Mae West: Educational Problem

MAE WEST was more willing to reveal her early background to a good-looking reporter. Let's see what she said.
• • "Mae West's First Audiences Were Church Socials" • •
• • John C. Moffitt Tells the Story of Mae West • •
• • Lawn Socials • •

• • John C. Moffitt clarified: Mrs. West was a Jewess [sic] but there were a lot of Catholics in Brooklyn and, during the summer months, the Catholics had a weakness for lawn socials. Lawn socials are well-attended by folks who are eager to be entertained. No beagle ever pursued a fox with the persistence that Mae's mother would cling to the spoor of an audience. It wasn't long before she had made contacts with the good-natured priests and nuns of the parishes, who indulgently said certainly little Mae could do her imitations at socials. The socials were more or less community affairs, not strictly denominational in their attendance. Mae was not paid anything, but she appeared before audiences and her mother was shrewd and sharp telling her what went over and what did not.
• • John C. Moffitt quoted Mae: "I wonder what some of those sour guys that are always deriding me would think if they knew my first work was on a church circuit?" Mae once speculated. "I played at all the big Catholic lawn socials and I filled in with what Protestant time we could get."
• • John C. Moffitt noted: Mae recalls these associations with simple church folk very kindly. She is said to be a regular contributor to Catholic charities in Los Angeles and you occasionally see her at Mass, although never at the early ones. She is not a communicant, according to members of her household.
• • "Nuts to Madagascar!" • •
• • John C. Moffitt added: Her school days were sketchy. Her mother, preoccupied with the ambition of making Mae like Eva Tanguay, gave the teachers slight attention when they complained that Mae was an educational problem. Mae, the individualist, was always in trouble. ...
• • This is Part 4.  This very long article will be continued  on another occasion. Hope you enjoyed all four excerpts that were transcribed.
• • Source:  The Straits Times (Singapore); published on Sunday, 25 November 1934.
• • 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.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • In 1922, the new act "clicked," and Miss West figured, as she says, "We'd give a still bigger flash with an extra pianist 'a Jack Smith' with a nice voice and a nice personality," and "whispering Jack Smith" was born.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "When I was eleven years old, there was a break. I wasn't one of those curly, cute, theatricals kids any longer."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Motion Picture Herald mentioned Mae West.
• • Costumed Team Plug "Town" for Harpster • •
• • A team of a gal and two boys dressed in Gay Nineties costumes acted as Frank Harpster's street bally at the Ohio in Mansfield, Ohio, carrying suitcases placarded with "We're Goin' to Town to see Mae West." The three visited department stores and dined at leading restaurants.
• • Source: Item in Motion Picture Herald; published on Saturday, 24 August 1935 
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. The other day we entertained 1,223 visitors. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3059th 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 her male costume circa 1908 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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Mae West: Mugging and Plugging

How MAE WEST honed her craft in amateur vaudeville by mastering mugging and plugging is the focus of this next excerpt. But first let us wish all of our readers a Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you for joining us today.
• • "Mae West's First Audiences Were Church Socials" • •
• • John C. Moffitt Tells the Story of Mae West • •
• • Mugging and Plugging • •

• • John C. Moffitt observed: It is comforting to know that pugilistic Jack West, although he was howled down at most of the family conferences, did succeed in having some effect on his celebrated daughter.
• • John C. Moffitt wrote: But these music conferences had to be worked in when Jack West's wife wasn't occupied with her darling. And she was occupied most of the ime. Imperceptibly, Mae's mother began to discipline her in a strange, characteristic way.  She still let her run wild at home and in the neighborhood. She still let her scream and pout and have her own way. But when little Mae did an imitation that did not go over so good, her French mother talked to her like a Dutch uncle.
• • John C. Moffitt pointed out: When she "snapped a gag" and it "laid there," mother was all scorn. Mae was to be a great actress like Eva Tanguay, wasn't she? When Eva pulled a gag, it got over. What was the matter with Mae?
• • John C. Moffitt added: Five-year-old Mae began to learn how to make faces like the comedians did. That is called MUGGING. She learned to pause and let the audience wait for the "pay-off." That is called PLUGGING.
• • John C. Moffitt explained: Mugging and plugging. That was the discipline of her childhood. She never had to pick up her things. but if she let a joke "lie there," she knew she was in disgrace with mamma.
• • Lawn Socials • •
• • John C. Moffitt clarified: Mrs. West was a Jewess [sic] but there were a lot of Catholics in Brooklyn and, during the summer months, the Catholics had a weakness for lawn socials. Lawn socials are well-attended by folks who are . . .
• • This is Part 3. The article will continue tomorrow.
• • Source:  The Straits Times (Singapore); published on Sunday, 25 November 1934.
• • 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!
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Paramount this week signed Harold Hurley to a new contract as associate producer and
exercised another option on Mae West.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I did not change my way of life. I harmed no one. I had a philosophy, an idea of how to live fully and in my way.  I believed in it as fully and as strongly as I believed in being an American."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Motion Picture Herald mentioned Mae West.
• • Rotsky Stages Cycle Parade on "Goin' to Town" in Montreal • •
• • Day ahead of opening, George Rotsky, Montreal Palace Theatre secured the cooperation of local bicycle club for a "Goin' to Town" cycle parade, boys with title cards on handlebars covering downtown sections of city. Specially printed folders with picture plug and listing of horses were distributed at the Montreal Jockey Club, theatre presented trophy to winner of special race, thus gaining additional publicity on sports page.
• • Hat shop tied in by featuring Mae West chapeaux and devoting window to display with scene stills. For his front, George used huge cut-outs of Mae atop his marquee and at either side of entrance.
• • Source: Item in Motion Picture Herald; published on Saturday, 6 July 1935 
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. The other day we entertained 1,223 visitors. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3058th 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
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • circa 1908 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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Mae West: Redhead Beldame

