Mae West: John Barrymore

Trade papers often reveal exciting projects starring MAE WEST that, unfortunately, were shelved. This is one.
• • Mae West, John Barrymore Paired for 'Josephine' • • 
• • Hollywood, May 6. — — Mae West and John Barrymore are about to clinch as a co-starring team in a picture, 'Not Tonight, Josephine,' the first of a series to be produced by William Shapiro for Criterion Films.

• • Release will be through a major distributing outfit, not yet consummated.
• • Filming starts shortly, based on a script by Edmund Lowe, Jr.
• • Source: Variety; New York edition; published on Wednesday, 7 May 1941.
• • Note: John Barrymore [14 February 1882 — 29 May 1942], a long-term alcoholic, realized that his storied career was on the skids by then. A year after this announcement, Barrymore died in Los Angeles from cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure, complicated by pneumonia. He was age 60.
• • Mae West and Barrymore: Redux • •
• • Tongue-in-cheek, in 1941 Film Fun Magazine wrote this: "Hold Onto Your Hats! 'Tis rumored that John Barrymore and Mae West may be teamed shortly for a picture. What a field day for censors that will provide!"
• • On Saturday, 3 June 1944 • •
• • Billboard Magazine mentioned Mae West in an item that appeared on Saturday, 3 June 1944.
• • Mike Todd has penciled In "Catherine Was Great," the Mae West opus for late June.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Established in 1928, The Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park and Crematory is located off Ventura Freeway, twenty miles from Hollywood. Many of the “fur friends” interred on its 30 acres are pets of famed movie stars such as Mae West’s pet monkey, Boogie, whose screen debut was in “I’m No Angel” and who died months later in 1933 and was laid out in a fancy lined casket.
• • Also buried here: Billie Burke’s police dog, Gloria Swanson’s Rusty, a pet of John Barrymore’s, and a dog belonging to stage and screen actor, Edmund Breese, etc.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I'm careful of what I eat, and I only drink Poland Spring’s water.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A syndicated columnist mentioned John Barrymore and Mae West teaming up in 1941.
• • Louella Parsons wrote: Mae West got herself a movie job. Yes, indeed! She signed a contract with William Shapiro who brought Bobby Breen to the coast. Shapiro, at one time associated with Sol Lesser, has obtained capital to finance the Mae West movie. Now here's the part that to me should even make the sphinx smile. Shapiro has an option on John Barrymore's services and is trying to get him to play opposite La West. …
• • Source: "Sign Mae West to Appear In Romantic Role and May Be Opposite None Other than Barrymore" by Hollywood columnist Louella Parsons; syndicated content rpt in The Milwaukee Sentinel; printed on Friday, 7 March 1941
• • 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 4,488th 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 Barrymore in 1941 • •
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