Mae West: Black Eye

It was early June in 1956 and MAE WEST, then 62 years old, was heating up the headlines.  The handsome young gladiator known as "Mr. Universe" was taking a beating from "Mr. America," thanks to the Brooklyn bombshell.  Let's go back in time and investigate this slug-fest.
• • "Mr. Universe Slugged in Mae West's Room" • •
• • "Tempest in Dressing Room and One Black Eye" • •
• • Long Beach Press Telegram wrote: Washington, D.C. — Mr. Universe, sporting a shiner and limping, today filed assault charges against a fellow muscle man who knocked him out Wednesday night in Mae West's dressing room.  Mickey Hargitay, a weight-lifter who came to the United States eight years ago, filed the charges against Chuck Krauser. Both are members of the Mae West troupe which is making a night club appearance in Washington. Krauser pleaded self-defense.
• • Long Beach Press Telegram continued: Mae West, garbed in a pink duster over full black slacks, sat in demure silence throughout a hearing.  Before the charges were filed she also kept silent even as another muscle man in the act George Eiferman suggested that Krauser planted a tremendous hay-maker on Mickey's head because he is in love with Miss West and was defending her against abusive language by Hargitay.

• • Long Beach Press Telegram explained: Hargitay, 26, is a weight-lifter with a build that won him the Mr. Universe label in a competition at London last year.  He recently has been seen often with Jayne Mansfield, the New York stage actress with quite a physique of her own.  Miss Mansfield has said she's "that way" about muscular Mickey because he's a sincere, sweet, lovable guy and not because he has such an outstanding physique.  Mr. Hargitay is married but his wife Mary Hargitay has filed a suit for divorce. ...
• • Source: Article: "Mr. Universe Slugged in Mae West's Room" reprinted on page 1 of the Long Beach Press Telegram; published on Thursday, 7  June 1956.
• • On Friday, 8 June 1979 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • The date was 8 June 1979. Vincent Canby, then the film critic of The New York Times, pursed his lips and gave "Sextette" starring Mae West a sound spanking. Another article in the paper was "Mae West, 87, Does an Encore:Trying for 6th Marriage."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • The narrative in her latest motion picture is a plot that Miss West has often favored, and it freely reprises a lot of lines from earlier pictures. 
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "This was not the first time two men had fought over me.  No.  But not in public like this. I prefer doing things behind closed doors."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A scholarly article on motion pictures mentioned Mae West.
• • Glenda Riley wrote:  In media, motion pictures spread a similar message.  Jean Harlow bleached her hair and became the screen's first blond seductress. Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, and Mae West paraded women's sensuality with their "bedroom eyes" and painted lips.   . . .
• • Source: Article printed in Great Plains Quarterly; published in January 1996 
• • 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 3195th 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 • • with Chuck Krauser (Paul Novak) in 1954 • •
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