Mae West: Eros in Hollywood

In 1964, after dodging reporter Lewis Lapham for months, MAE WEST granted an interview. Ten years ago, he fondly recalled the experience in his piece “Transits of Venus.” Then a 31-year-old freelancer, Lapham discovered this: “At the age of 71, Miss West still possesses overwhelming sexual force.” Let’s join his in his journey. This is Part 5.
• • “Transits of Venus” written by Lewis H. Lapham [born on 8 January 1935]
• • Mistakes Mae West had managed to avoid • •
• • Lewis H. Lapham wrote: Over the course of a life that she construed as a transit of Venus, she hadn’t bothered to count the number of lovers who had come and gone with the leaves of autumn and the flowers of spring.
• • Lewis H. Lapham wrote: “The score never interested me,” Mae said, “only the game.”
• • Lewis H. Lapham wrote: The constellation of Eros as seen in the Hollywood sky after 1950 she thought sadly lacking in glamour. “The women just walk around on a stage lookin’ dirty,” she said. “Where’s the humor? Where’s the laugh in back of it?”
• • Lewis H. Lapham wrote: In 1964 America’s snow-white homecoming queens hadn’t yet drifted downstream on their parade floats into the saturnalian whirlpool of 1968, but the country’s moral fabric was said to be showing signs of wear and tear . . . 
• • In the state of wanton undress • •  . . .   
• • To be concluded on the next post.
• • Source: Lapham’s Quarterly; published in the Winter 2009 issue.
• • Cary Grant [1904 — 1986] • •

• • It's a kick to see January birthday boy Cary Grant [18 January 1904 — 29 November 1986] opposite Mae West before his own movie star status rose high on the marquee.
• • Lady Lou to Captain Cummings: "Why don’t cha come up sometime, an’ see me?"
• • On Tuesday, 18 January 1938 • •
• • Editorials began to appear defending Mae West after the uproar of Catholic groups who were reacting to "The Chase and Sanborn Hour" and the Garden of Eden skit. One man who wrote an editorial critical of the FCC was George C. Guinther. His open letter to the FCC, defending Mae, ran in a newspaper on Tuesday, 18 January 1938.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • On the third day of the robbery and jewel heist trial in Los Angeles, on 18 January 1934, Mae West was called to the witness stand to speak about Edward Friedman.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I’m no model lady.  A model’s just an imitation of the real thing.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A book review mentioned Mae West.
• • Review: "The Entertainer" depicts old Hollywood • •
• • Associated Press wrote: Even after finding his groove as an actor, Lyle Talbot was still a bit of a wide-eyed kid from Nebraska. He was a party-goer and ladies' man, but he was so put off, even frightened, by actress Mae West's in-your-face sexuality that he hid out for a week to avoid joining the road company of "Sex," her latest scandalous play. ...
• • Source: Deccan Chronicle (in syndication); published on Tuesday, 15 January 2013

• • 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 4,100 blog posts. Wow!  

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fourteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4130th 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 1933 • •
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