Mae West: Bob Hope

Bob Hope appeared with MAE WEST on TV on 4 May 1959 and, occasionally, their careers intersected. For instance, in March 1958 they were both in Hollywood rehearsing for the same Academy Awards presentation. Hope performed with dancer-actress Shirley MacLaine and Mae West sang with Rock Hudson. Life Magazine ran this candid photo.
• • The ski-slope-nosed comedian was born as Leslie Townes Hope in London, England on 29 May 1903. Both stars, of course, had toured in vaudeville, were heard on radio, starred on Broadway, and also worked at Paramount Pictures (though not on the same motion pictures). Paramount excelled in comedy — — having Mae West, W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby all under contract.
• • The versatile British-born American comedian and actor was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel.
• • Bob Hope was 100 years old when he died at his home in Toluca Lake, California of pneumonia in the month of July — — at 9:28 pm on 27 July 2003. He was interred in the Bob Hope Memorial Garden at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Los Angeles, where his mother is also buried.
• • Photo Credit: Leonard McCombe/Time & Life Pictures/ Getty Images 01 March 1958
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "A dame that knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Lori Bryant Woolridge, Sensuality Coach, defends "scandalous" women such as Mae West. She writes: When I think about the famous women, like Jennifer Lopez, who many of us look up to as sensual and sexual icons, most are considered scandalous in some form or fashion. Think about it: Cleopatra, Mae West, Coco Chanel, Josephine Baker, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Cher, Madonna, Angelina Jolie. All are women who by living and loving (and dressing) on their own terms, often created controversy and concern among the keepers of society's moral compass. But they weren't afraid of being judged. They were afraid of not living fully expressed. A healthy fear, I think.
• • These women lived by their own values and rules, and while some choices led them down rather destructive paths, others led to great success and happiness, and both paths led them towards an authentic life... one that for good or bad, right or wrong, was dictated by their own sense of individual truth. The more I think about it, the more I become a quiet advocate for delightfully scandalous living. Scandalous women are sexy. ...
• • Source: Article: "Living Delightfully Scandalous" written by Lori Bryant Woolridge for HuffPost Women; posted on 26 July 2011
• • 17 July 2004 — 17 July 2011 • •
• • In mid-July the Mae West Blog celebrates its seventh anniversary. Thank you to all those Mae-mavens who come up and see Mae every day.
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2004th 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 • • March 1958 • •
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Mae West: Henry and Harold

MAE WEST selected songs written by two composers born on June 21st — — Henry and Harold.
• • Henry Creamer [1879 — 1930] • •
• • Born in Richmond, Virginia, Henry Creamer [21 June 1879 — 14 October 1930] was a pop song lyricist. He co-wrote many hits in the years from 1900 — 1929, often collaborating with Turner Layton, with whom he also appeared in vaudeville.
• • In 1918, Henry Creamer wrote the words for the hit "After You've Gone" — — an enduring classic and every major artist has covered it.
• • Mae West performed "After You've Gone" in "Sextette" [1978], a song she fondly remembered from her New York years when she frequented the hottest night spots in Harlem.
• • And on the LP "The Fabulous Mae West," Mae recorded "If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight)," a favorite written in 1926 by lyricist Henry Creamer and the black composer and pianist James P. Johnson.
• • Harold Spina [1906 — 1997] • •
• • Born in Mae's hometown, New York City, Harold Spina [21 June 1906 — 11 August 1997] earned a reputation as a composer of popular songs. During the early 1930s, when he was still in his twenties, he was turning out his best-loved numbers in collaboration with the lyricists Joe Young and Johnny Burke. However, he then went on to co-create several chart-toppers with the lyricist John Elliot — — including "It's So Nice To Have a Man Around the House," made famous by Dinah Shore, and most memorably performed by Mae West when she guest-starred in March 1960 on CBS-TV's "The Red Skelton Show" wearing a gorgeous red gown.
• • Mae Music Trivia • •
• • Which one of Mae West's albums offered songs by The Beatles and Bob Dylan?
• • On the LP "Way Out West" in the 1960s, she recorded with David Clark Allen and his band. Songs on this compilation included "Day Tripper" by The Beatles and "If You Gotta Go," written by Bob Dylan but never a hit for him nor anyone.
• • In June 1935 • •
• • Mae West made an appearance at the California Pacific Exposition as a celebrity guest.
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Mae West starred in "Klondike Annie" — — but how many know much about the actual place on the map?
• • Toronto, Canada based critic John Semley writes: Like Manhattan or Atlantis, the Klondike is one of those places that seems to exist largely in the manufactures of memory; a kind of shared cultural hallucination. Even the word — Klondike — conjures images of grizzled old prospectors with mangy beards, pickaxes slung over their shoulders, traipsing through the snowy wastes of the Yukon; of crooked card games and houses of ill-repute; of boiling a boot for supper. But because Americans have by-and-large monopolized these images (via Mae West, Charlie Chaplin, Jack London, that old Yukon Trail CD-ROM game and those irresistible chocolate- covered ice cream novelties), running roughshod over our geography and minting the noble Mountie mythology in the process, Zach Worton’s The Klondike radiates with a detectable sense of consequence. ...
• • Source: Book Review of "The Klondike" a graphic novel by Zach Worton by John Semley for The National Post (Canada); posted on 16 June 2011
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 1968th 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 • • March 1960 • •
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Mae West: Bobby Dean Loner

