Mae West: Pierre Cosette

This Las Vegas legend had been known for booking the world's biggest acts including MAE WEST, the Rat Pack, and many others.
• • Born in Valleyfield, Quebec, Pierre Cossette [15 December 1923 — 11 September 2009] was a TV producer and Broadway impresario who brought the Grammy Awards to the little screen.
• • Cossette's autobiographical book, Another Day In Showbiz, tells the story of an unassuming young man from rural Canada, who worked his way to the top of the world of glitz and glamour, galvanizing the music industry in the process. He offers his vision of the industry, detailing stars, directors, producers, movies, TV companies, record companies, and the art, creation, and exhibition of breathtaking stage productions.
• • In 2005, Pierre Cossette was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. Along with Mae West, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • none • •
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Mae West: LA's Biltmore

Say "The Biltmore" and Mae-mavens will recall the infamous raid in 1928 of a gay play written by MAE WEST — — "Pleasure Man." But far from Times Square, out in California, there are fond memories of when Mae West and W.C. Fields performed at the Biltmore Theatre, once located inside the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
• • Richard Guzman mentioned this connection in his enjoyable article "Big Time at the Biltmore — — Historic Downtown Hotel Celebrates 85th Birthday" for the Los Angeles Downtown News. Apparently, this landmark [built in 1923 when Mae West was 30 years old] has attracted everyone from presidents to the Beatles to the actress who came to be known as the Black Dahlia.
• • According to Guzman, this hotel was the headquarters for John F. Kennedy during the 1960 Democratic National Convention, when he was nominated for president. In 1927, the venerable Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded there. And during that meeting, the Oscar was designed on a linen napkin.
• • Guzman writes: It was once the largest hotel west of Chicago. It opened with 1,000 rooms, its opulent grand ballrooms a mixture of Neoclassical, Moorish, Baroque and Renaissance styles. It was designed by Leonard Schultze and S. Fullerton Weaver, who also designed New York's Waldorf Astoria. . . .
• • The Biltmore Hotel, now known as the Millennium Biltmore — — and considered to be the most significant historic hotel in Los Angeles — — will be celebrating its 85th birthday this week. An invitation-only party on Thursday, 2 October 2008, is expected to attract 500 people.
• • Built in 1923, the Beaux Arts-style building is one of downtown's most recognizable structures. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
• • Do read his feature to learn more about its intriguing history.
— — Source: — —
• • Article: "Big Time at the Biltmore — — Historic Downtown Hotel Celebrates 85th Birthday"
• • Byline: By Richard Guzman
• • Published in: Los Angeles Downtown News — — www.downtownnews.com
• • Published on: 29 September 2008
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• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • none • •
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Mae West: Rosebud

The play "Courting Mae West" opens in one of the drag cabarets in the Village that MAE WEST used to visit. In Act I, Scene 1, Mae waves to a cigarette girl in drag known as Rosebud. Mae explains to her date, "I just cast Rosebud over there in 'The Drag'. . . ."
• • In 1923, Arthur C. Budd was 21 years old and residing at 25 West 52nd Street. Known as “Rosebud,” Arthur C. Budd worked as a female impersonator in “The Lady in Ermine” at The Century Theater.
• • A New York Times article published on 5 February 1923 — — “Village Raid Nets 4 Women and 9 Men: Detectives Thought They Had Five Females, but Misjudged One Person by Clothing” — — paints a picture of the Greenwich Village circles Rosebud traveled in.
• • The police continue to pay special attention to Greenwich Village, according to The N.Y. Times. Every tearoom and cabaret in the village was visited yesterday morning by Deputy Inspector Joseph A. Howard and Captain Edward J. Dempsey of the Charles Street Station, and a party of ten detectives.
• • Detectives Joseph Massie and Dewey Hughes of the Special Service Squad were at the Black Parrot Tea Shoppe Hobo-Hemia, 46 Charles Street, to witness what they had been informed would be a “circus.” They arrested what they thought were five women and eight men. It developed later, however, that one of the “women” was a man, Harry Bernhammer, 21 years old, living at 36 Hackensack Avenue, West Hoboken, N.J. He is familiarly known in the Village as “Ruby,” according to the police. The charge against him is disorderly conduct for giving what the police termed an indecent dance.
• • The other prisoners, all of whom were bailed out at the station house, were Lucy Smith, 22 years old, of 46 Charles Street, and Patricia Rogers, 24 years old, of 16 Charles Street, alleged proprietors of the establishment, charged with violating the Mullan-Gage law; . . . Arthur C. Budd, 21 years old, of 25 West Fifty-second Street; . . . Paul Warring, 21 years old, of 75 West Seventy-second Street; . . . . The real name of the Smith woman, according to the police, is Vera Black, and the real name of the Rogers woman is Nan Paddock.
• • Arthur C. Budd, according to the police, is known as “Rosebud,” and claimed when arrested that he is a female impersonator in “The Lady in Ermine” at The Century Theater.
• • Paul Warring, the police say, is pianist at the Black Parrot and was formerly employed at a Broadway cabaret. . . . Reilly is accused of doing “a suggestive dance.”
• • The detectives allege that before the raid early yesterday morning they bought eight drinks of whiskey at $1 a drink.
• • The “circus” did not actually take place, the detectives said, for just before the time for it to begin Patricia Rogers stepped out on the floor and announced: “There are two policemen here and I am afraid to put on the circus."
• • The joyful soiree at the Black Parrot Tea Shoppe Hobo-Hemia [46 Charles Street, New York, NY 10014] ended rather abruptly with a paddy wagon conveying the arrested individuals to Jefferson Market Police Court on Sixth Avenue on 5 February 1923.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Jefferson Market Police Court • •
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Mae West: Dan Lurie

