Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Mae West: Naughty Nemesis

On Saturday, 16 May 1936, MAE WEST and her nemesis William Randolph Hearst were featured in Cinema Chronicle. Written in London, this film column was reprinted widely in Australia.
• • "Career of Mae West: Director Marquis" • •
• • London, April 24.  Mae West's latest picture, "Klondike Annie," has been fiercely attacked by the numerous publications owned by William Randolph Hearst, American newspaper magnate. There are said to be personal reasons behind the attack, which is on the ground of decency. The Hearst newspapers declare that "Klondike Annie" is an outrage on public morality and, as a consequence, the picture is said to have had something of a boost in the United States.
• • "Klondike Annie" has not yet been seen in England, and it is not known if the British censor has had a word on the subject. But it is safe to assume that, once more, Miss West is playing  herself with all her tricks and gift for innuendo. To these tricks the British public has never given a very strong response. In England Miss West's first picture enjoyed something of a "succes de scandal."  People flocked to see it, not because they thought it was a very good film, but because they thought it was "naughtily" attractive. They found Miss West to be an actress with a very limited repertory of music hall tricks.
• • At first the star was deliberately advertised as something like the worst woman in New York. We heard ad nauseam of her night clubs, her scaborous plays, the police raids on her theatre.  She throve on scandalous rumor. Then came the American Purity Movement.  Mae West became suddenly as puritanical as the best. She did not smoke; she was a tee-totaller; she was the open-handed friend of little children; she was too pure even to marry, In fact, it became useless for her to say that she was no angel; she was one because she couldn't help it.
• • Now Mr. Hearst is trying to take her back to the point at which she started.  He is reviving what is, in effect, her own original publicity. All the while . . . .
• • Source:  "Cinema Chronicle" column rpt in The Advertiser (Adelaide); published on Saturday, 16 May 1936.
• • On Friday, 17 May 1935 • •
• • "Goin’ to Town" was released by Paramount Pictures on the weekend — — on Friday, 17 May 1935.
• • On Sunday, 17 May 1936 in Los Angeles • •
• • An article on "Klondike Annie" was in The Los Angeles Times, Sunday, 17 May 1936.
• • On Sunday, 17 May 1936 in Texas • •
• • "Klondike Annie" was onscreen at the Palace movie-house starting on Sunday, May 17th and there was a write-up on Mae West's latest film in The Canadian Record (in Canadian, Texas) three days before.
• • On Thursday, 17 May 2007 • •
• • Cartoon fans and animators from all over the country, Mae West (and iconic movie queens from Tinseltown's Golden Age), and characters from fantasy lands all showed up in Kalamazoo, Michigan for the Hollywood-style advance screening of "Shrek the Third'' on Thursday night [May 17th, 2007]. The event was part of the kick-off to the Kalamazoo Animation Festival International.
• • A pre-Shrekapalooza party at Union Cabaret and Grille offered reporters a chance to interview screen stars Mae West and Clark Gable.
• • On Tuesday, 17 May 2011 • •
• • The Daily Mail published a gorgeous photo of Mae West onstage during her debut at The Sahara Hotel and Casino, which dates to the days of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack" and other Hollywood icons.
• • The Daily Mail's article was "End of an era for Sin City as The Sahara, grand old lady of the strip and home to the Rat Pack, is to close" — — as written by The Daily Mail in England; published on Tuesday, 17 May 2011.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Is Mae West Greta Garbo's greatest rival?
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  “Nudity in a motion picture detracts from your face and personality. That’s why I never show my ankles.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A newspaper mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae West Rates as Kid Stuff Today" • •
• • Associated Press entertainment writer Dolores Barclay stated: Decades ago, a saucy wiggle from Mae West or an off-color mumble from W.C. Fields could trigger the wrath of movie censors.  ...
• • Source: Article on movie censor (with a nice photo of Mae) by A.P. rpt in The Day; published on Monday, 6 October 1986
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 11th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eleven years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3443rd 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 • in 1940

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