Mae West: Oral Suasion

When an "unclean play" was mentioned the name of MAE WEST would surely follow. This is one more example, cited in a United Press piece on Friday, 12 October 1928.
• • "Mayor Walker to Help Keep New York Plays Clean" • •
• • NEW YORK, Oct. 12 — [U.P.] — Mayor James J. Walker believes he has discovered a way to keep unclean plays from Broadway.
• • an “oral suasion" will be used • •
• • The plan which the mayor has instructed Police Commissioner Warren to put into effect provides for an inspection of out-of-town tryouts of plays destined for New York showings.
• • In cases where productions are found objectionable, an “oral suasion" will be used on managers and producers to keep them out of New York. Failure to abide by the police warnings, however, will result in raids such as in the case of Mae West’s "Pleasure Man" and enforcement of the state law which permits the padlocking for one year of a theater housing an immoral play after a warning is given.
• • Source: Item in Mount Pleasant Daily Times (Michigan); published on Friday, 12 October 1928.
• • On Saturday, 13 October 1928 • •

• • On 13 October 1928, an item appeared in Billboard Magazine (on page 42) discussing how the NYC police had padlocked Mae's second homosexual play "Pleasure Man."  Billboard used the occasion of Mae's latest legal trouble to condemn her play, describing the script that focused on men in love as "an abomination."
• • Billboard wrote: "Pleasure Man" is prostitution of the rankest sort,  a flagrant attempt to capitalize filth and degeneracy and cash in on the resultant cheap publicity.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • At the Mae West show raid, Jim Timony told a policeman he was just a tourist and he did not get a summons.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "He’s the kind of man a woman would have to marry to get rid of."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Variety mentioned Mae West.
• • Between "Chee-Chee" and Mae  West's newest opera, "Pleasure Man," West 47th Street becomes the theatrical red light district and the great American "neuter gender" is in its element.   . . .
• • As far as Variety's thick-skinned mugs are concerned, anything goes — — and does — — but between "Chee-Chee" and "Pleasure Man," the explosiveness of "Front Page" and the utterly vicious expletives of "Jarnegan," careful indeed must the layman be where he escorts any feminine companion.  . . .
• • Source: Item in Variety; published on Wednesday 3 October 1928
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 13th anniversary • •  
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past thirteenthirteen thirteenyears. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,800 blog posts. Wow!   
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started thirteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3808th 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 October 1928 • •
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