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In September 1934, MAE WEST was promoting her fourth feature for Paramount Pictures: "Belle of the Nineties." This motion picture was released on September 21st. The black actor Sam McDaniel had a minor role as Jasmine's Admirer.
• • Samuel McDaniel [28 January 1886 — 24 September 1962] • •
• • Born in Wichita, Kansas on 28 January 1886 to former slaves was a sweet little boy who would be one of their 13 children. Samuel Rufus McDaniel was the older brother of the actresses Hattie McDaniel and Etta McDaniel. Their mother died in 1920 and their father died in 1922.
• • After 30 years of performing in minstrel troupes and always being on the road, Sam went to Hollywood in 1929 and his kid sister Hattie McDaniel decided to tag along. She, of course, became famous and he was the one who was cast in the token roles of servant, butler, doorman, porter, handyman, drunk, usher, waiter, valet — — confined to the ghetto of uncredited parts and limited screen time.
• • From 1929 — 1960, Sam McDaniel appeared in about 220 motion pictures and TV shows. In 1934, he had the privilege of working in a Mae West film.
• • One year earlier, Hattie had played one of Mae West's jovial maids in "I'm No Angel" [1933].
• • In Sam's final film "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" [1960], McDaniel worked with John Carradine — — who would be cast, a decade later, as the surgeon in "Myra Breckinridge" [1970].
• • Samuel Rufus McDaniel died of throat cancer in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California on Monday, 24 September 1962. He was 76.
• • On Saturday, 30 September 1911 • •
• • On Friday, 22 September 1911, 18-year-old Mae West was in the spotlight. On that date, "A La Broadway" had opened at the Folies-Bergere Theatre, New York, NY. This short-lived revue (produced in an expensive venue) closed on Saturday night, 30 September 1911.
• • Variety noted on September 30th: "Folies Bergere Experiment Reaching an End."
• • On Sunday, 30 September 1934 • •
• • Andre Sennwald wrote an article "Lines for a Mae West Scrapbook." It was published in The New York Times on Sunday, 30 September 1934.
• • On Saturday, 30 September 1944 • •
• • On Saturday, 30 September 1944 Mae West, who was playing the Empress of Russia, moved her show "Catherine Was Great" from the Shubert Theatre to the Royale, the playhouse that had originally welcomed Diamond Lil and her boisterous Bowery hijinx in 1928.
 |
| Photo by Wayne Takenaka |
• • See "Diamond Lil" This Autumn! • •
"Darlene Violette channels Mae West to perfection!" — Stu Hamstra
•
• By popular demand, actress Darlene Violette — — and the wonderful
cast who brought the Bowery denizens and Suicide Hall’s ne’er-do-wells
to life — — will return in “Diamond Lil” for several evening performances at Don’t Tell Mama [343 W. 46th Street] on these dates in 2013:
• • 7:30pm on Sunday October 27th — Hallowe'en Party — come in 1890s costume!
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 3rd — vote for Gus Jordan for Sheriff Night.
• • 8:30pm on Sunday November 10th
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 17th
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 24th
• • Phone after 4pm to reserve a seat: 212-757-0788; RSVP online: www.donttellmamanyc.com
• • Closest MTA subway stations: 42nd St./ Times Sq. via A, C, E, 1, 2, 3
• • The public is
invited (suitable for age 18 and over). Join us as we turn the iconic
NYC nightspot Don't Tell Mama into Gus Jordan's "Suicide Hall"!
• • The Cast:
Starring Darlene Violette as Diamond Lil, Queen of the Bowery and also
featuring Sidney Myer, Anthony DiCarlo, Joanna Bonaro, Gary Napoli, Juan
Sebastian Cortes, Kimmy Foskett, Jim Gallagher and live music by Brian
McInnis
• • Director: Co-directed by Dena Tyler, The Actors Studio, and Darlene Violette.
• • Come up and see for yourself. You might even win a swell Raffle Prize.
