On Friday, 30 January 1948, MAE WEST was starring in London's West End production of "Diamond Lil."
• • Born in 1915 in pre-Partition Punjab, Khushwant Singh, perhaps India’s most widely read and controversial writer, was a Mae West fan. Let's revisit his recollection of enjoying the diva sashaying around Suicide Hall onstage.
• • Khushwant Singh wrote: I was still in London when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in Delhi on Friday, 30 January 1948. I had taken leave to pack up my belongings to proceed to Canada. ... Instead of going to the shipping office to confirm our passage, we made our way to India House to be with our own people. . . . We sat there for an hour. In my pocket were theatre tickets I had bought a month earlier to see Mae West in "Diamond Lil." I was torn with conflict in my mind. Was it right to see the world's greatest sex symbol when Bapu lay dead in Delhi? Ultimately, we decided to go to the theatre. I did not have any shame or sense of guilt when I saw the bosomy woman come out with her punch line: "Come up and see me sometime." I would have happily responded to her invitation. From the brochure, I discovered Mae West was the same age as my mother. . . .
• • Source: excerpt from "Truth, Love and A Little Malice" written by Khushwant Singh [UK: Penguin, 10 February 2003].
• • On Sunday, 30 January 1938 • •
• • "Mae West Is Banned Over Radio" • •
• • ("The Sunday Times" Special Message) • •
• • NEW YORK, Saturday — — The National Broadcasting Company from its headquarters here has issued definite instructions that the name of Mae West must not be mentioned over any station in the network which it controls.
• • It is believed that this is the result of violent objection that followed Miss West's recent appearance, after a four-year absence from the air, in a sketch entitled "Adam and Eve."
• • Source: Sunday Times (Perth); published on Sunday, 30 January 1938.
• • On Wednesday, 30 January 1935 in Singapore • •
• • "Lord Byng at a Mae West Tea-Party — Star Will Be in London for Jubilee Celebration"
• • Lord Byng and Lady Byng joined Mae West for tea and tried to butter her up with some friendly persuasion. The Straits Times in Singapore ran an article with all the particulars on page 6 on Wednesday, 30 January 1935.
• • The NYC newsman wrote: "Miss West entertained Lord and Lady Byng at tea in her dressing room at Paramount Pictures. She soon put her guests at their ease with a few simple Westisms." ...
• • Before he left, Lord Byng suggested that she should come to London. "Sure," said Miss West. "It would fascinate me." ...
• • "Tea began formally but Miss West soon broke the ice," the journalist noted.
• • Source: Article: "Lord Byng at a Mae West Tea-Party — Star Will Be in London for Jubilee Celebration" printed in The Straits Times; published on Wednesday, 30 January 1935.
• • On Sunday, 30 January 2011 in Florida • •
• • Words of Mae West come to life in “The Drag” • •
• • Orlando-based columnist Dawnn Behrens wrote this for Examiner.com: Originally written in 1926, the words of Mae West come to life in “The Drag” tonight [on January 30th] at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (Studio B). Directors Michael Wanzie, John DiDonna and their group received permission from the estate of the late Mae West to present the show. It will be present tonight as the last night of an exclusive 2 night performance as part of their “Dangerous Plays Series — Giving breath to dissenting voices” series. . . .
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • In her first film endeavor, "Night After Night," Mae West was a mild success in a meager part. Then Mae made "She Done Him Wrong." It had not played more than two or three days before the studio executives realized they had stumbled upon on a gold mine.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I'll stick to the movie game for some time. But I hope to be able to find time to do another play."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Malaysian paper mentioned Mae West. Which actor gave Mae West a kiss onscreen that would be monumental?
• • "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: Item: The Straits Times [Singapore]; published on Sunday, 26 September 1937
• • 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 1,430 visitors. We reached a milestone this week: 3,100 posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3104th 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 • • Program in 1948 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
MAE WEST was photographed by Cecil Beaton in January 1970.
• • He wrote an exceedingly detailed diary entry about this and it was printed in the book "The Unexpurgated Beaton: The Cecil Beaton Diaries as He Wrote Them, 1970—1980."
• • While he was waiting for Mae to finish dressing and primping, Beaton prowled around, examining her furnishings, opening doors to see if unused items (such as an old massage table) were dusty. They were. So what? Scrutinizing a "huge yellow china vase" holding one flower, Beaton realized the poesy was there to disguise a crack. The lengthy recollection he committed to paper — — describing one member of her entourage as "a fag" — — is often nasty, revealing more about the British photographer than about Mae. Here's a mild excerpt.
