Mae West: Lubitsch Touch

A very long article about MAE WEST and her career in Tinseltown appeared five years ago.  It was written by Paul Phaneuf. Let's pick this up again and enjoy it together. This is Part 60.
• • Mae West: "I'm here to make talkies" or Censor Will vs. Diamond Lil • •
• • "Klondike Annie" — $2,500--$8,500 over the average box office • •
• • Paul Phaneuf wrote:   However, despite six money-making films, shortly after the turmoil of "Klondike Annie" in 1936, Paramount decided to basically fire Mae West. In the parlance of Hollywood, her contract was not renewed.
• • Emanuel Cohen replaced with Ernst Lubitsch • •
• • Paramount had earlier replaced Emanuel Cohen, Vice President in charge of production, and a strong Mae West supporter, with Ernst Lubitsch who did not get along at all with Mae. Said Mae, "Lubitsch had control over all the studio's productions and Paramount didn't seem like home to me any longer . . . We didn't see eye to eye on many things." However, according to biographers George Ells and Stanley Musgrove, "Mae habitually was a half hour late in reporting for filming each morning." Finally Lubitsch stormed into her dressing room to demand an explanation. Without answering Mae turned, whacked him with a hand mirror and chased him off the set to the accompaniment of her curses.
• • the "Ernst Lubitsch touch" • •  . . .
• • This was Part 60.  Part 61 will appear on Monday.
• • Source:  Article by Paul Phaneuf in Films of the Golden Age Magazine;  issue dated 5  November 2011. Used with permission.
• • On Wednesday, 7 April 1954 in Variety • •
• • The death of James Timony [on 5 April 1954] was announced in The L.A. Times on April 6th and in Variety on April 7th. Mae was prostrated by grief at the death of her long-term companion and very shrewd manager. She was unable to receive callers and dealt with his funeral arrangements. Jim Timony's body was sent back to Brooklyn, New York and buried in a family plot at Holy Cross cemetery.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • As usual when she appears, Mae West, in virginal white, her long blonde hair hanging shoulder length, stopped the action at the cocktail party hosted by producer Ross Hunter and Jacque Mapes at Ross's home.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:   "You really have to tone them and their actions down and make the characters less sensationaI than they actually are in order to make them believable."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• •

A syndicated gossip column mentioned Mae West.
• • Dorothy Manners wrote: Mae West, in a white satin evening gown and a pompadour, stole the big scene at Doris and Jules Stein's huge dinner at Misty Mountain, their Beverly Hills place. There were many guests who were younger and more up to the minute, but it was still Mae all the way.  ...
• • Source: Dorothy Manners' syndicated Hollywood column rpt in The Arizona Republic; published on Sunday, 7 April 1968
• • 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 3677th 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 • • in 1968 • •
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