• • Watch a short clip: Diamond Lil meets Pablo, a gigolo
• • Read a Review of "Diamond Lil" • •
• • L'Idea Magazine's editors attended four times and had a lot to say. Here's the link: http://www.lideamagazine.com/usa-still-entertaining-mae-wests-diamond-lil-makes-new-fans-in-new-york-city/
• • Staying faithful to the gritty themes in the novel, LindaAnn Loschiavo trimmed the work to 85 minutes for a cast of eight.
• • Audience Comments about "Diamond Lil" • •
• • Gigi Garcone said: Just saw "Diamond Lil"
— — a very entertaining production! This tribute to the sultry,
irresistible diva Mae West is a must see! All the actors are very
talented and you can see they put their hearts into their roles. I
especially liked Darlene Violette as Mae West and Joanna Bonaro as Rita,
a madam from Rio. Darlene encompassed the whole persona of Mae and
Joanna was sublime as the madam — — she really has such a presence on
stage. Very enjoyable performance and it's worth the trip!
• • Rick Baynes of Baltimore said: I second Gigi's comments. "Diamond Lil"
brings the fabulous Mae West back to life. The wonderful Darlene
Violette is spot-on in her portrayal of the lusty, bawdy Mae. Do
yourself a favor and go see this lovely production.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I harmed no one."
• • Mae West said: "Women can make men do anything they wish them to do, if they're clever — — and they needn't be gold-diggers, either."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • American Thinker mentioned "sex kitten" Mae West. [Be still, my heart.]
• • Robert Oscar Lopez wrote: If there's one thing I know from my bizarre life experience, spending forty years immersed in gay culture, it's camp. Before gay men became obsessed with surgically altering people's genitals and forcing middle schools to teach boys about ways to stimulate the prostate, gay men learned most of what they needed to know from Hollywood divas. My lodestars were always the wholesome girls next door like Shirley Jones, Doris Day, and Audrey Hepburn. Some gay men loved the tragic figures of Edith Piaf, Judy Garland, and Billie Holiday. Still others venerated sex kittens like Mae West or castrating villainesses like Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. ...
Source: Article: "Remember to Unplug the Refrigerator, Conservatives" by Robert Oscar Lopez for American Thinker; posted on Saturday, 28 September 2013
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2752nd 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 • • Diamond Lil returned for Mae's birthday • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
MAE WEST received top billing in "Myra Breckinridge" [1970] and Toni Basil was part of the uncredited cast and seen as a cigarette girl.
• • Born in September — Toni Basil • •
• • Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sweet little Antonia Christina Basilotta came into the world on Wednesday, 22 September 1943.
• • Eager to pursue show business, Toni Basil studied dance. On TV music shows such as "Hullabaloo," she worked as a dancer and an assistant choreographer. Her resume gained stature and she choreographed the popular motion picture "American Graffiti."
• • From 1964 — 1993, she was seen in about two dozen minor roles on TV and in films. Then in 1981, she launched her music career with her first album which included a fun song called "Mickey." This scored a huge # 1 single for the 38-year-old singer.
• • Toni Basil celebrated her 70th birthday this week.
• • On Thursday, 27 September 1934 in Boston Herald • •
• • A review of "Belle of the Nineties" appeared in the Boston Herald on this date.
• • On Friday, 27 September 1935 • •
• • According to "The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville," one greedy variety artist tried to stage his comeback based on a bigamy scandal. Anthony Slide wrote: Billed as “Mister Mae West,” Frank Wallace opened in burlesque at the Eltinge Theatre on Friday, 27 September 1935, in an act with Trixie LeMae that he claimed he had performed with his first wife Mae West.
• • On Wednesday, 27 September 1961 in Variety • •
• • Mae West starred in the stage comedy "Come On Up" during the summer of 1961. She had observed something done by the Shuberts — — the placement of a publicity ad in the trade papers after a show closed. This is what she did when "Come On Up" closed, too, and her advertisement in Variety (in their issue dated for 27 September 1961) recapped positive comments from the reviews.
 |
| PHOTO: Wayne Takenaka |
• • See "Diamond Lil" This Autumn! • •
"Darlene Violette channels Mae West to perfection!" — Stu Hamstra
•
• By popular demand, actress Darlene Violette — — and the wonderful
cast who brought the Bowery denizens and Suicide Hall’s ne’er-do-wells
to life — — will return in “Diamond Lil” for several evening performances at Don’t Tell Mama [343 W. 46th Street] on these dates in 2013:
• • 7:30pm on Sunday October 27th — Hallowe'en Party — come in 1890s costume!
