Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Mae West: Purpose of a Bed

"I have been approached by MAE WEST to consider collaborating," wrote W.C. Fields in 1935. "But I want my work to stand out individually. Besides Mae has the wrong slant on this thing [i.e., the bed]. She says she does her best writing in bed. Well, I do my best loafing there, and consider that this is the primary purpose of a bed."
• • The motion picture screenplay they eventually would create — — "My Little Chickadee" — — came about a few years later when the screen queen was no longer attached to Paramount Pictures and, indubitably, eager to return to movie-making.
• • In January 2010 there was a W.C. Fields retrospective in jolly old England. At that time, British film critic Peter Bradshaw wrote: W.C. Fields teams up with Mae West in this ridiculous, and ridiculously funny, 1940 comedy. 
• • indeed ties the marital knot ... • •
• • Peter Bradshaw noted: It has to be the King-Kong-meets-Godzilla event of classic screen comedy: W.C. Fields teams up with, and indeed ties the marital knot with, Mae West in this ridiculous, and ridiculously funny, 1940 comedy, a preposterous tale from the old west, presented next week as part of the W.C. Fields season at London's BFI Southbank.
• • Peter Bradshaw explained: The man himself plays Cuthbert J. Twillie, a travelling salesman fond of a drink and the occasional sporting wager, whose business-card announces that he is the business of "Novelties and Notions." West is Flower Belle Lee, a woman who has scandalised the local community with her romantic adventures. Her chief accuser is a Mrs Gideon, a sour-faced spoilsport played by Margaret Hamilton, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz."  Flower Belle responds to these calumnies with a defiant hip-wiggle . . .
• • Peter Bradshaw added: The script, co-written by the stars, has an outrageous one-liner in every line, and there is a weird yin-yang rightness in the Fields — West pairing.
• • Source: Review: "My Little Chickadee" written by Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian [UK]; published on Friday, 22 January 2010.
• • On Monday, 22 January 1934 in Times Square • •
• • There was a festive feeling in the air Monday evening, on 22 January 1934, when Mae West and Eddie Cantor and many other stars entertained at the New Amsterdam Theatre — — at the 52nd annual benefit for the Actors' Fund.
• • On Friday, 22 January 1937 • •
• • On Friday, 22 January 1937 The Hollywood Reporter cited reviews of "Go West Young Man" starring Mae West, opinions that had been printed in two London newspapers. The Hollywood Reporter also threw their own spicy comments into the pot for their West Coast readers to digest.
• • On Wednesday, 22 January 1964 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • New York Times readers who turned to the financial business section of the paper, published on Wednesday, 22 January 1964, noticed this item on page 75.
• • The headline read: "Mae West Plays Role for 'Mr. Ed'; Actress Makes TV Episode for Showing in March."
• • Times reporter Val Adams wrote: Mae West, a theatrical sex symbol for more than half a century, has completed filming a guest star role for "Mr. Ed," the comedy series about a talking horse. Many fans of "Mr. Ed" are children, but the average age of the audience may increase considerably when Miss West's performance is televised by the Columbia Broadcasting System on a Sunday evening in March. ...
• • On Tuesday, 22 January 1980 in Los Angeles • •
• • It was a Tuesday, on 22 January 1980, when Mae West signed a check to give her sister Beverly West the sum of $125.00. Drawn on her personal account at the United California Bank, Mae noted that $125 was for "maintenance and care of the ranch." Beverly endorsed the check on the back.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "My hobby is beds. I own a famous bed that belonged to Diamond Jim Brady. And several others. Some day I'm going to round up a real collection."
• • Mae West said: "That picture was a mistake from the word 'Shoot!'''
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about Dolly Parton's 8 best quotes mentioned Mae West.
• • Nightline quoted Dolly Parton, who once said: "I will never retire unless I had to. As long as I'm able to get up in the morning, get that makeup on, get those high heels on. Even if I can't wear the high heels, if I'm not able to wear 'em, I'm going to do like Mae West and sit in a wheelchair with my high heels on and have somebody wheel me around." ...
• • Source: Article: "Dolly Parton's Eight Best Quotes" written by Nightline for The HuffPost; published on Saturday, 19 January 2013
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2554th 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 1940
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