Friday, November 29, 2013

Mae West: Demon Jinx Strikes

MAE WEST's "Diamond Lil" had an exuberant revival from August 17 — November 24. This 85-minute adaptation by LindaAnn Loschiavo has now been professionally archived by a 3-man crew.
• • The "Diamond Lil" cast has announced there will be a screening and party in Bushwick. All the uptown swells are expected to attend. A joyous occasion to be sure.
• • On Tuesday, 29 November 1932 • •
• • Mae West's script had been playing hide-and-seek with the Hays Office. However, on Wednesday, 30 November 1932, the project finally had a title that would not change: "She Done Him Wrong." A day earlier, there had been delicate negotiations on the part of Paramount's rep Harold Hurley. He mamboed around the play's references to white slavery, he massaged away any suggestion that Lil was a kept woman, and he agreed that the Salvation Army uniform had to be made into a safe generic. For all that, Mae got some zingers by the censors.
• • On Monday, 29 November 1948
• • An American revival of "Diamond Lil" opened out of town on Monday, 29 November 1948 at Montclair, New Jersey.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Film critics are predicting that you will see another new and sensational star — — none other than Mae West, the "Diamond Lil" of Broadway.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I have given six life-stories but I can always give another."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Film Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • "Demon Jinx Strikes!" • •
• • The Film Daily is advised that not one jinx, but two, too many, are pursuing the anniversary stage show at the New York Paramount theater. First, Mae West cancelled her booking over a disagreement, then Don Baker, organist, contracted appendicitis, then Paul Draper dancer, quit the show, and finally Jack Powell, drummer, fell off the platform into a sick bed. ...
• • Source: Item in The Film Daily, The Daily Newspaper of Motion Pictures; published on Friday, 20 November 1936
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2799th 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 cast members from "Diamond Lil" in 2013

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Mae West: Carrot Juice Diet

The MAE WEST Blog wishes all our visitors and Mae-mavens a Happy Thanksgiving.
• • Speaking of food and feasting, the Brooklyn bombshell told Hollywood correspondent Erskine Johnson: "People just don't eat right. For breakfast, I have sliced apples and raisins. Or fruit with a syrup made of powdered almonds, milk, and honey. At night all I have is a salad. During the day I drink carrot juice."
• • Erskine Johnson wrote: "Honey," Mae West said, as we belted the stuff in her luxurious Santa Monica beach home, "this is what does it. And if I'm going to look like I do today, I wouldn't mind living to be 100."  ...
• • Source: syndicated column: "Hollywood: Carrot Juice Diet Is Mae West's Secret" written by Erskine Johnson, rpt by Park City Daily News; published on Tuesday, 19 June 1962‎.
• • On Monday, 28 November 1932 • •
• • At the MPPDA board meeting on Monday, 28 November 1932, Adolph Zukor made promises to Will Hays that only "suitable material" would find its way into the script and the "Diamond Lil" title was already gone.
• • On Saturday, 28 November 1936 • •
• • Did you spot Mae West in the animated cartoon "The Coo-Coo Nut Grove" [1936]?
• • Take an amusing visit to a Hollywood night club. The illustrators created caricatures of  Mae West as well as Walter Winchell, Hugh Herbert, W.C. Fields, Katharine Hepburn, Johnny Weissmuller, Harpo Marx, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Clark Gable, Groucho Marx, Edward G. Robinson, etc.
• • The 60-minute cartoon feature was first aired in November — — on Saturday, 28 November 1936.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
Carl Brisson stands behind Mae
• • Carl Brisson presented Mae West with a duck. She takes the duck to the studio every day and lets him swim in the fish pond. She calls him "Scram" because whenever she says "scram!" to him he hides under the sofa.
• • Photo:  Paramount Pictures industry event on Monday, 15 October 1934 in Los Angeles at the Ambassador Hotel. Pictured, left to right, seated are Gary Cooper, Mae West, Emanuel Cohen, and Arline Judge. Standing: W.C. Fields (hidden by an ugly watermark) with Carl Brisson (middle), and director Wesley Ruggles.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I had in mind several stories as possibilities. And between shows I secluded myself at my hotel or in my dressing room and did some real work."
• • Mae West said: “Look your best. Who said love is blind?”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Winnipeg Tribune mentioned Mae West and Carl Brisson.
• • Carl Brisson [24 December 1893 — 25 September 1958] was a Danish-born prizefighter, who was active in the ring between 1912 — 1915. He began acting in productions staged in London. When he came to Hollywood, he was featured as an actor and a singer in a dozen films made before 1935. 
• • The Winnipeg Tribune wrote: Carl Brisson stars, and here is a real two fisted and always working actor. Picked by Mae West as an ideal man, Brisson shows that he has the goods and justifies Mae's choice. Brisson was brought out from England to show things to Hollywood stars and this is one of his first exhibitions. Watch this gentlemen. If he stays with the Hollywood game, instead of returning to the legitimate stage in England, he will be heard from. . . .
• • Source: The Winnipeg Tribune (page 14); published on Saturday, 30 June 1934 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2798th 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 October 1934

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Mae West: Careful Choices

MAE WEST was discussed in The Village Voice on Monday, 27 November 1978.
• • Randy Shilts wrote: A procession of musclemen in satin bikinis slowly walks from the wings, like a train of young virgins clearing the way for a grand potentate. Then the tip of a white feathered boa, the sparkle of diamond rings, bracelets, and the rhinestoned sleeve of a white satin floor-length gown and Mae West, one of our last dwindling supply of silver screen starlets-cum-living legends, saunters slowly across the stage.  ...
• • On Sunday, 27 November 1932 in Hollywood • •
• • Jon Tuska, writing about "She Done Him Wrong," notes that production commenced on Sunday, 27 November 1932, and concluded in December of that year. Fast work!
• • On Friday, 27 November 1936 in Princeton, NJ • •
• • The Daily Princetonian Special Bulletin announced (on page 2) on Friday, 27 November 1936 that a local moviehouse, the Arcade Theatre was showing "today and  tomorrow Mae West in 'Go West Young Man' with Warren William, Alice Brady, Randolph Scott, Lyle Talbot" and the show times.
• • On Tuesday, 27 November 2007 • •
• • Released by the U.K. publisher St. Martin's Griffin on Tuesday, 27 November 2007 was "Mae West: It Ain't No Sin" by the biographer Simon Louvish. The paperback edition had 491 pages.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • By the way, Mae is now working on her new contract by the terms of which she gets $100,000 a picture. They also say that the curvaceous one also gets about half that amount again for providing her own story and, be it known, Mae won't stand for anybody's writing stories for her pictures but Mae.
• • Well, it's quite an achievement, and you must hand it to Mae.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Jimmy Cagney is the only one in Hollywood that's got anything like my style. Animal personality. Gives them the rough stuff right out like I do."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Voice of America discussed Mae West and her play "Diamond Lil."
Actor and comic Jim Gallagher
• • Barbara Klein and Steve Ember said:  One of her most famous plays was called "Diamond Lil." Mae West made careful choices when writing this play so that it would be popular with a wide audience. She set the play in a famous New York City area called the Bowery. Audiences knew the history of this dangerous area. West also had the story take place in the late nineteenth century. She knew that the clothing from this period looked good on her large and curvy body. She thought that older people would like the time period. Female audiences would like her rich clothing. And younger people would like the play's action and sexy style. ...
• • Source: "People in America" on Voice of America; this program was written and produced by Dana Demange; undated  
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2797th 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" revival cast member

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