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 3rd — vote for Gus Jordan for Sheriff Night.
• • 8:30pm on Sunday November 10th
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 17th
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 24th
• • Phone after 4pm to reserve a seat: 212-757-0788; RSVP online: www.donttellmamanyc.com
• • Closest MTA subway stations: 42nd St./ Times Sq. via A, C, E, 1, 2, 3
• • The public is
invited (suitable for age 18 and over). Join us as we turn the iconic
NYC nightspot Don't Tell Mama into Gus Jordan's "Suicide Hall"!
• • The Cast:
Starring Darlene Violette as Diamond Lil, Queen of the Bowery and also
featuring Sidney Myer, Anthony DiCarlo, Joanna Bonaro, Gary Napoli, Juan
Sebastian Cortes, Kimmy Foskett, Jim Gallagher and live music by Brian
McInnis
• • Director: Co-directed by Dena Tyler, The Actors Studio, and Darlene Violette.
• • Come up and see for yourself. You might even win a swell Raffle Prize.
• • Watch a short clip: Diamond Lil meets Pablo, a gigolo
• • Read a Review of "Diamond Lil" • •
• • L'Idea Magazine's editors attended four times and had a lot to say. Here's the link: http://www.lideamagazine.com/usa-still-entertaining-mae-wests-diamond-lil-makes-new-fans-in-new-york-city/
• • Staying faithful to the gritty themes in the novel, LindaAnn Loschiavo trimmed the work to 85 minutes for a cast of eight.
• • Audience Comments about "Diamond Lil" • •
• • Gigi Garcone said: Just saw "Diamond Lil"
— — a very entertaining production! This tribute to the sultry,
irresistible diva Mae West is a must see! All the actors are very
talented and you can see they put their hearts into their roles. I
especially liked Darlene Violette as Mae West and Joanna Bonaro as Rita,
a madam from Rio. Darlene encompassed the whole persona of Mae and
Joanna was sublime as the madam — — she really has such a presence on
stage. Very enjoyable performance and it's worth the trip!
• • Rick Baynes of Baltimore said: I second Gigi's comments. "Diamond Lil"
brings the fabulous Mae West back to life. The wonderful Darlene
Violette is spot-on in her portrayal of the lusty, bawdy Mae. Do
yourself a favor and go see this lovely production.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I figured I owed just one kiss to reformers as a class. So Charlie Winninger gets it. He's old enough not to take it too seriously."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Daily Mail in London mentioned Mae West.
• • Roger Lewis wrote: Mae West did her best to get around the bans with innuendo: ‘Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I’m tired.’ ...
• • Source: The Daily Mail [U.K.]; published on Wednesday, 26 September 2013
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2751st 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 • • Diamond Lil returned for Mae's birthday • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
It was late September 1975 and MAE WEST was busy writing checks to get a man out of jailbird stripes.
• • It seems that her sister Beverly's chauffeur had gotten into a scrape. His failure to pay a traffic ticket landed him behind bars. Dutiful as always, Mae took care of the matter so Beverly could get her employee back. The check was dated for Wednesday, 24 September 1975 and Mae was 82 years old at the time.
• • On Saturday, 26 September 1931 in Billboard • •
• • About "The Constant Sinner," Jack Mehler wrote that "it has the makings of a good money show, both for Miss West and the Shuberts who are reported in on it." Mehler's entire review was published in Billboard's issue dated for Saturday, 26 September 1931.