The Clipper often announced that MAE WEST would be bringing a new act to vaudeville and where she would be opening.
• • A laugh-getter who appeared with Mae in "Myra Breckinridge" [released in the USA on 24 June 1970] also had ties to variety. Chicago native Kathleen Freeman made her vaudeville debut at age 2, becoming a part of her parents' act.
• • Born in the month of February — — on 17 February 1919 — — the heavy-set comedienne portrayed Bobby Dean Loner in the screen version of Gore Vidal's bestseller. Kathleen Freeman often chuckled about working with every "tough bitch" in the film industry. After this motion picture had been released, she often recalled the clash between the film's two leading ladies: "Mae West was not an actress; she was not a star; she was the most incredible phenomenon I ever encountered. Place that against the starlet Raquel Welch, who had an enormous ego, and boom — — there were fireworks. And I made darn sure that I wasn't caught up in the cross-fire."
• • The UCLA graduate's first goal had been to shine as a professional pianist but, after thoroughly enjoying her work with several stock productions, she changed gears. Kathleen Freeman once said: "I think comedy is more powerful than drama in the long run. Comedy is more difficult. It's very easy to make people cry."
• • Kathleen Freeman made her first motion picture appearance in 1948 at 29 years old. The reliable character actress was used as a comic foil by Jerry Lewis in several of his films. Her stocky figure, expressive face, energetic laugh, and supple voice-craft served her well, keeping her in demand and busy juggling parts on the silver screen, TV, and also on Broadway.
• • Kathleen Freeman, 82 years old, was cast in a Broadway production when she died in New York City on 23 August 2001 of lung cancer. Engaged on stage until the very end, the octogenarian had given her final Tony nomination performance for her role as the piano player in Broadway's musical hit "The Full Monty" on August 18th, and five days later she was gone.
• • John Garcia, Executive Director/ Producer of "The Column" Awards, created an award in her honor. This prize is given to individuals who overcome personal, physical, or other major problems in their lives and continue to work in theater, whether behind or in front of the curtain. Kathleen Freeman embodied the true spirit of the Broadway gypsy: "The show must go on." Applause!
• • Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre • •
• • Designed by the Rapp Brothers and initially named the New Palace Theatre in 1926 — — a baroque, lavishly appointed vaudeville venue until it became a place to show motion pictures — — for quite a number of years the auditorium attracted major stars such as Mae West, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, and Jack Benny.
• • Now known as the Cadillac Palace Theatre, and still looking splendid with its Italian marble polished and spiffy, this Randolph Street showpiece can be toured every Saturday.
• • For details on the 75-minute walking tour of the Cadillac and one other opulent Loop theater (the Oriental) designed by the same architects, phone 800-775-2000.
• • Tell them you read about it on the Mae West Blog and ask to see the old programs and stagebills featuring her in the archives.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Buck Loner and Letitia Van Allen on the set, 1970 • •
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Mae West: Jersey Shore

