Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Mae West: Pauline Paquette

MAE WEST worked with some intriguing cast mates when she filmed "Goin' to Town" [1935]. Mae, of course, starred as Cleo Borden in this comedy — — and Pauline Paquette was seen as the French maid.
• • Pauline Paquette [1890s? — 18 September 1955] • •
• • Born in Namur, Belgium was a sweet baby girl who grew up to be Pauline Paquette (or Paquet), an actress.
• • Pauline Paquette was probably in her twenties when she was seen in two silent movies, as a maid in "The Great Sensation" [1925] and as Fifine in "Bluff" [1924].  She certainly made a bigger splash in June Lee's column, "Dan Cupid's Bulletin Board" in September 1926, after she tied the knot with actor Kenneth Gibson [17 January 1898 — 26 November 1972]. Her husband made 48 movies, retiring in 1957.
• • Her role as a newly-wed seems to have suited her well; she only made three more motion pictures between 1930 —  1935. That was the year she worked with Mae West in "Goin' to Town."  Either there was no more temptation to toil in Tinseltown or Pauline's foreign accent limited her appeal.  
• • Pauline Paquette died on Sunday, 18 September 1955.  She was in her late 50s.
• • Starting on Monday, 24 September 1928 • •
• • "Pleasure Man" written by Mae West was shown at the Bronx Opera House from 17 September until 22 September 1928.  Then the play moved to the Boulevard Theatre in Queens for a single week starting on 24 September 1928.  Then Mae's provocative piece opened at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway on 1 October 1928, at which point the police padlocked it, despite its heavy advance sale.
• • On Monday, 24 September 1934 • •
• • After a long battle with the Hays Office, "Belle of the Nineties" won its approval. Despite that, several state censor boards deemed certain portions of the motion picture objectionable. They went on to take the scissors to some of Mae West's songs and snipped bits of dialogue, reported the Boston Herald in their issue dated for Monday, 24 September 1934.  Sigh.
• • On Tuesday, 24 September 1946 • •
• • Playing a sultry, irresistible detective, Mae West took the starring role of clever Carliss Dale in the stage play "Come On Up (Ring Twice)," which toured during 1946 in California and elsewhere. This comedy was written by Miles Mander, Fred Schiller, and Thomas Dunphy.
• • A local drama critic had written a review: "Come on up to Suite B-3, Bellflower Apartments, and ask for Carliss." This was published on Tuesday, 24 September 1946.
"Diamond Lil" stage 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:
• • 7:00pm on Sunday September 22nd. 
• • 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.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I gotta watch the people I have around me. You get too many tough burlesque characters hangin' around makin' wisecracks and you don't stand out."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Stu Hamstra mentioned Darlene Violette performing the role Mae West wrote for herself.
• • Stu Hamstra wrote: "Darlene Violette channels Mae West to perfection!"
• • Source: Facebook, September 2013
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2748th 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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• • Photo:
• • Mae West Diamond Lil returned for Mae's birthday

• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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