• • Cecil Beaton wrote: [Mae] gurgled at the compliments. She seemed shy and nice and sympathetic. When I told her that Lady Cunard had said she was dressed at a Sitwell party all in white like a vestal virgin, she pretended to be shocked. She moved very slowly into the living room . . .
• • Cecil Beaton noted: I told her Prince Charles had thought her "Chickadee" was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. "What a pity he saw me with W.C. Fields. I wish he's seen me in something else." . . .
• • Source: "The Unexpurgated Beaton: The Cecil Beaton Diaries as He Wrote Them, 1970—1980" [NY: Knopf Doubleday, 2007].
• • Happy Birthday on the 29th of January • •
• • Happy Birthday to actress Ann Jillian (born on Sunday, 29 January 1950), who portrayed Mae West in the 1982 TV bio-pic of the same name. Jillian was 32 when she starred in "Mae West" on the small screen.
• • Happy Birthday to actor Tom Selleck (born on Monday, 29 January 1945). It's been said by a few people that Mae West first noticed Tom Selleck in a Pepsi commercial. She was responsible for getting Selleck cast as The Stud in "Myra Breckenridge" [1970] when he was 25 years old.
• • On Monday, 29 January 1917 in Brooklyn • •
• • Mae West was a witness at her younger sister's wedding, which took place on a weekday, Monday, 29 January 1917 in Brooklyn City Hall, not far from the West family's Brooklyn residence.
• • On Sunday, 29 January 1978 in Sunday Express • •
• • Since "Sextette" had a British director, articles discussing what happened on the set in Hollywood popped up in the British tabloids. An article discussing a scene filmed in a mock elevator appeared in Sunday Express on 29 January 1978.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • In an interview, D.W. Griffth named Mae West as one of the ten most interesting persons in America.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I'm much too busy to worry about gossip and trivial matters. If they don't like me, that's their business. Ive's got to keep busy turning out good pictures. Now that — — that's my business."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Billboard mentioned Mae West.
• • "Diamond Lil" with Mae West (Royal Alexandra Theatre) Toronto, Canada.
• • Source: Item in Billboard; published on Saturday, 22 January 1949
• • 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 1,430 visitors. We reached a milestone this week: 3,100 posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3103rd 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 • • by Cecil Beaton in 1970 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
MAE WEST fans in Singapore got to enjoy her latest motion picture on January 28th.
• • According to The Straits Times, Happy Theatre offered two showings of "My Little Chickadee" starring Mae West and W.C. Fields at 6:30 pm and 9:15 pm. The date was Tuesday, 28 January 1941.
• • On Thursday, 28 January 1937 in Maryland • •
• • "At the Tivoli today and tomorrow!" announced the paid notice in the Frederick News-Post, covering the arts and entertainment scene for Frederick, Maryland. "Mae West in Paramount's 'Go West Young Man' with Warren William, Randolph Scott, Alice Brady." This bold-faced stand-alone ad stood out in the Frederick News-Post on Thursday, 28 January 1937.
• • On Friday, 28 January 1938 • •
• • "Radio Officials, 'No Gentlemen,' Let Her Down, Says Mae West" was a page 3 article in The Washington Post. It was published on Friday, 28 January 1938.
• • On Friday, 28 January 1938 in The Harvard Crimson • •
• • The Moviegoer, W.B., informed his student readers with this headline: "Fred Warning and Pennsylvanians Cut Capers on Stage; Mae West Takes Lead in a Clean Picture."
• • The Moviegoer, W.B. wrote: Fred Warning and his mad, merrymaking Pennsylvanians top the bill at the Metropolitan Theatre this week with an hour of swing punctuated by the informal capers of the orchestra. On the screen Mae West plays the rather weak part of a confidence girl with an honest heart in "Every Day's A Holiday." ... [Uh-oh!]
• • On Saturday, 28 January 2012 in Australia • •
• • The stage play "Courting Mae West" came to Melbourne, Australia on Saturday, 28 January 2012 and the amazing cast was greeted by a full house.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Will Rogers wrote that Mae West was the mos interesting woman in Hollywood, that she had come to the film capital to tech other actresses how to speak their lines.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I became convinced that the public was ready to view sex frankly."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Film Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae West for Broadway" • •
• • West Coast Bureau of The Film Daily Hollywood wrote: Production on Universal's W. C. Fields — Mae West starrer is scheduled to roll in four or five weeks. Miss West is expected to return to New York upon completion of the film to star in a stage play. She is interested in three plays which are scheduled for Broadway this Fall and Winter. ...
• • Source: Item in The Film Daily; published on Thursday, 3 August 1939
• • 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 1,430 visitors. We reached a milestone this week: 3,100 posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3102nd 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 • • in 1940 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
