Monday, June 03, 2013

Mae West: Abel Green

Variety often mentioned MAE WEST and Abel Green, the editor who replaced the founding editor Sime Silverman, treated her more fairly during his tenure.
• • Abel Green [3 June 1900 — 10 May 1973] • •
• • According to one of Variety's hard-working reporters Peter Besas: "Variety's legendary editor-in-chief Abel Green was born in New York City on Sunday, 3 June 1900. The details of his early association with Variety are fuzzy, but he worked for Sime Silverman on and off for 15 years, occasionally flying the coop to join other publications. One source averred that he was a college drop-out."
• • Abel Green was an American journalist best known as the editor-in-chief of Variety for forty years. The 33-year-old was on the masthead starting in 1933. Green, who had been a theatrical trade reporter for other publications, was also a songwriter, composer, producer, an editor and author.
• • Abel Green died in New York City, New York on 10 May 1973. He was 72.
• • Mae West on the Bookshelf • •
• • Abel Green and Joe Laurie, Jr. wrote an article together about Mae West: "Mae West, Young Man, Mae West." This was reprinted in their hardcover book "Show Biz: From Vaude to Video" [NY: Henry Holt, 1951]. Their feature on Mae begins in the book on page 295.
• • Native New Yorker Joe Laurie, Jr. [1892 — 29 April 1954] was a vaudeville monologist who later performed on Broadway.
• • On Friday, 3 June 1911 in The Clipper • •
• • The New York Clipper (a.k.a. The Clipper) was a weekly entertainment newspaper published in New York City from 1853 to 1924.  It reviewed many forms of artistic endeavor from the circus to vaudeville to the legit. Two items in The Clipper, on 3 June 1911 and on 2 September 1911, covered "A Florida Enchantment." This touring show featured "a little French adventuress" played by Mae West and "young Goldberg" played by Frank Wallace, who became her husband in April 1911. The Clipper applauded their "coon shouting."  Mae sang a number "Tiger Love," backed by a burlesque chorus and also delighted the reviewer when she made "several changes down to full tights with good effect."  Woo-woo.
• • On Wednesday, 3 June 1936 • •
• • The Straits Times wrote an unfavorable review of "Klondike Annie" and ran it on Wednesday, 3 June 1936. Not realizing how the censors affected the script, the critic from England blamed it all on her.  Unfair, of course.
• • The London correspondent wrote: Mae West did a service to the modern world. She debunked sex. Now she has somersaulted. She has quit debunking sex and started taking herself seriously. ...
• • Source: Article: "Mae West as Salvationist Missie — She misses badly" in The Straits Times (Singapore) on page 19; published on Wednesday, 3 June 1936.
• • On Wednesday, 3 June 1970 • •
• • A warm-hearted article appeared in "Boston After Dark" on Wednesday, 3 June 1970.
• • Deac Rossel, who enjoyed watching Mae in her latest motion picture, wrote this: There is no doubt that Mae West has the sex personality, parcels of valuable land, a unique career, and the adulation of film-goers both young and old. She also seems to have the stamina and desire now to begin a second movie career. Mae West is still, as Will Rogers once defined her, "The most interesting woman in Hollywood."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I'll never tell anyone else how to live. These happen to be my own rules, but they might not apply to someone else. If anyone tried them out and they didn't work happily, I'd feel responsible."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Motion Picture Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • Mark Dowling wrote: The type of humor you think of as typical of Mae West comes from her most spontaneously when she is in the mood of her screen roles. "I have to get in the mood," she told me once when I asked her to "gag" an interview. She saves for her "public" life all the fire and passion that other stars burn up in their personal romances. When she's acting, jokes, and wisecracks of her own peculiar brand come spontaneously to her lips. ...
• • Source: "Don't Get Me Wrong!" — Mae West written by Mark Dowling (page 1) for Motion Picture; published in December 1934 issue
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2662nd 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 in Hollywood

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