Mae West: Purified

In September 1933, MAE WEST sat down for a series of interviews with the West Coast syndicated columnist Willis Thornton. Last week, the first chapter was posted and here is chapter two, excerpt ee, which concludes this segment.
• • "Mae West Goes to Heaven as Little Eva But Goes to Prison for Her Own Show" • •
• • Written by Willis Thornton, NEA Services Writer • •
• • Willis Thornton wrote: A Jury awarded Mae 10 days on Welfare Island and $10,000 worth of priceless publicity. 
• • Visiting royalty seldom got more attention than Mae West got during her brief sojourn in the "gow" at Welfare Island. Interviews, pictures, magazine articles on her experiences, "color" for new plays, and a swell time were had by all, especially by Mae. When the 10 days were up, the author-producer-star was full of new plays and plans.
• • Purified by this ordeal of punishment for her histronic sins, Mae West was ready now to go on to the triumph that was to make "Diamond Lil" a national heroine and Lil's regal figure a beacon of hope alike for the declining corset industry and the woman who never could stay on a diet.
• • NEXT: A new feminine ideal appears, and what Mae West thinks it will mean to women.
• • NOTE: This is the second of three stories on Mae West, the buxom actress who is restoring curves to feminine favor.  [A lengthy section, it will be posted piece by piece this week. This post was excerpt ee, the finale of the second chapter.]
• • On Saturday, 30 September 1911 • •
• • On Friday, 22 September 1911, 18-year-old Mae West was in the spotlight. On that date, "A La Broadway" had opened at the Folies-Bergere Theatre, New York, NY. This short-lived revue (produced in an expensive venue) closed on Saturday night, 30 September 1911.
• • Variety noted on September 30th: "Folies Bergere Experiment Reaching an End."
• • On Sunday, 30 September 1934 • •
• • Andre Sennwald wrote an article "Lines for a Mae West Scrapbook." It was published in The New York Times on Sunday, 30 September 1934.
• • On Saturday, 30 September 1944 • •
• • On Saturday, 30 September 1944 Mae West, who was playing the Empress of Russia, moved her show "Catherine Was Great" from the Shubert Theatre to the Royale, the playhouse that had originally welcomed Diamond Lil and her boisterous Bowery hijinx in 1928.
• • "Sex" by Mae West onstage in NYC — Sept 30 — Oct 2, 2016 • •

• • To kick off the 2016/2017 Residency with FRIGID @Horse Trade in NYC's East Village, The Dirty Blondes will present a staged reading of Mae West's play "Sex."
• • "Sex," about a sharp-witted prostitute looking for true love, was initially shut down in 1927 during its Broadway run, and its writer and lead actress Mae West was jailed for "lewdness and corrupting the youth."
• • Each evening offers a talk back with a special guest to explore just how extreme the play was for its time, and how it's still relevant today. The special guest for September 30th will be LindaAnn Loschiavo, whose plays include "Courting Mae West," "Diamond Lil, Queen of the Bowery," and others. Tell them you heard about it on The Mae West Blog.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • No less an authority than Edna Woolman Chase, editor-in-chief of Vogue, a smart fashion magazine, has been widely quoted as declaring that "we are really going Mae West."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I'm just as busy when I'm not making a movie."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Vincent Canby mentioned Mae West.
• • It says something about the sort of film "Bobby Deerfield" is that the audience is inclined to applaud at the sight of hot-air balloons. It also says something about me, I suppose, that this is the first film about automobile racing I've ever seen when I wished the movie would get back to the track. I'd put up with just about anything to avoid watching Mr. Pacino doing an imitation of Mae West . . .
• • Source: Film review for The New York Times; published on Friday, 30 September 1977 
• • 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 3,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started twelve years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3542nd 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
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1926 • •
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Mae West: Was Immoral

