Mae West: Witness Stand

MAE WEST was back in court in the last week of August 1948.
• • "Mae West 'Upset' On Witness Stand; Court Is Recessed" • •

• • LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26 (JF) — — A symmetrical, satin-clad Mae West, flared up on the witness stand today and the court was sufficiently impressed to call a recess until the blonde actress cooled off. The argument concerned the succession of lovers upon whom Czarina Catherine of Russia conferred her favors.
• • It might not seem important at this late date, but it appears to be an issue in the $100,000 plagiarism suit filed against the actress by two writers, Edwin K. O'Brien and Michael Kane. The writers' attorney was questioning Miss West about Prince Potemkin, Count Gregory Orloff, and one Alexis Orloff. She was asked where Potemkin figured in the line of Catherine's lovers.
• • Mae West said she couldn't see what difference it made, whether he was the first, the 10th, or the 100th.
• • "Well, it is going to matter before we get through," said' Henry T. Moore, representing the writers, "after more questioning,"
• • Miss West, 55 years old, turned to Superior Judge Samuel Blake and said: "I can't think, your honor. I'm too upset. Can we take a recess?"  The judge looked at the clock and said if Miss West was indeed angry and upset, then the court would take a recess. 
• • The writers allege that Miss West appropriated some of their material for her production "Catherine Was Great." Miss West testified earlier in the day that she had never seen the script from which the writers claim material was pirated.
• • Source: Syndicated article rpt on page 3 in Pottstown Mercury (Pottstown, Pennsylvania); published on Friday, 27 August 1948.
• • On Monday, 27 August 1934 • •
• • Film Daily wrote: About $15,000 in presents was passed around by Mae West to those who helped in the retakes of her new Paramount picture, "Belle of the Nineties."
• • Source: Article: "Mae West Plays Santa Claus'' written by the West Coast Bureau of The Film Daily, Hollywood, for Film Daily; published on 27 August 1934.
• • The L.A. Times printed a similar item on Monday, 27 August 1934.
• • On Friday, 27 August 1976 • •
• • The Times Sunday Review interviewed people who knew Mae West.
• • The actress had attended the theatre with friends and after the show they asked what she thought of it. And Mae had replied: "I kept concentrating on making my mind wander. It [the play] made me realize there's less to life than sex."
• • Source: The Times Sunday Review published in the UK on Friday, 27 August 1976.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • John O'Hara's "BUtterfield 8" (banned in 1950) and Mae West's "She Done Him Wrong" (banned in 1934) were the two memorable exceptions for the Australian Customs. The Appeals Board refused to reconsider these books.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I'm not making a comeback.  I never went away!"
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A footnote in a book on architecture mentioned Mae West.
• • For details on the deployment of Mae West, see Kenneth Anger, "Hollywood Babylon" (San Francisco: Straight Arrow Books, 1975).
• • Source: Book: "Eating Architecture" by Jamie Horwitz, ‎Paulette Singley; published in 2004
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2989th 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 • • in 1948 • •
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