MAE WEST performed in Atlantic City a few times.
• • This weekend HBO viewers can visit New Jersey and enjoy "Atlantic City: The Original Sin City" — — a TV Special that will be broadcast on 19 September 2010.
• • During 1913 — 1915, when she was booked on the Keith Circuit, Mae honed her vaudeville skills by entertaining the crowds outdoors on the Steel Pier. One of several piers that jettisoned from the main drag, the Steel Pier first opened in 1898 and developed a reputation for offering top talent. Performers featured there included W.C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, The Three Stooges, Benny Goodman, Bob Hope, Amos ‘n Andy, Frank Sinatra, etc.
• • And when she brought her play "The Constant Sinner" to Atlantic City in August 1931, the crowds lined up for tickets, noted The New York Times: "With two rows of standees and chairs in the aisles for extra celebrants, last Monday night saw Mae West run through her latest daisy chain, The Constant Sinner, at the Apollo Theatre in Atlantic City. . ." [NY Times 30 August 1931].
• • Starring in the role of Babe Gordon, Mae debuted the show on Broadway on September 14th of that year.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Auction in Ithaca

MAE WEST collectors may find an keepsake in the Empire State later this month.
• • National Book Auctions will feature a fine collection of stage & screen and music-related items, including a collection of books, photographs and ephemera — — much of which is signed by stars of the Golden Age of cinema — — at their upcoming sale on 19 September 2010 in Ithaca, New York. Also included will be a substantial selection of antique and vintage books displayed with an assortment of artwork.
• • The stage and screen collection includes signed pieces from Mae West, Laurel & Hardy, Paul Newman, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn, Dean Martin, Lauren Bacall, Charlie Chaplin, and Bob Hope, among others. For example, one item is a three-panel folding screen from the famous Mama Leone's restaurant (once located in the theatre district), bearing dozens of autographs — — by Montgomery Clift, Carol Channing, Jack Lord, Betty Field, Imogene Coca, Diana Barrymore, and more. Though the listing description does not list Mae West, Mamma's tall and dapper son Aldo Leone fondly recalls how much the Broadway star enjoyed their meat lasagna with a glass of Italian wine.
• • National Book Auctions [1429 Danby Road (Route 96B), Ithaca, NY USA] is a public auction service specializing in books, ephemera, and art for consignors and collectors alike.
• • In September, Let's Remember DeForest Covan • •
• • Versatile vaudevillian DeForest Covan, who appeared in "Every Day's a Holiday" with Mae West, was born in Chicago in the month of September — — on 9 September 1917.
• • The nephew of vaudeville dancer Willie Covan, he honed his dancing and singing skills on the black variety circuit before breaking into Hollywood motion pictures in 1936 as a bit part player and hoofer. Fans may recall that DeForest Covan had a continuing role on the TV series "That's My Mama"; he portrayed Josh for 22 episodes, 1974-1975. Additionally, he was in the cast of 50 films and seen onscreen until 1994.
• • DeForest Covan died at the age of 90 in Los Angeles, California also during the month of September — — on 8 September 2007.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Hollywood Cavalcade

An actress costumed as MAE WEST will take to the stage in Indiana — — performing at a fundraiser that will benefit the local youth theatre.
• • According to The Evening Forum: Born in the vaudeville era and the son of a theater manager, Harvey Cocks spent his youth moving from town to town with his family as his father opened theaters. He never stayed in one place long enough to make friends with kids his own age, so the vaudevillian performers became his friends. ... When he grew up, he moved to New York, where he spent 30 years performing on Broadway, TV, and radio. Now the 85-year-old director of Fort Wayne Youtheatre has channeled that love of show business into a stage production to benefit Youtheatre titled “Hollywood Cavalcade.”
• • Harvey's talented line-up will include Mae West, Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis, Mickey Rooney, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Carmen Miranda, Hedda Hopper, Bob Hope, and Elvis.
• • "Hollywood Cavalcade" • •
• • WHAT: A musical review celebrating show business legends from the past — — written and directed by Fort Wayne Youtheatre’s Harvey Cocks. All proceeds benefit Fort Wayne Youtheatre.
• • WHERE: The Arts United Center | 303 E. Main St., Fort Wayne, IN | 260-422-6900
• • WHEN: 8:00 PM on 22 May 2010. [Ordering tickets in advance is advisable.]
• • Tell them you heard about it on the MAE WEST BLOG.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: East London Auction

