MAE WEST starred in "My Little Chickadee" [1940] — — and original music was written by Frank Skinner.
• • Frank Skinner [31 December 1897 — 8 October 1968] • •
• • Born in Meredosia, Illinois on the last day of the year in 1897, Frank Skinner and his brother Carl worked in variety. In the 1930s he trolled for opportunities in New York City's dance orchestra orbit as an arranger and even published his own "Simplified Method" for arranging.
• • By 1933 he was composing original music for the screen trade. Fluent in many idioms, he scored for almost 400 motion pictures including numerous horror flicks ("Son of Frankenstein") as well as for suspense, adventure, Westerns, romance, musicals, and classic screen comedies starring Abbott and Costello, W.C. Fields ("The Bank Dick"), Fields with Mae West ("My Little Chickadee"), and Francis the Talking Mule. Skinner retired in 1967.
• • Frank Skinner died in Hollywood, California on 8 October 1968. He was 70.
• • On Saturday, 31 December 1927 at Club Deauville • •
• • Mae West spent New Year's Eve on Saturday night, 31 December 1927, entertaining a crowd.
• • The nonfiction book "The Year the World Went Mad" is exclusively focused on the most vibrant events and the most fascinating individuals of 1927. Author Allen Churchill wrote: "Another New York night club listed a gala unveiling for New Year's Eve. This was Mae West's Club Deauville, at Park Avenue and Fifty-ninth Street. Here a New Year's Eve Supper was advertised for a cover charge of ten dollars. Together with this went "A Program of Distinctive and Unique Entertainment Conceived and Directed by the Distinguished Star in Person." ... How we wish we knew more.
• • On Monday, 31 December 2012 • •
• • Wishing all of our readers a very happy and safe and wonderful New Year's Eve.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "My picture 'It Ain't No Sin' is belly laughs about the low-lifes."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • It was on Sunday, 30 December 1934 that the final installment of "The Story of Mae West" was published in a Singapore newspaper.
• • John C. Moffitt, who interviewed the movie queen several times during the 1930s, titled his in-depth piece "The High Priestess of Hokum."
• • John C. Moffitt wrote: Recently, when Mae began to work on her picture "It Ain't No Sin," someone thought it would be a pretty sentiment to have George Raft, the star of her first movie, play opposite her. George thought otherwise. He had a nervous breakdown and started for Europe.
• • "It would be like starring in a story about a boil doctor," George Raft said. "All that dame would let you see of me would be the back of my neck." ...
• • Source: Article: "The High Priestess of Hokum" (on page 6) by John C. Moffitt in syndication to The Straits Times; published on Sunday, 30 December 1934
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2532nd blog post.
Unlike many blogs, which
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photos,
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career
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1940 • •
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It was on Sunday, 30 December 1934 that the final installment of "The Story of MAE WEST" was published in Singapore.
• • John C. Moffitt, who interviewed the movie queen several times during the 1930s, titled his in-depth piece "The High Priestess of Hokum."
• • It's a long, generous buffet of an article so here is just a tiny tidbit. John C. Moffitt wrote: "She's the high priestess of hokum. That's the best reason for thinking there will always be a place for her in the theatre. ..."
• • Source: Article: "The High Priestess of Hokum" (on page 6) by John C. Moffitt in syndication to The Straits Times; published on Sunday, 30 December 1934.
• • On Monday, 30 December 1912 • •
• • On Monday, 30 December 1912 the singing comedienne was giving a double performance at 7:30 PM and at 11:00 PM at B.F. Keith's Union Square Theatre on Fourteenth Street. Featured on the bill, along with the 19-year-old hopeful, was a great deal of variety. Britain's Laddie Cliff offered new songs and eccentric dances; Phina and company entertained; Alfredo (wandering wizard of the violin) played; Asaki presented his juggling act, so popular in Japan; and gymnasts Lydia and Albino did . . . something.
• • On Saturday, 30 December 1933 • •
• • Picturegoer, a British publication sold in movie houses, ran a three part series: "Making Love to Mae West." The first installment ran on 10 December 1933, it continued on Saturday, 30 December 1993, and the final portion appeared on 6 January 1934.
• • Cary Grant's byline appeared. The actor either wrote it or (perhaps) merely signed it.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Sex in grandma's day was always quaint."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on the lore and allure of the handkerchief mentioned Mae West.
• • Writing from Edmonton, Canada, Jana G. Pruden explained: During her trial on obscenity charges in 1927, actress and sex symbol Mae West stuffed a hanky (black, because she was in mourning for her mother) into her mouth to keep from laughing at a police officer’s testimony. ...
• • Source: Article: "Hanky’s long blown image begins comeback" written by Jana G. Pruden for The Edmonton Journal; published on Friday, 30 December 2011
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2531st 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 • • 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West.
On a poster for "The Heat Is On" [1943] Victor Moore asks MAE WEST if she's singing. The screen siren replies that she will "singe" in this motion picture. The director's vision was that an abundance of top hats and top-notch musical zest would be enough to keep the box office boiling over. They even called in the expertise of David Lichine. Haven't you met him yet?
• • David Lichine [25 December 1910 — 28 June 1972] • •
• • David Lichtenstein was born in Russia on Sunday, 25 December 1910. He pledged himself to the dance arts early, training with Egorova and Nijinska. In 1928, the slim 18-year-old kicked off his performing career with Ida Rubenstein's company. Briefly, he was attached to Anna Pavlova's company, then became a star of Col. W. De Basil's Ballets Russes, where he was a respected interpreter of some of ballet's most iconic roles.
• • 
In 1933, the 23-year-old began to choreograph for the American Ballet Theatre. The Ballet des Champs Elysees and other companies benefited from his ability to dance and choreograph.
• • David Lichine also choreographed for Broadway shows and began working in Hollywood in the 1930s. Disney spotted him and used him as a dance model for the crocodile in "Fantasia" [1940]. Lichine created the dances for "The Heat Is On" [1943] and also appeared onscreen in the number "There Goes That Guitar" with women wearing white.
• • In 1943, Lichine married Tatiana Riabouchinska. They were married for nearly 30 years when he began to have kidney trouble.
• • He died of renal failure in Los Angeles, California on 28 June 1972. He was 61.
• • Photo: Choreographer and dancer David Lichine, clad in a festive orange outfit, performs "There Goes That Guitar" in "The Heat's On" [1943] with eight beauties.
• • On Sunday, 29 December 1912 • •
• • In the Sunday morning newspapers on 29 December 1912, readers noticed that B.F. Keith was offering "Dinkelspiel's Christmas" along with "MAY WEST — singing comedienne" [yes, the newspaper spelled it "MAY WEST" in their 29 December 1912 ad].
• • The 14th Street theatre is, alas, long gone but we can only imagine how much fun we missed since, alas, we were not around to dial STuyvesant 3400 to reserve a ticket.
• • On Wednesday, 29 December 1937 • •
• • Variety did an article on the ill-fated broadcast Mae did on NBC: "Mae West Case Big Dilemma in Washington." This piece was printed in Variety on Wednesday, 29 December 1937.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "It cheers you up. Every time you see yourself in one of those table mirrors you get the feeling you're in the money. Cute, isn't it?"
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Paramount press release mentioned Mae West. A Filipino boxer Speedy Dado, now retired from the ring, had become her driver.
• • A Paramount publicist wrote: "Dado is now chauffeur for the star after a series of disastrous attempts to pick which horse would finish in a given race." ...
• • Source: AMPAS archives; dated for Tuesday, 29 December 1936
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2530th 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 • • castmates in 1943 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West.
