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "If that Dutch clown ever comes near me again, I'll wreck him."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on old fashioned radio models mentioned Mae West.
• • Anita Gold wrote: If you have an old radio gathering dust, dig it out and dust it off, for it may be worth a sizable sum. An unusual and rare radio in one collection is referred to as the ''Mae West.'' The radio was produced in the mid-1930s by Emerson and has a brown wood cabinet and certain features that suggest the late actress' famous figure. There are only three examples of the AM shortwave radio, which was meant to be stylish rather than risque.  ...
• • Source: Article: "Radios Play High-priced Tune" written by Anita Gold for Chicago Tribune; published on Saturday, 22 August 1987

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2450th 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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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1933 • •
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