Friday, November 16, 2018

Mae West: Easy Dough

The architect of the MAE WEST jewel robbery was Harry Voiler. Let’s hear about how he wormed his way into Mae’s circle and set up the con job, according to the true crime writer Patrick Downey. This is Part 1 of 3 segments.
• • “He Done Her Wrong” • •  
• • Patrick Downey wrote: When one thinks of the Golden Age of Hollywood, one doesn’t normally think about crime, however, Hollywood’s top stars lived with a constant fear that they could become the victims of armed robbers, extortionists, or kidnappers.
• • Patrick Downey wrote: One of the most preyed upon movie stars was Mae West. She was the victim of both extortionists and armed bandits. Regarding the latter, in 1932 Mae was set up by a man named Harry Voiler, whom she considered to be a friend. Voiler was the manager of famed speakeasy hostess Texas Guinan and had ties to Chicago’s underworld.
• • Patrick Downey wrote: He moved to Hollywood in 1932 along with Texas Guinan [sic] in search of Hollywood riches. A bad guy at heart, Voiler just couldn’t help himself when it came to easy dough.

• • Harry Voiler had a thing for easy dough • •  . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Writers of Wrongs; posted on Thursday, 1 December 2016.
• • On Wednesday, 16 November 1927 in Variety • •
• • Box office blues burdened Mae West during the brief Broadway run of "The Wicked Age."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Miss West is a beautiful blonde, pleasantly plump and unfortunately misunderstood.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I hope you don’t think I’m like the roles I portray.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Sheilah Graham mentioned Mae West.
• • Hollywood, Dec. 8. (NANA) Sheilah Graham wrote: Behind the scenes of the screen ...."Every Day's a Holiday".... A large brunette in a blue sequin gown sits nonchalantly on a high stool before a glittering white and silver curtain. "Who's that?" your correspondent asks Director Eddie Sutherland. But, before he can reply, the lady decides to walk. Only one person in the world walks that way — — Mae West. "So you couldn't recognize me?" says Mae. "That's fine. I'm disguised as Mademoiselle FiFi.”
• • Sheilah Graham wrote: During a long wait while the broken line of the curtain is repaired, Mae hints that this is her best film to date: "they say it's big time and that 90 per cent of the story gets across usually only 50 per cent does.". . ..
• • "Camera," shouts the director.
• • Sheilah Graham wrote: The curtains part, revealing a restaurant scene of the gay 1890s. Mae struts her stuff, inviting in pidgin French the white-gloved chorus gentlemen to come up and see her sometime. But Dance Producer Le Roy Prinz is not satisfied. (Time out while he shows Miss West how to do the famous Mae West walk.)  . . .
• • Source: Sheilah Graham’s Hollywood column; syndicated on Thursday, 9 December 1937
• • Note: Born in Leeds, England, Sheilah Graham [15 September 1904 — 17 November 1988] was a syndicated columnist of Hollywood's "Golden Age." She died in Palm Beach, Florida at age 84.
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • • 
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — — 
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 14th anniversary • •  
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fourteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,000 blog posts. Wow!  
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fourteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4085th 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 1937

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