Mae West: Enough Money

It was Sunday, 26 December 1937 and the headlines read: "MAE WEST Helps Santa's Family Enjoy Christmas."  Though Tinseltown's movie stars were not suffering during the Great Depression, many Americans were. For two years in a row, Mae came to the rescue for a Missouri father named Santa Claus, age 51.

• • The San Bernardino Daily announced Mae's generosity on Thursday,  29 December 1938. 
• • Santa Claus (that's his real name), right, of Marshall, Mo., receives $250 gift of Mae West from Floyd Davis, a theater manager. Claus, who preaches on Sunday and works as a plumber and carpenter during the week, didn't have enough money to answer the many letters mailed him by children. Watching the presentation is Santa's family.
• • On Sunday, 29 December 1912 • •
• • In the Sunday morning newspapers on 29 December 1912, readers noticed that B.F. Keith was offering "Dinkelspiel's Christmas" along with "MAY WEST — singing comedienne" [yes, the newspaper spelled it "MAY WEST" in their 29 December 1912 ad].
• • The 14th Street theatre is, alas, long gone but we can only imagine how much fun we missed since, alas, we were not around to dial STuyvesant 3400 to reserve a ticket.
• • On Wednesday, 29 December 1937 • •
• • Variety did an article on the ill-fated broadcast Mae did on NBC: "Mae West Case Big Dilemma in Washington."  This piece was printed in Variety on Wednesday, 29 December 1937.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West, Ethel Barrymore, and Fred and Adele Astaire also appeared in popular shows that autumn. However, attendance remained low, with some people blaming ticket prices, which ranged from $1.10 to $3.30. Whatever the reason for the low attendance, the Shuberts were not ones to back a loser, so they announced that the Shubert Playhouse would close around the first of the new year.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I've never had a wishbone where my backbone should be."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Westchester Couny paper mentioned Mae West.
• • "At Bronxville Theatre" • •
• • Sunday, Monday, Tuesday — — January 2, 3, 4 starring Mae West, Victor Moore, William Gaxton in their new comedy “The Heat's On” . . .
• • Source: Item in The Bronxville Review-Press; published on Wednesday, 29 December 1943
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 12th 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 3,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3606th 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 • • news item in 1938 • •
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