Friday, June 30, 2017

Mae West: Sex, Sex, SEX

On Thursday, 8 November 1978, when MAE WEST was 80 years old, syndicated columnist Nancy Anderson's interview with the screen legend ran. Rattled off from Mae's point-of-view and with no fact-checking, the text is rather cheeky. Let's enjoy it together.  This is Part 4. 
• • "Mae West Hasn't Aged A Day Since She Was 30 Years Old" • •
• • Written by Nancy Anderson — — Copley News Service
• • "Sex" • •
• • Nancy Anderson added: "Well,” Mae recounts, "I'd never even heard the word sex when I was talking to a director."  It was only a word used, claims Mae, in the medical textbooks.
• • “So I asked, ‘Where have I  got it?’" The director answered in general terms but quite enthusiastically, “This play reeks of sex, sex, SEX!’’
• • And he kept saying that, Mae says, “until I suggested that we change its title." 
• • The director exulted, “If only we dared!'’ And, since Mae told him that she had dared several times in her stage career, it was done. 
• • The play re-named "Sex" reached New Haven, Conn., for its out-of-town tryout.
• • Ticket-buyers frightened away by one word — — sex. • •  . . .
• • This was Part 4. We will continue on Monday with Part 5.
• • Source: Article written by Nancy Anderson for Copley News Service; syndicated on Thursday, 8 November 1978.
• • On Sunday, 30 June 1935 • •
• • Frank Wallace was quite a talker when a news man was present.  He told the New York American that Timony began living with Mae West and one day he pulled over in a "fine, big automobile" with Mae inside, happily wrapped up in a fur coat.  "He said I ought to realize my marriage to Mae was a fizzle and that she could not afford to be married because there was a future waiting for her in show business."  The paper ran a long interview with the washed-up vaudevillian in their issue dated for Sunday, 30 June 1935.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • With typically robust humour, Mae West returns with curves and wisecracks. The film is mainly notable for its crisp dialogue.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:   "There are no good girls gone wrong — — just bad girls found out."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Singapore paper mentioned Mae West.
• • Reuters wrote:  Mae West wants a tall, dark, handsome man.
• • Mae West wants young men with British accent to come up and see her at noon today. The 84-year-old actress, planning a film of her play "Sextette," will hold a studio audition for a "tall, dark and handsome unknown" . . .
• • Source:  Feature in New Nation (page 6); published on Wednesday, 30 June 1976
• • 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 3,700 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started 12 years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3737th
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/
________

Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml   

• • Photo:
• • Mae West • in 1935

• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
  Mae West

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Mae West: Cheeky, Not Lewd

On Thursday, 8 November 1978, when MAE WEST was 80 years old, syndicated columnist Nancy Anderson's interview with the screen legend ran. Rattled off from Mae's point-of-view and with no fact-checking, the text is rather cheeky. Let's enjoy it together.  This is Part 3. 
• • "Mae West Hasn't Aged A Day Since She Was 30 Years Old" • •
• • Written by Nancy Anderson — — Copley News Service
• • Mother made a suggestion • •
• • Nancy Anderson added:  Finally her mother suggested, “Mae, I think you can write a play that would be right for you!”  Whereupon the versatile daughter did just that. As Miss West remembers her work, it was provocative but not vulgar, suggestive, but not lewd. It was also, she says, quite novel. There’d never been anything like it on Broadway.
• • The director who was to guide the production had previously worked only with top dramatic actresses and had never so much as seen his new star, a product of vaudeville and revues. But when he met her and watched her rehearse, he concluded she was quite novel, too.
• • "I have never seen anyone with the quality you’ve got,” lie told her repeatedly, until finally Mae, overcome with curiosity, demanded. “Just what is it I’ve got?”
• • “Sex,” the director informed the actress. “Sex!”
• • "Sex" • •  . . .
• • This was Part 3. We will continue tomorrow with Part 4.
• • Source: Article written by Nancy Anderson for Copley News Service; syndicated on Thursday, 8 November 1978.
• • On Friday, 29 June 1934 • •
• • Mae heard more than enough objections about "It's No Sin" from Joe Breen, Catholic priests, and the censors in New York State.  "If they think it's too warm, I'll cool it off," Mae told a Newsweek reporter.  On Friday, 29 June 1934 an article appeared in The Los Angeles Herald.  Mae assured the paper that she wanted to satisfy the censors.  "You can never say," emphasized Mae, "I refused to meet somebody half way." 
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Paramount liaison John Hammell wrote diplomatic letters to Will Hays but his skills were sorely tested by the "Klondike Annie" project.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:   "If a picture of mine didn't get an X rating, I'd be insulted."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An author mentioned Mae West.
• • This excerpt is from Carl Van Vechten's journal entry for Tuesday, 29 June 1926.
• • Carl Van Vechten wrote:   Dinner in with [Fania] Marinoff and then to see Mae West in "Sex" at 63rd Street Theatre. After we came home, we made 8 quarts of raspberry brandy. In bed about 1 . . .
• • Source: entry in "The Splendid Drunken Twenties: Selections from the Daybooks, 1922 — 1930" written by Carl Van Vechten; published in May 2007
• • 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 3,700 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started 12 years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3736th
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/
________

Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml   

• • Photo:
• • Mae West • in 1926

• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
  Mae West