Mae West: Doomed Brilliance

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 6.
• • “Arbus and West” — — A one-way gladiatorial battle • •
• • these cartoonish simplifications of political attitudes • •
• • Robert Reid wrote: Whether the real Mae West was truly acting on her own desires, taking pleasure and power from the men, her fans and the Hollywood machine for her own gratification is not really at issue. Instead, these cartoonish simplifications of political attitudes (a Sewell signature if ever there was one) clash without any regard for the depths of the real humans being portrayed. It might be fair enough in a completely fictional work like Hate, but it is a bit more iffy when the cartoons are caricatures of real people.
• • Robert Reid wrote: The play begins at its end, in the middle of a curtain call for one of West’s performances, in which Ruby informs her that Arbus has committed suicide. This information hangs in the air over the entire performance, and since very little else of consequence is revealed about Arbus, it’s all she comes to represent. Doomed youth, doomed brilliance, doomed women. The doom that hovers around West herself, but that she evades with her sex appeal, her moxy and her bon mots.
• • Wit is another cage to confine Mae West in • • . . . 
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Witness, stage review; published on Wednesday, 6 March 2019.
• • On Monday, 9 April 1928 on Broadway • •

• • "Diamond Lil" written by and starring Mae West opened at the Royale Theatre in NYC on Monday, 9 April 1928. It would be her defining role.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • In April 1959, Mae West told a Hollywood columnist that her autobiography would be published in the autumn — — and its title was going to be Empress of Sex.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “Hand kissing? I can't picture a man kissing a woman's hand when she's in street clothes or a bathing suit. Besides it starts a man off on the wrong foot with a woman."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Hollywood Reporter mentioned Mae West.
• • Film critic Kirk Ellis wrote: As for Madonna, her virgin thespic endeavor is neither more nor less than one might expect from her music videos. Flashing the navel that catapulted her to the top of the pop charts, she comes across as a pint-sized Mae West, cracking wise and looking sultry in a manner that obviously comes quite easy. Hardly a stretch for this self-styled "Material Girl," perhaps, but, for once at least, she's got the right material to work with. . . .
• • Source: The Hollywood Reporter; published on Monday, 25 March 1985
• • 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 4187th 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 • • "Lil" onstage in 1928 • •
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