MAE WEST impressionist Danny LaRue [26 July 1927 – 31 May 2009] — — once called the "most glamorous woman in the world" by Bob Hope — — always dressed to thrill.
• • Here is the late stage star wearing his "Mae West" gown, which is among several costumes that are to be auctioned at Brick Lane Music Hall in east London on 12 March 2010. [Photo: Brick Lane Music Hall/ PA].
• • Born Daniel Patrick Carroll in Cork, Ireland, Danny LaRue spared no expense for his lavish live appearances, when he was often accompanied by a 12-piece orchestra. In the 1960s he was among Britain's highest-paid entertainers. Awaiting auction-goers will be sumptuously beaded and sequined dresses, miles of lame, and a royal aviary of feathered frou-frou among the 90 ensembles to go under the hammer at Brick Lane Music Hall in east London where he regularly performed. Among these treasures are pantomime costumes; outfits worn in the West End hit "Hello, Dolly!" (which will be sold with mounted and framed original design drawings); gowns worn for music hall and cabaret performances; and head-dresses. My, oh my.
• • In between impersonating Mae West and other curvy bombshells during his six-decades-long career, Danny LaRue also triumphed in seven major shows including "Come Spy With Me" at the Whitehall Theatre, the "Danny La Rue Show" at the Aladdin at the London Palladium as well as the Prince of Wales theatre where Mae West triumphed sixty years ago in "Diamond Lil."
• • Danny LaRue appears in the documentary "All You Need Is Love: The Story Of Popular Music: Rude Songs (Vaudeville And Music Hall)," which can be seen on DVD. This film about the history of popular music in America focuses on music halls taking a look back at the concert halls that spawned a large-scale industry in the world of music, as well as the creative styles that sprung from it. Artists featured in concert footage and interviews include Mae West, Edith Piaf, Judy Garland, and more.
• • The auctioneers said the Victoria and Albert Museum has bought four costumes in advance of the sale. Tell them you heard about it on the MAE WEST BLOG.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Danny LaRue as Mae • •
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Mae West: Heart of Dixie

Preservationists, theatre historians, and big-hearted culture mavens in the heart of Dixie are bravely trying to rescue a formerly superb (but now neglected) vaudeville house where MAE WEST once electrified the audience.
• • According to Jesse Chambers, a fundraising effort is afoot this weekend. It's a cause worthy of your time and contributions, so please read on.
• • From Birmingham, reporter Jesse Chambers writes: All the greats played the Lyric — — including Mae West, Bob Hope, Will Rogers, Buster Keaton, George Burns, Billie Burke, and the Marx Brothers. ...
• • The Lyric Theatre, the magnificent old vaudeville palace at Third Avenue and 18th Street North downtown, was built by theatrical impresario Jake Wells in 1913 when Birmingham was a raucous boomtown with a thriving entertainment district. Wells gave the Lyric 1,200 great seats, pin-drop acoustics, and elegant decor, and it quickly became the premier venue in Birmingham. ...
• • However, the good times for the Lyric, and for vaudeville, ended with the stock market crash of 1929. Jake Wells lost his theatres, including the Lyric, to the mortgage company. The theatre was sold to the Waters family of Birmingham in the mid-1930s and became a second-run movie house. It closed in 1958 and, since then, has been all but forgotten, in urgent need of renovation and rediscovery. ...
• • However, Birmingham Landmarks has so far been unable to achieve a critical mass of support for the renovation. One problem is that few people in Birmingham are old enough to remember the Lyric or have any nostalgia for it. “It’s easy to raise money for the Alabama, but people who had positive Lyric memories — — who saw Mae West and Will Rogers — — they’re all dead,” Liles says. “In my generation it was B-movies, C-movies. It’s been Birmingham’s best-kept secret.”
• • Open House on Sunday 13 December 2009 • •
• • This weekend, the people of Birmingham will have a rare opportunity to get in on the secret of the Lyric and, perhaps, develop their own sense of enthusiasm about the venue’s exciting possibilities. The 2009 Holiday Open House at the Alabama Theatre, the Lyric Theatre, and the Hill Arts Center is scheduled for Sunday, 13 December 2009, beginning at 2:00 in the afternoon. Phone: (205) 252-2262.
• • • • Tell them the MAE WEST BLOG told you to come up and see 'em.
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: "Open house takes you inside Alabama and Lyric theatres"
• • BY: Jesse Chambers
• • Published by: The Birmingham Weekly — — www.bhamweekly.com
• • Published on: 9 December 2009
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Glorious Gaudy Girls