• • On Tuesday, 26 September 1939 • •
• • On Tuesday, 26 September 1939 Joe Breen had outlined plenty of no-nos in his written comments for Maurice Pivar, an executive at Universal, letting him know what the censors objected to in "My Little Chickadee." For instance, a "revealing white lawn blouse" worn by Mae West's character, Joe Breen warned, must not expose too much cleavage, tsk-tsk.
• • See "Diamond Lil" This Autumn! • •
"Darlene Violette channels Mae West to perfection!" — Stu Hamstra
•
• By popular demand, actress Darlene Violette — — and the wonderful
cast who brought the Bowery denizens and Suicide Hall’s ne’er-do-wells
to life — — will return in “Diamond Lil” for several evening performances at Don’t Tell Mama [343 W. 46th Street] on these dates in 2013:
• • 7:30pm on Sunday October 27th — Hallowe'en Party — come in 1890s costume!
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 3rd — vote for Gus Jordan for Sheriff Night.
• • 8:30pm on Sunday November 10th
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 17th
• • 7:00pm on Sunday November 24th
• • Phone after 4pm to reserve a seat: 212-757-0788; RSVP online: www.donttellmamanyc.com
• • Closest MTA subway stations: 42nd St./ Times Sq. via A, C, E, 1, 2, 3
• • The public is
invited (suitable for age 18 and over). Join us as we turn the iconic
NYC nightspot Don't Tell Mama into Gus Jordan's "Suicide Hall"!
• • The Cast:
Starring Darlene Violette as Diamond Lil, Queen of the Bowery and also
featuring Sidney Myer, Anthony DiCarlo, Joanna Bonaro, Gary Napoli, Juan
Sebastian Cortes, Kimmy Foskett, Jim Gallagher and live music by Brian
McInnis
• • Director: Co-directed by Dena Tyler, The Actors Studio, and Darlene Violette.
• • Come up and see for yourself. You might even win a swell Raffle Prize.
• • Watch a short clip: Diamond Lil meets Pablo, a gigolo
• • Read a Review of "Diamond Lil" • •
• • L'Idea Magazine's editors attended four times and had a lot to say. Here's the link: http://www.lideamagazine.com/usa-still-entertaining-mae-wests-diamond-lil-makes-new-fans-in-new-york-city/
• • Staying faithful to the gritty themes in the novel, LindaAnn Loschiavo trimmed the work to 85 minutes for a cast of eight.
• • Audience Comments about "Diamond Lil" • •
• • Gigi Garcone said: Just saw "Diamond Lil" — — a very entertaining production! This tribute to the sultry, irresistible diva Mae West is a must see! All the actors are very talented and you can see they put their hearts into their roles. I especially liked Darlene Violette as Mae West and Joanna Bonaro as Rita, a madam from Rio. Darlene encompassed the whole persona of Mae and Joanna was sublime as the madam — — she really has such a presence on stage. Very enjoyable performance and it's worth the trip!
• • Rick Baynes of Baltimore said: I second Gigi's comments. "Diamond Lil" brings the fabulous Mae West back to life. The wonderful Darlene Violette is spot-on in her portrayal of the lusty, bawdy Mae. Do yourself a favor and go see this lovely production.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "A man's kiss is his signature!"
• • Mae West said: "Kiss and make up — — but too much make-up has ruined many a kiss."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Malaysian paper mentioned Mae West. Which actor gave Mae West a kiss onscreen that would be monumental?
• • Singapore-based readers of The Straits Times saw this titillating tidbit on Sunday, 26 September 1937.
• • Mae West's First Kiss • •
• • Hollywood — For the first time in any of her films, Mae West has agreed to kiss a man.
• • The lucky man is Charles Winninger, who is playing the part of a social reformer in the film she is now making, "Every Day's a Holiday."
• • Said Mae in announcing the big decision: "I figured I owed just one kiss to reformers as a class. So Charlie gets it. He's old enough not to take it too seriously."
• • Mae West is 45 and Charles Winninger is 53.
• • Source: News Item: The Straits Times (page 15) on Sunday, 26 September 1937
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2750th 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 • • Diamond Lil returned for Mae's birthday • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
