• • On 5 April 1954, Jim Timony, age 68, suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving Mae without a steadfast, faithful manager for the first time since 1917.
• • Mae West's Personal Assistants: A Chronology • •
• • Of all her secretaries, Larry Lee was the man Mae counted upon the longest. According to Jill Watts, "Larry Lee . . . had worked for her in various capacities since 1929." On 5 December 1977, Mae West signed the last check (from United California Bank) to Larry Lee, paying him $50 for "services in full to date of any and all claim."
• • According to combined sources, the female impersonator Craig Russell [10 January 1948 — 30 October 1990] was hired as her assistant during the "flower power" era. Since he had been her Canadian fan club's president, they met finally in 1967. He worked for Mae for seven months and was deemed so trustworthy that he even lived at her luxurious beach house in Santa Monica. In 1968, Craig Russell returned to Toronto, Canada. Before long he was doing supper club work and then a movie.
• • In 1973, Mae hired Larry Grayson as a driver, secretary, and personal assistant. Grayson was Filipino and gay, wore "leisure suits," and carried around a small portable bar in a white attache case. It seems that men found Grayson sexy and irresistible. He enjoyed regaling Mae with these stories and she enjoyed listening. He worked with her until 1976 or 1977, when a minor traffic accident made him resign.
• • Mae West always mentioned her assistants by name in her books. A glance at the "Acknowledgments" section in any book, a thank you list compiled by Mae herself, is the best way to know which men were officially engaged as employees on her payroll.
• • Mae West preferred the company of tall, trim, good looking men whether she was hiring a driver, floral designer, or secretary — — as you can see from these photos.
• • Thanks: We thank Damon Devine for this one-time use of both images of Mae West with her assistants. Do NOT "borrow" Mr. Devine's photos. Ask his permission. Be nice. Thank you.
• • On Saturday, 31 May 1975 • •
• • "Hollywood Hotline: Mae Writes About Man" • •
• • Nancy Anderson, a syndicated columnist for Copley News Service, wrote: Hollywood — — At the Columbia Pictures 50th anniversary dinner, Mae West confided that she’s written a book, “Pleasure Man,” which Dell will bring out in June. “It would make a great picture,” Mae added. “I’d hoped Laurence Harvey would play the leading role, because he would have been perfect for it. However, Paul Newman would also be very good.”
• • Nancy Anderson added: As far as picture plans go, Mae said she’s offered properties every day but that nothing she’s seen lately appeals to her as an actress. The Columbia dinner brought out an array of stars, among them Charles and Jill Ireland Bronson, Karl Malden, Charlton Heston, Miss West of course, Groucho Marx, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Janet Blair, but the celebrity who created the greatest pandemonium was Barbra Streisand, accompanied by Jon Peters.
• • After Dark Magazine, May 1977 • •
• • In the late 1970s Patrick Pacheco took over the editorship of After Dark Magazine and tried to boost the iron content with more red-blooded interviews. In the May 1977 issue, Patrick Pacheco's article on Mae West was printed. The title was: "Ladies and Gentlemen — The Lady, the Lions, and Her Amazing 'Sextette'!"
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Drawn to us as if by a magnetic force concealed beneath the floor, Mae West enters, gliding almost mechanically to her chair.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Mr. Eisenhower's a leader, and a leader has drive and decision and power, and that makes a man a man."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • At Menlo and Mayfield Theatres — — Mae West in "Klondike Annie."
• • Source: Item in The Stanford Daily; published on Tuesday, 31 May 1938
• • 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 eleven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3453rd 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 personal assistant Robert Duran • •
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NYC Mae West
I recently saw a youtube interview with Tim Malachosky. The interview took place in 2017. So who owns what now? It really is a shame all of the infighting and all of the claims of who knew this and who knew that and whatever. Put your big boy pants on Damon Divine et al and use all of that negative energy and get a Mae West museum going. The birthday celebrations sound cool, but eventually no one is going to know who or what you are celebrating. Another thing Mr. Divine, if you don't want anyone using your pictures, quit posting on the www!
ReplyDeleteI’m here trying to see if Tim was ever a assistant as he seems to be a bit young. The painting of he & Mae I thought looked like different artists then realised it is a fake as he’d be over 120 otherwise.
Delete• • Tim was never on her payroll.
Delete• • He was, occasionally, a go-fer. He received tips from Paul and Mae but not a "salary," as her actual employees would have.
• • First of all, Tim's personality irritated Mae.
• • Second of all, Mae had little formal education and needed a secretary who could write well, spell correctly, proofread, etc. Since Tim lacked those skills, he would not have been a suitable candidate for the important position of secretary nor personal assistant for any actress.
• • All of Mae's salaried personal assistants have been named here.
• • A Mae West Museum! What a lovely idea!
ReplyDeleteIs there any truth to the story that Miss West s secretary Craig Russell left her employ because he was caught taking some of her dresses without permission? I believe this was included in a biography on MW. Thank you
ReplyDelete• • Mae West said she fired Craig when she caught him trying on her clothes and make-up.
ReplyDelete• • If he did (in fact) do this, it is quite a violation of Mae's personal property -- as well as a serious breach of trust in a working partnership.
• • Craig's film "Outrageous!," a huge box office success, contains Russell's masterful impersonation of Mae West on a stage in a gay bar. And this portrayal, combined with West's own film, "Sextette," which was bombing at the time, supposedly, led to a final break between the two of them.
• • Thank you for your question, Walter.
Thank you for your insightful response and I agree. I think that Craig s impersonation of Mae is simply the best ever. I still have his mimeographed newsletter from 1966 when under the name Craig Russell he was then president of Mae s fan club. Thanks again. Walter
ReplyDeleteWalter, my friend, Brian Bradley from Toronto, Canada has just written a biography on Craig Russel entitled Outrageous Misfits, published by Dundurn Books. Widely available October 24, 2020, it contains a meticulous account of Craig's early days staying at Mae West's Santa Monica beach house and delves into his unfortunate dismissal. His indiscretion as an 18 year old, hiding one piece of clothing in his suitcase was unforgivable in light of Mae's encouragement of his imitating her for her personal enjoyment, but he more than made up for it, doin' her right, by his loving tributes to her around the world.
ReplyDelete