Years before she was nicknamed "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas," the 35-year-old vocalist was headlining with her Kings of Syncopation at the 44th Street Theatre (216 West 44th Street, New York, NY) at a holiday concert in 1919 that also featured a 26-year-old MAE WEST.
• • Sophie Tucker [13 January 1884 — 9 February 1966] was one of the most popular entertainers in America during the first third of the 20th century. Almost ten years older than Mae and not as controversial when she launched her career, Sophie Tucker had an ethnic appeal which upped her forward momentum and she was, in fact, a much bigger draw in vaudeville than the Brooklyn bombshell. Sophie Tucker made her first appearance in the Ziegfeld Follies in 1909, but did not last long there — — because Florenz Ziegfeld's other female stars soon refused to share the spotlight with the immensely popular singing comedienne.
• • Her towering stage persona made a big impression on Mae, still trying to find her footing and learning from those who had. Did they chat backstage, these two variety artists who were determined not to be overshadowed by the male entertainers? Or was it a chilly night behind the red velvet curtain at this 1465 -seat auditorium?
• • Operated by the Shuberts, the 44th Street Theatre was decorated in 18th Century Georgian style and above the main auditorium was a large enclosed roof theatre. In the basement, the original rathskeller became the "Little Club" during Prohibition and the Stage Door Canteen during World War II.
• • If you were not fortunate enough to be in the audience in 1919 when ticket-holders were applauding Sophie Tucker, the top-billed act, and appreciating Mae West, then you must pay close attention to this. Ninety years later, the two have reunited. Reviewers have been going crazy over this talented twosome and a splashy Las Vegas style evening has been planned for late October.
• • Make tracks to the Monticello Casino and Raceway [204 Route 17B, Monticello, NY] for the 21 October 2009 "GAUDY GIRLS" extravaganza, which kicks off at 1:00 AM. Reservations: 945-794-4100. You will want to catch this warm-hearted stage show.
• • Backstage with the Gorgeous, Talented, Bawdy GAUDY GIRLS • •
• • Anne Marie Finnie — Mae West • •
• • Anne Marie has been working as a professional actress for over 20 years. Some of her favorite roles have been in Little Shop of Horrors, Oliver, Sound of Music and A Little Night Music. Nine years ago, Anne Marie was cast in the starring role as Mae West in a professional production on Long Island. Over 150 "Mae West" shows later, she is still in demand all over the tri-state area.
• • Maggie Worsdale — Sophie Tucker • •
• • Maggie has been a professional cabaret entertainer for the past 20 years and has appeared with Bob Hope, George Burns, Mark Russell, and has sung with Les Brown and His Band of Renown.
• • On August 16th you can walk in the footsteps of two of the 1920s "gaudy gals" — — Texas Guinan and Mae West — — and win a special prize donated by those lovable GAUDY GIRLS. See below.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Join us for a lively afternoon focused on Mae West & Texas Guinan!
• • On 16 August 2009, come up and enjoy an a-MAE-zing experience — — a walking tour of historical sights in the Times Square area. This year the Annual Mae West Birthday Tour also commemorates speakeasy hostess Texas Guinan, the generous friend who backed all of Mae’s Broadway shows during the 1920s.
• • During April 1929, the Feds padlocked the CIub Intime at the Hotel Harding, where Texas Guinan was the principal attraction. On August 16th, attendees will visit this speakeasy, which is doing brisk business these days.
• • Walking Tour: "Gaudy Girls on The Gay White Way: Mae West & Texas Guinan in the Theatre District"
• • When: 4:00 PM on Sunday — — 16 August 2008 — — rain or shine
• • Meet: Shubert Alley, 44th Street, West of Broadway, New York, NY 10036
• • Price: $10 [this walking tour lasts about 90 minutes]
• • Subway: N or R [BMT] train to West 42nd Street; 1 [IRT] train to Times Square
• • Attire: why not wear a Mae West-inspired hat?
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Hold the Mayo