In September 1933, MAE WEST sat down for a series of interviews with the West Coast syndicated columnist Willis Thornton. Last week, the first chapter was posted and here is chapter two, excerpt dd.
• • "Mae West Goes to Heaven as Little Eva But Goes to Prison for Her Own Show" • •
• • Written by Willis Thornton, NEA Services Writer • •
• • Willis Thornton wrote:  But the shimmy soon failed to shock a theatre world that was turning smoothie, and Mae West went on to Higher Things. She appeared only now and then in some musical show, but the itch to write that broke out all through her youth in a remarkable ability to "ad lib" lines under all circumstances, now broke out in a play of her own. It was called, with the delicate restraint that has marked Mae's whole career, "Sex."
• • First Play Brings Arrest • •
• • Some people thought "Sex" was funny, some thought it vulgar, most of the critics called it garbage, and practically everybody agreed that it was a terrible play. But for 11 months Daly's Theatre was jammed with people who went to find out about "Sex." Mae West's first play was a sensation.
• • Then suddenly somebody discovered that "Sex" was immoral. The police pounced on Daly's theatre, and bundled the luscious Mae into the Black Maria for the trip to court. Despite fervent pleas of her lawyers that "Sex" was no more obscene than "Hamlet'' and was really something like "A Tale of Two Cities," a Jury awarded Mae 10 days on Welfare Island and $10,000 worth of priceless publicity.  . . .
• • NOTE: This is the second of three stories on Mae West, the buxom actress who is restoring curves to feminine favor.  [A lengthy section, it will be posted piece by piece this week. This post was excerpt dd. See tomorrow for excerpt ee, the finale.]
• • On Tuesday, 29 September 1914 • •
• • The newspaper Philadelphia North American reviewed the more prominent variety artists who were performing onstage in the City of Brotherly Love on Tuesday, 29 September 1914. The arts critic thought well of Mae, who was then calling herself "The Original Brinkley Girl." When he referred to her stage act, he called her a "nut comedienne."
• • On Friday, 29 September 1933 • •
• • It was on Friday, 29 September 1933 that Mae West signed the Release Dialogue Script form for her very successful motion picture project "I'm No Angel" for Paramount Pictures. Mae West was paid for the film's treatment, story, and screenplay.
• • Julien's Auctions sold this autographed Release to a fan for $128.00.
• • On Tuesday, 29 September 1936 • •
• • "Go West Young Man" starring Mae West (as the man-eating movie marquee marvel Mavis Arden) was released in the USA on 18 November 1936.
• • The production began in early August at General Service Studios and was all wrapped up on Tuesday, 29 September 1936.
• • "Sex" by Mae West returns to NYC Sep't. 29 — Oct. 2, 2016 • •

• • To kick off the 2016/2017 Residency with FRIGID @Horse Trade in NYC's East Village, The Dirty Blondes will present a staged reading of Mae West's play "Sex."
• • "Sex," about a sharp-witted prostitute looking for true love, was initially shut down in 1927 during its Broadway run, and its writer and lead actress Mae West was jailed for "lewdness and corrupting the youth." 
• • Each evening will feature a talk back with a special guest to explore just how extreme the play was for its time, and how it's still relevant today. 
• • LINK:  "SEX" by Mae West presented by The Dirty Blondes in NYC
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West did her best to get around the bans with innuendo: "Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I’m tired."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I'm just as busy when I'm not making a movie."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An Australia paper mentioned Mae West.
• • If Cleopatra Met Mae West . . . What would happen if famous women
in history were born again to-day?
• • A.P. Garland wrote: Cleopatra would probably overshadow Mae West if she came to life in this twentieth century and stormed Hollywood. . . .
• • Source: Article in  The Australian Women's Weekly; published on  Saturday, 29 September 1934 
• • 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 3,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started twelve years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3541st 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
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1926 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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Mae West: Great Shakes