In 1975, muscleman Dan Lurie [born 1 April 1923] honored MAE WEST along with Robert Redford, Joe Bonomo, Chris Dickerson, Dave Draper, and The "Mighty Atom" Joe Greenstein. During that time, Dan Lurie was interviewed about his experiences with the Hollywood screen queen.
• • The article, titled "Dan Would Come Up to See Her Sometimes," was a charming close-up glimpse. Here is an excerpt.
• • • • [ Q ] You honored Mae West with an award for sexiest woman of the century. Why did you choose her for this award and what was she like?
• • • • Yes, I met Mae West at her home place. After being with her the first three hours, I told her, "Ms. West, I can't give you any more of my time." Of course, she was the one who was helping me. I said, "My wife is downstairs and she is going to be quite upset."
• • She asked if my wife would like to come upstairs and meet her. I said, "No, she's not one of your fans."
• • She told me to go downstairs and bring my wife up. And that's what we did. After a half an hour they were the best of friends. We found out something strange. Mae was born in Brooklyn and her father's name was Jack West — — he was a fighter. In between fights, Jack West would rent a horse and wagon and sell fruit in his neighborhood.
• • As a kid, she would go to Rockaway Avenue to pick up the horse and wagon.
• • My grandfather owned the place where the cart was kept so we got very warm — — I mean, what a connection. We spoke more about her father and what she did when she was living in Brooklyn. She never flew, but always took the train. She was scared of flying. And of all places, she is now buried in Brooklyn.

• • • • [ Q ] What else can you tell me about Mae West?
• • • • I must have sat no more than two feet from her and her skin was so soft - no wrinkles, nothing. She was in her 80s at the time. She looked great. She kept saying, "Feel my arms, I work out." I felt her arms.
• • She said, "Feel my breasts." I said, "I'm not going to touch your breasts." . . .
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1935 • •
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Mae West: Colonial

"MAE WEST, author, loses her pianist," noted Variety [8 September 1922].
• • In 1922, Harry Richman — — born in August 1895 — — was an unknown when Mae West gave him a big break. According to one biographer, Richman was an obscure piano man when Jim Timony approached the bachelor about auditioning as Mae's accompanist — — and to fill in entertaining the crowd while she changed her costume. Examining the 27-year-old beanpole with apprehension, Mae asked, "Are you versatile?" She hired the tall, debonair pianist with a pronounced lisp and they were soon performing together on the ritzy B.F. Keith vaudeville circuit. Despite his speech impediment, Mae urged Richman to sing and speak during their routine. "That lisp is distinctive," she said. "It could be the makin' of ya." And, sure enough, wherever their act was booked, the pair got excellent reviews.
• • Ungrateful for the mega media exposure Mae had afforded him, Harry split with her and joined Texas Guinan's friend, singer Nora Bayes, in her act. However, as this clipping shows, Mae and Harry reunited and appeared together in April 1923 at the Colonial Theatre [1887 Broadway at West 62nd Street, not far from the stretch that is now known as Central Park West].
• • Entertainer Harry Richman [10 August 1895 – 3 November 1972] was an actor, a singer, dancer, comedian, pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and cabaret performer. He was born Harold Reichman in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• • In 1966, his autobiography A Hell of a Life was published. In it he recounts his private and public relationship with Mae West.
• • Enrich your Harry Richman and Mae West memories on Friday evening 17 August 2007, when a guided tour will explore Manhattan's WEST-side during the "Mae West Side Story" walking tour. The event — — open to the public — — is timed to salute Brooklyn's own sexpot on her birthdate. [See the Annual Mae West Gala posting below.]
• • Only 14 more days until Mae's birthday!
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West's venue, Colonial Theatre • • c. 1905 • •
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Mae West: Come Over

MAE WEST's signature line - - "Come up and see me sometime" - - evolved from a once well-known riposte in vaudeville.
• • Bert Savoy (half of the team of Savoy & Brennan) used to say: "You must come over!"
• • One of Mae's influences, Bert Savoy was headlining the bill at the Century Theatre [formerly located on West 62nd Street and Central Park West] with Jay Brennan one day in February - - February 12, 1921 - - when an impressionable Mae West was also on the program.
• • Mae also attended performances when Savoy & Brennan had their great successes at the annual "Greenwich Village Follies."
• • Bert Savoy offered his last famous comeback in the summer of 1923 after hearing a clap of thunder, just before he was struck by lightning. His impact on Mae was enormous.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West's influencer Bert Savoy • • 1920 • •
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