Mae West: Tongue-in-Cheek

The greatest "glamour girl" was MAE WEST. Then came Carole Lombard. And then Dietrich. At any rate, according to Paramount's view, noted Marlene Dietrich in her delightful memoir. And you can hear that good-natured, tongue-in-cheek amusement rippling through many pages in her book.
• • Marlene Dietrich added:  MGM, of course, also had its glamour girls in Jean Harlow, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford. ... At that time there were no "sex symbols." In my opinion this notion first came into being with Marilyn Monroe. Sex was then taboo.
• • "We must do all that only and exclusively with the eyes," Mae West explained to me one day. And we all stuck to this. There was no scene in which we undressed or appeared semi-nude, nothing improper. I must confess I prefer that method to what you see on the screen nowadays. I don't like it, and I'm sure the public shares my dislike. ...
• • Source: "Marlene Dietrich — My Life" by Marlene Dietrich [Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd; 1st UK Edition; April 1989].
• • Mae West Movie Trivia • •
• • In "Myra Breckinridge" [1970] starring Mae West, that was Marlene Dietrich's singing you heard offscreen. The song was "The Man's in the Navy." Raise your hand if you knew that.
• • James Eagles [10 September 1907 — 15 December 1959] • •

• • Born in Norfolk, Virginia on Tuesday, 10 September 1907, James Crump Eagle entered the screen trade in 1928 when he was 21.  After he had been cast in bit parts in half-a-dozen films, someone added an "s" to his name.  Modest featured roles and mostly minor participation in motion pictures turned out to be his lot. 
• • In "She Done Him Wrong" [1933], starring Mae West, James Eagles had a small role as Pete.
• • Those fleeting actions that required a eye-blink of screen time (i.e., the messenger, bus boy, bell hop, radio operator, sailor, soda jerk, and henchman) sum up a career that spanned from 1928 — 1950. His Hollywood resume has 53 films to his credit.
• • James Eagles died in Los Angeles on Tuesday, 15 December 1959.  He was 52.
• • On Friday, 15 December 1933 • •
• • The release date for "She Done Him Wrong" in France was on Friday, 15 December 1933. In that country, the film's title was "Lady Lou."
• • On Wednesday, 15 December 1937 • •
• • An article "Mae West Script Angers Listeners" ran in The Hollywood Reporter in their issue dated for Wednesday, 15 December 1937.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I told them . . . you can't take white people and play black music."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on Cary Grant mentioned Mae West.
• • Brad Darrach wrote: By 1930 he was playing leads on Broadway, and in 1932 Paramount signed him to a five-year contract at $450 a week and changed his name to Cary Grant. In a year Cary Grant did bit parts in seven movies. Then one day Mae West got an eyeful of his sultry good looks. "If he can talk," she's supposed to have said, "I'll take him."  ...
• • Source: Flashback Column: "Cary Grant Remembered" by Brad Darrach for People Magazine; written on Monday, 15 December 1986
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2516th 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/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC  Mae West.