In September 1933, MAE WEST sat down for a series of interviews with the West Coast syndicated columnist Willis Thornton. Last week, the first chapter was posted and here is chapter two, excerpt cc.
• • "Mae West Goes to Heaven as Little Eva But Goes to Prison for Her Own Show" • •
• • Written by Willis Thornton, NEA Services Writer • •
• • Willis Thornton wrote:  There she earned the name of "The Baby Vamp."  She did a stretch in vaudeville with an acrobatic act. in which she tossed her male partners about with easy grace.
• • But by the time she was 16 years old, Mae West's optimism, eagerness for the spotlight, and keen eye for the main chance had landed  her in the "Big Time," the Keith circuit [sic] whose nadir is the Palace.
• • Here Mae West was perhaps the inventor [sic], and certainly one of the pioneers of the shimmy. Although both Bee Palmer and Gilda Gray have been given credit for this great contribution to the art of the dance, Mae West supporters claim they never were any great shakes, and that Mae herself brought on the day when a shimmy was no longer a shirt.
• • Mae West always had a good act in vaudeville, and prides herself today on the fact that if the bottom dropped out of the sexy play business, she could still make good as a vaudeville singer and dancer.  She helped several of her vaudeville accompanists to make good among them were Harry Rlchman. whom she persuaded to change his name from Reichman, and Jack Smith, "The Whispering Baritone."
• • But the shimmy soon failed to shock a theatre world that was turning smoothie,  . . .
• • NOTE: This is the second of three stories on Mae West, the buxom actress who is restoring curves to feminine favor.  [A lengthy section, it will be posted piece by piece all this week. This post was excerpt cc. See tomorrow for excerpt dd.]
• • On Sunday, 28 September 1930 • •

• • Mae West decided to take her play "Sex" on the road during August 1930.  The N.Y. Times reported that "Sex" was booked in the Midwest.  The engagement at the Garrick Theatre in Chicago began on Sunday, 28 September 1930.
• • On Wednesday, 28 September 1932 • •
• • This statement was taken from the court case of People v. Voiler: The first indictment charged appellant and two co-defendants, Harry Voiler (a.k.a. Edward Friedman) and Cohen, with robbing one Mae West on Wednesday, September 28, 1932, taking from her money and jewelry [2 Cal. App. 2d 727] valued at $15,400.
• • The case went to trial and Mae West testified.
• • On Saturday, 28 September 1974 • •
• • The colorful Mae West room in Dalí Theatre and Museum opened on Saturday, 28 September 1974.
• • "Sex" by Mae West returns to NYC Sep't. 29 — Oct. 2, 2016 • •
• • To kick off the 2016/2017 Residency with FRIGID @Horse Trade in NYC's East Village, The Dirty Blondes will present a staged reading of Mae West's play "Sex."
• • "Sex," about a sharp-witted prostitute looking for true love, was initially shut down in 1927 during its Broadway run, and its writer and lead actress Mae West was jailed for "lewdness and corrupting the youth." 
• • Each evening will feature a talk back with a special guest to explore just how extreme the play was for its time, and how it's still relevant today. 
• • LINK:  "SEX" by Mae West presented by The Dirty Blondes in NYC
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Wearing a darling hat, Mae West posed with Senator Henry Ashurst.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Most of my fan mail has a laugh in it, those writing to me evidently take me at my screen word that I enjoy a laugh — — even on paper."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Columbia Daily Spectator mentioned Mae West.
• • Screenings:  Belle of the Nineties —
• • Paramount After a summer of stifling pictures such as "Elmer and Elsie," Mae West is like a whiff of salt sea breeze. Paramount was forced to overhaul her present film several times, abandon its original title, "It Ain't No Sin" (someone suggested "All Right, It Is"), and postpone its release until the winds of moral indignation abated. The happy truth is that despite the legionnaires of decency, Mae remains her own unique self, even if she does get married at the end, for the sake of the record and Purity Seal 051. "Belle of the Nineties" is Miss West's best effort since "She Done Him Wrong." . . .
• • Source: Review in Columbia Daily Spectator; published on Friday, 28 September 1934
• • 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 3,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started twelve years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3540th 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
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1930 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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