Mae West: Outsmart the Code

A very long article about MAE WEST and her career in Tinseltown appeared five years ago.  It was written by Paul Phaneuf. Let's enjoy it together. This is Part 33.
• • Mae West: "I'm here to make talkies" or Censor Will vs. Diamond Lil • •
• • This toleration was about to end • • 
• • Paul Phaneuf wrote:  Breen quickly showed his opinion of the studio heads as he railed against "being debauched by Jews and pagans." To major studios headed by Jews, this was chilling, even if Breen later refrained from anti-Semitic remarks.
• • Looking to the task ahead, in a later internal memo Breen said: "There is much 'under cover' work going on that smacks to me of a desire on the part of the studios definitely to outwit and outsmart the machinery of the Code." And part of the problem confronting the censors regarding the Mae West films was that Mae wasn't just selling sex, she was selling attitude, which proved much harder to control. But there was no mistaking that Breen had signaled the start of new era of enforcement.
• • The Legion of Decency • •   . . .
• • This was Part 33.  Part 34 will appear next week.
• • Source:  Article by Paul Phaneuf in Films of the Golden Age Magazine;  issue dated 5  November 2011. Used with permission.
• • On Saturday, 17 February 1951 in Los Angeles • •
• • In Los Angeles on February 17th, Pete Ermalinger, manager of the Biltmore Theatre, was negotiating for "Diamond Lil" the Mae West starrer currently in Texas.
• • "Hollywood Biltmore Seeks Lil Date" was the headline and the piece was datelined Hollywood, Saturday 17 February 1951. The popular show starring Mae West was, at that time, onstage in The Lone Star State.
• • This item ran in Billboard Magazine on Saturday, 24 February 1951.
• • On Monday, 17 February 2003 in Sun-Sentinel • •
• • Reporting on an upcoming Gem and Jewelry Show in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, 17 February 2003, The Sun-Sentinel wrote that pieces owned by Mae West would be on display and available for purchase.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • A former boxer, John Indrisano had a long-standing relationship with Mae West, who gave him a bit part in one of her films.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:   “When it comes to finances, remember that there are no withholding taxes on the wages of sin.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A California paper mentioned Mae West.
• • "This Week's Films" • • 

• • Todd McCarthy wrote: Friday night's comedy flick at Tresidder Theatre is "I'm No Angel" with Mae West. This is one of the two films the great Mae made without any censoring by the Catholic Office and was the biggest box-office hit of 1933.  ...
• • Source: Item in The Stanford Daily (California); published on Monday,  17 February 1969
• • 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 3642nd 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 animal trainer Mabel Stark in 1933 • •
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