Mae West: Can't Fool Me!

Starring Australian actress Melita Jurisic as the American icon MAE WEST, a new play “Arbus and West” was onstage in Melbourne until March 30th. Naturally, Mae would have stipulated that her name was placed first in the title. Let’s enjoy a spirited review by drama critic Robert Reid. This is Part 5.
• • “Arbus and West” — — A one-way gladiatorial battle • •
• • Diane Arbus is little more than her camera • •
• • Robert Reid wrote: Of course, the interrogation happening on stage is neither Diane Arbus nor Mae West’s, but Sewell’s. Diane Arbus is little more than her camera, a machine for revealing only what is already in plain sight. They are at pains to point out that “you can’t fool the camera.”

• • Robert Reid wrote: Even Ruby, the faithful retainer, tells Mae West early on, “You can fool the public and you can fool yourself, but you can’t fool me.” The structure of the work sets West up as a kind of straw woman, a representative of self-proclaimed feminine agency, and uses Arbus’ documented ability to draw her subjects out of themselves as a tool to bring West to a moment of crucial personal re-evaluation.
• • these cartoonish simplifications of political attitudes • •  . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• •  Theatre Photo by Jeff Busby
• • Source: Witness, stage review; published on Wednesday, 6 March 2019.
• • On Sunday, 8 April 2001 • •
• • On Sunday, 8 April 2001, a N.Y. Times book review was printed with the title "Divorce Is for Life."
• • After getting divorced, Karen Karbo started to attend a regular gathering of newly divorced women called “The Mae West Dinner Party,” a homage to the movie star's famous retort, ''Marriage is an institution and I'm not ready for an institution!''
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Only Mae West and Marlene Dietrich were permitted to choose their parts at Paramount.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Muscles, big or small men — — men, men, I love them all."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Motion Picture mentioned Mae West.
• • Picture of Mae in Person • •
• • Mae's heels were spiked so high that her walk became a shuffling toddle. Her hands were covered with diamonds, great big fellows. Her skin was as white as the driven snow and as smooth as satin — — a rarity in itself in Hollywood. She was saluting everyone who passed by with wisecracks that dropped impudently out of the corner of her mouth.  . . .
• • Source: Motion Picture; issue dated for April 1933
• • 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 4,100 blog posts. Wow!  

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fourteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4186th 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 • • Melita Jurisic playing Mae onstage in 2019 • •
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