• • These hard-working, ambitious vaudevillians met when Mae was booked at the Central Theatre [Broadway and West 47th Street] on Saturday, 25 December 1920. The fortuitous meeting was even better than a visit from Santa Claus.
• • In 1920, Irish-American comedian Jimmy Hussey [1891 — 1930] was the star attraction that Christmas Day. Also performing were Phil Baker and Aileen Stanley — — but Mae West must have pulled focus and attracted Hussey's attention. Hussey started producing material especially suited to the Brooklyn bombshell's talents such as "The Trial of Shimmy Mae."
• • In October of 1920, "The Jimmy Hussey Show" was also known as "Tattle Tales." Though he was under the Shubert umbrella, the weather was growing stormy. Johnny Dundee, an actor-investor, had just dropped out and Hussey was having difficulties with those powerful show business brothers as well.
• • The first act of "Tattle Tales" closed with an ensemble piece and a shimmy by Rae Samuels. "Miss Samuels won plenty of laughter in several songs and 'shaking the shimmy,' wrote The New York Clipper [13 October 1920] — — however, that number was revised and the heat was recalibrated for Mae West. Hussey was smitten all right. Let's see what Variety wrote on Wednesday, 18 May 1921.
• • Readying "Whirl" — Shuberts Arrange to Put Hussey Show Atop Century • •
• • "The Whirl of the Town," which was closed after the Philadelphia run, will be the attraction for the Century Roof and the first for that house since its conversion into a theatre. The presentation of "The Whirl" atop the Century was in doubt until this week when arrangements between the Shuberts and Jimmy Hussey had been straightened out.
• • Hussey will appear in the show, as will Mae West, Moran and Weiser, and most of the original cast. Ann Cody, who at first was billed as Mlle. Codee, with Frank Orth, will withdraw. With the Orth and Cody act out of the show, the combination turn framed last season with Moran and Weiser is off.
• • The "Whirl" show went to the road as a combination of Hussey's "Tattle Tales" and the second edition the "Midnight Rounders," which was the Century Roof attraction. New numbers are to be put on, the idea being to evolve a show entirely new for New York. The "Whirl" was presented in Philadelphia at $1.50 top. It is expected to be ready for the Roof by the end of the month or early in June.
• • Source: Article in Variety; published on Wednesday, 18 May 1921.
• • On Saturday, 18 May 1912 in Variety • •
• • Frank Bohm bought a generous ad in Variety (issue dated for 18 May 1912) to help publicize his client Mae West as "The Scintillating Singing Comedienne, Late of Ziegfeld's Moulin Rouge." Billboard gave the vaudevillian's act a favorable review the following month.
• • On Thursday, 18 May 1933 in Camperdown Chronicle • •
• • Costume designer Travis Banton spoke about beauty standards in motion pictures and the measurements of Mae West, Claudette Colbert, and other top actresses. The Australian newspaper Camperdown Chronicle printed the article in a Thursday issue on 18 May 1933.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West is believed to have some interest in occult matters, and is convinced that she brings luck to people associated with her.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I never think anything but success, success, success. Other people catch the spirit of it from me."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Urbana Daily Courier mentioned Miss Mae West.
• • Of course, we cannot prevent the practise but, on the other hand, the headline writers cannot prevent us from mentally prefixing a Miss to such names whenever we run across them. Somehow when we say to ourselves "Miss Mae West" we feel ever so much better about it. . . .
• • Source: Item quoted in The Urbana Daily Courier; published on Saturday, 18 May 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 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3180th 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 1935 • •
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