Mae West: Sensual Inducement

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 2.
• • “Transits of Venus” written by Lewis H. Lapham [born on 8 January 1935]
• • After 10 minutes, imperfections in Mae’s appearance were no longer visible • •
• • Lewis H. Lapham wrote: Mae West granted me an audience that lasted maybe an hour, which was time enough to count the ways in which she was a contrivance as finely wrought as one of Emily Dickinson’s love lyrics or her own extravagantly blond wig.
• • Lewis H. Lapham wrote: The curtains had been drawn against the bright, blue California afternoon, but the dim light softened with the scent of roses couldn’t conceal the lines around her eyes and wrists, the wrinkles at her throat, the strain on the corsets that held her figure as rigidly in place as a pagan idol carved in ivory.
• • Lewis H. Lapham wrote: After ten minutes the imperfections in her appearance were no longer visible. Whether it was art or biology, her letting slip the sleeve of her negligee or the gene sequence encoded in her elbow, so distinct was the sensual inducement that had she directed me to climb the stairway to paradise, I would have gone as willingly as Tristan to Isolde, or Napoleon to Joséphine.
• • Mae West did not entertain questions • •   . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Lapham’s Quarterly; published in the Winter 2009 issue.
• • On Thursday, 15 January 1948 • •

• • It was Thursday, 15 January 1948 and Mae West was in London appearing in "Diamond Lil."  Her habit was to visit the zoo wherever she would be performing and on this date she was photographed, surrounded by clowns, as she showed her appreciation to Blackie, the baby elephant of the Harringay Circus.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Reviews were popping up everywhere for a new release: "When I'm Bad, I'm Better: Mae West, Sex, and American Entertainment" — — a biographical book written by Marybeth Hamilton [NY: HarperCollins. 307 pp].
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • A reporter interviewing Mae West asked, "Miss West, do you think you would like to be a mother? And would you be a good mother, if you were a mother?"
• • Rather taken aback, Mae West inquired, "Are you a mother yourself?"
• • "I am not," admitted the reporter, "nor am I even married."
• • "Neither am I," said Mae West. "This ought to be a real helpful conversation."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A feature on Los Angeles dining spots mentioned Mae West.
• • Pacific Dining Car in Downtown LA [Westlake] • •
• • Jess Basser Sanders and Brant Cox wrote: There aren’t many places in Los Angeles (or anywhere) where you can eat both a steak and an eggs benedict at 3am, but Pacific Dining Car is one of them.
This restaurant that looks like a train dining car on the western edge of downtown has been open since 1921 (Mae West used to be a regular), and serves food 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  …
• • Source: The Infatuation; posted in 2018

• • 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 4127th 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 • • with the elephant Blackie in 1948 • •
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