MAE WEST had such a long talk with John Moffitt that his series on her ran through the month of December in newspapers around the world. Here we pick up the pieces from yesterday.
• • "Mae West's First Audiences Were Church Socials" • •
• • John C. Moffitt Tells the Story of Mae West • •
• • John C. Moffitt explained:  That was what was in the mother's mind when she kept saying, "Let her alone. She's different," every time her husband wanted to slap the little prodigy's ears.  Mae was to be a public institution.  
• • The "I Don't Care!" Motto • •

• • John C. Moffitt wrote: Her mother took her to the vaudeville shows and made her study the Brooklyn idols: George M. Cohan, Eddie Foy, Bert Williams, and Eva Tanguay. Eva was Mrs. West's particular idol. Everybody talked about Eva Tanguay. Her picture was in the Sunday supplements. Eva wasn't much of a dancer and she was beginning to get old. But she had good looking legs and a dress made out of dollar bills. A red-headed beldame, she would strut about the stage, pummeling her fists into the backdrop and screaming, "I don't care! I don't care!" That was the "It" of the pre-Elinor-Glyn era.
• • John C. Moffitt noted: "I Don't Care!" was Eva's theme song. The country repeated it. Men leered over it on street corners . . . . "Some day my baby's going to be like that, Tillie would say, and Little Mae took it to heart. Already she had a motto for her escutcheon.
• • John C. Moffitt added: Mae's father still didn't like all this theatrical business. He didn't like spoiled children. How was he to know it was going to lead to his having a fruit ranch in California? He was sorry Mae wasn't a boy. But that didn't keep him from teaching her how to box and do acrobatics. Mae can still wallop a punching bag away from its moorings. When a Hollywood trainer was assigned by the studio to "put her in shape," and called at her apartment, she astounded him, she said, by lifting him up to the ceiling with one hand.
• • Mugging and Plugging • •
• • John C. Moffitt observed:  It is comforting to know that pugilistic Jack West, although he was howled down at most of the family conferences, did succeed in having some effect on his celebrated daughter.  ...
• • This is Part 2. The article will continue tomorrow.
• • Source:  The Straits Times (Singapore); published on Sunday, 25 November 1934.
• • On Thursday, 26 November 1931 • •
• • The New York Herald Tribune reported on the intense displeasure to white Washingtonians when Mae West brought her Harlem play "The Constant Sinner" to D.C. where the local D.A. was Leo K. Rover. Leo roared about the profanity and the dances performed by the black cast. The D.A., apparently, had been telling the media he would "arrest the entire company of fifty one if another performance were given," noted the Herald Tribune on Thursday, 26 November 1931. Racism reared its head.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Comedy Parade Tops "Town" Date • •
• • Comedy parade was staged by Irv Stein, Bay Theatre, Green Bay, Wis., on Mae West's latest, leading off with police escort and 25 high school boys in a marathon race starting at the theatre. Boys wore "Goin' to Town" back banners and were followed by another riding donkey bannered with "don't be an ass" copy.  Other youngsters on old-fashioned tandem bikes and tricycles carrying gag comedy banners also took part.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "You see the speakeasy influence. Sit at a table, dearie, I always say. And don't forget your frills and ruffles and anything else that feminizes you."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Independent mentioned Mae West.
• • Neil Norman wrote: On radio, Charlie sparred with Mae West, W C Fields and Orson Welles among others and became a star in his own in right.  ...
• • Source: Article in The Independent [U.K.]; published on Saturday, 26 November 2005
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. The other day we entertained 1,223 visitors. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3057th 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
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1932 and as a child actress • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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