Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Mae West: Sexuality Masked

When there is a revival or a staged reading of a controversial MAE WEST play, people flock to the venue. This is Part 6 of 7 segments.
• • “Banned 1927 Mae West Play Gets a Reading at Vermont Pride Theater” • •
• • “The Drag: A Homosexual Comedy in Three Acts” • •
• • “The Drag” did not hold up to modern views on sexuality and gender • •
• • Dan Bolles wrote: The director conceded that certain elements of “The Drag” don't hold up to evolved modern views on sexuality and gender. But she said much of the play was well ahead of its time.
• • Dan Bolles wrote: Specifically, Holbrook cited a scene in which a straight character, Allen Greyson, chastises Rolly Kingsbury for hiding his sexuality behind his wife. It's not Kingsbury's sexuality that's despicable, argues Greyson — who, by the way, is in love with Clair — but the act of using someone else to hide who he really is.
• • Mae West’s credo was about self-acceptance • •  … 
• • This seven-part article by Dan Bolles will be concluded on the next post.  
• • Source: Seven Days Vermont; published on Wednesday, 22 January 2020.
• • On Friday, 15 April 1927 • •
• • Taking advantage of the legal woes of his sister-in-law Mae West, Beverly's husband Sergei Treshatny obtained a divorce on Friday, 15 April 1927. Well, somebody had a nice weekend, eh?
• • The play "Courting Mae West" dramatizes aspects of Beverly's relationship with Sergei, her divorce, and her hot — cold bond with her older sister Mae.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Quoting Mohandas K. Gandhi and Mae West and stopping his motorcade by arrangement to greet a sixth-grade, learning-disabled student who had written to him, President George Bush sought support for his newly unveiled education program.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “Take all you can get… and give as little as possible.” [movie dialogue from “I'm No Angel”]
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Gold Derby mentioned Mae West.
• • Remarkably strong female characters: 40 greatest films starring heroines, ranked • •
• • “I’m No Angel” (1933) • •
• • Gold Derby wrote: Mae West, the queen of sexual innuendo, wrote and starred in this classic of the Pre-Code era. As sideshow performer Tira, Mae West shimmies, flirts and enthralls men with her daring lion-tamer act. West was a woman ahead of her time, saying, “I wrote the story myself. It’s about a girl who lost her reputation and never missed it.”  …
• • Source: Gold Derby; published on Wednesday, 25 March 2020
• • 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 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,453rd 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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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • with Beverly and Tillie in 1927 • •
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