Tuesday, July 05, 2016

Mae West: A Great Kick

The June 1935 issue of Photoplay featured a lengthy fantasy feature on MAE WEST with charming illustrations by Frank Godwin.  Here's the sixth installment, Part 6, the conclusion.
• • "Mae West Can Play Anything" written by Leo McCarey • •
• • Leo McCarey wrote:  Mae never says "Come up and see me some time" to the wrong guy.  
• • Leo McCarey continued:   The audiences get a great kick out of Mae. Because they get as many laughs as they do thrills.  
• • Salvation Nell and more • •
• • I have mentioned a few of the girls Mae West could play if she chose to — Sheba, Catherine, Stella, Peg, Nell, and Cherry. It would not be at all difficult to picture her as Madame X, Salvation Nell, DuBarry, Salomy Jane, Anna Christie, or even the gal I've re- served for the last.
• • How about Mae playing opposite, say, John Barrymore, in "The Taming of the Shrew"? Shades of Shakespeare! This is no jest.
• • After all, you know, the Bard of Avon's women were down-to-earth gals. In my opinion, Mae could play the shrewish Katharina to John's domineering Petrucchio as well as most of our modern actresses.
• • Why not have a go at some of these girls,  Mae? Why not, indeed?
• • Here are the reasons:
• • 1 . . . "She Done Him Wrong" made picture history.
• • 2 . . . "I'm No Angel" made more money.
• • 3 . . . "Belle of the Nineties" (despite censorship) is making new records.
• • Leo McCarey added: Sure, Mae West can change her character, but who wants her to? I don't.
• • This has been Part 6, the conclusion of this fascinating feature.
• • Source: Article "Mae West Can Play Anything" for Photoplay; published in the June 1935 issue.
• • On Tuesday, 5 July 1932 in Variety • •
• • Casting problems caused delays for Paramount in the summer of 1932. As Mae waited to film her scenes with George Raft, as his former flame Maudie, offers came in for her to create material for others.  In their issue dated for Tuesday, 5 July 1932, Variety printed this headline: "Mae Mulls Sock Yarns for Marlene and Jean."
• • Mae demurred.  Years later, explaining the situation to a British reporter, she admitted to being reluctant.  "If I thought of something funny," said Mae, "I wasn't about to give it to them."
• • On Monday, 5 July 1943 • •
• • "Mae West Stages Screen Comeback" • •
• • Hollywood, July 5, Associated Press — Mae West, who added a dash of hip-swinging when she revived the Lillian Russell era, is coming back to the screen after a two-year respite.
• • Associated Press wrote:  And if you should go up to see her sometime, you'd learn our "Diamond Lil" is going tropical.
• • Associated Press wrote: The blond Miss West (buxom only by costume) stated in an interview yesterday that she is already at work on a film with a hot country setting for Columbia Pictures.  Mexico will provide part of the background.
• • Source:  Spokane Daily Chronicle (page 11) printed this on 5 July 1943.
• • On Sunday, 5 July 1970 • •
• • While the motion picture "Myra Breckinridge" was not a hit, the media exposure engendered a "Mae West revival," explained The New York Post.
• • On Sunday, 5 July 1970 The New York Times ran an interview with Mae West. It was a good chance to tell her fans what she thought of Gore Vidal's novel and the screenplay.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Paramount had a long, hot summer wrestling with the Hays Office over the script for "Klondike Annie." 
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "He who hesitates is a damned fool."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Argus focused on Mae West.
 • • Mae West's Latest Burlesque of Herself • •
• • The Argus wrote: Regarded merely as a gorgeous burlesque of herself, Mae West's performance in Paramount's "Go West Young Man" is precisely what would be expected of her, a caricature of a voluptuous Hollywood star with a reputation and a "public" to be considered.  . . .
• • Source: Article: "Mae West's Latest Burlesque of Herself" in The Argus (on page 7); published on Monday, 5 July 1937
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 12th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past twelve 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 twelve years ago in July 2004.
You are reading the 3479th 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 • Frank Godwin's artwork, 1935

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