During the month of March 1924, MAE WEST was trouping through the southwest, where she had accepted a four-week contract to perform on the Interstate Vaudeville Circuit. Covering Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas, this was one of variety's least desirable routes and a far cry from the bath of light at Times Square.
• • Perhaps a motion picture promotional tour during the 1930s took her back to Tulsa — — because the new management of a local inn is displaying her portrait, claiming Mae slept there. Since they did not furnish gritty specifics such as which of the 600 rooms she booked, which floor she breezed through, or what year, you'll need to call them up and ask: T: 918-582-6296. [Do let us know!]
• • Eighty-four years ago architect George Winkler designed the Mayo Hotel [at 115 W. Fifth Street, Tulsa, OK 74103], which went up in 1925, sparing no expense on the very cool marble and terrazzo flooring.
• • Unfortunately, the venue's guests since 1981 were mostly ghosts. An extensive renovation is under way, apparently, and new residents will start hanging their hats there by August 22nd. By Hallowe'en they ought to be in good spirits.
• • According to Macy Snyder, sales manager at the Mayo, workers are polishing the finials, spit-shining the doorknobs, and completing the $40 million renovation, equipping the landmark with 102 hotel rooms, 76 apartments, seven meeting rooms, and a new restaurant space. In 1980 the (then forlorn) Mayo was added to The National Register of Historic Places.
• • Tulsa World's Robert Evatt interviewed Ms. Snyder recently. Macy Snyder told him: "Those rooms will be unique as well because more than 100 different large photos of historic Tulsa and the Mayo's history, from famous guests to its recent reconstruction, will be scattered throughout the rooms and the hallways. ..."
• • The Mayo Hotel boasts of these famous connections, noted Robert Evatt: Oilman J. Paul Getty lived at the Mayo when he was a Tulsan. Mae West, John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, Charles Lindbergh, Charlie Chaplin, and Babe Ruth are among its famous guests. Richard Nixon once spoke there. ...
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: "A milestone for the Mayo"
• • Byline: Robert Evatt, Tulsa World Staff Writer | Research by Hilary Pittman
• • Published in: Tulsa World — — http://www.tulsaworld.com/
• • Published on: 6 August 2009
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Rae in August

An amusing article appeared about Rae Bourbon, who performed on Broadway with MAE WEST.
• • "Eventually Rae Bourbon had his own club on Sunset Strip in L.A., where he hobnobbed with Hollywood elite such as Mae West and Bob Hope. He released dozens of comedy and bawdy-song records on several labels, including his own, UTC (Under The Counter, where one often found the risqué records in a shop)," writes Nick DiFonzo [Houston Press, "Cutout Bin: Rae Bourbon — — Let Me Tell You About My Operation," Friday, 31 July 2009].
• • Born in Texas as Hal Wadell, the vaudeville comedian and female impersonator called himself either Ray or Rae Bourbon [11 August 1892 — 20 July 1971] onstage. Not unlike that other not-very-beautiful entertainer born during August — — Madonna — — Bourbon kept his bookings going by navigating a shifting terrain of social attitudes about gender, censorship, bisexuality, transgression, transvestism, bawdiness, and sheer snark.
• • A memorable date for Rae Bourbon took place 65 years ago — — the Broadway debut of "Catherine Was Great," when Mae West portrayed the Empress of Russia and Bourbon had a minor role as Florian.
• • Let's imagine the crowds that gathered on 2 August 1944 in front of the Shubert Theatre [225 West 44th Street] to celebrate this grand premiere.
• • An enthusiastic group will gather in the same spot on 16 August 2009 for a walking tour — — "Gaudy Girls on The Gay White Way: Mae West & Texas Guinan in the Theatre District" — — and we hope to see you, too, at 4 o'clock that Sunday.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: In Pittsburgh

MAE WEST will return to the Pittsburgh area tomorrow night in a rollicking nostalgia-rich stars and stripes production set during wartime.
• • "A USO Tribute Variety Show" will focus on the heyday of Bob Hope's tours, the World War II years of the 1940s. There are some GIs who still can remember when Bob Hope ventured out to the war zones taking with him a constellation of Broadway's best and Hollywood's biggest names.
• • Bob Hope would be accompanied by high-profile stars such as Mae West, Judy Garland, the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, Rita Hayworth, the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Shirley Temple, Jack Benny, and more.
• • All these famous entertainers (and many others) will come to life again through the 50-member — — the largest ever for ACT — — cast.
• • "A USO Tribute Variety Show" was written and organized by producer Paul Wright of North Buffalo and co-directors Cortney Bavera of Worthington and Laura Lloyd of Washington Township.
• • "A USO Tribute Variety Show" is being presented by Pennsylvania's Armstrong Community Theater
• • When: Thursday — Saturday on February 19, 20, and 21, 2009 at 7:30 PM.
• • Info: 724-763-3680
• • Location: Armstrong Community Theater Group at Lenape Technical High School [2215 Chaplin Avenue, Ford City, PA 16226-1608]
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • none • •
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Mae West: In London

The date was the 25th day of January 1948 when MAE WEST opened the United Kingdom tour of "Diamond Lil" at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London town. The broad from Brooklyn had never been abroad before.
• • "Who else can manage to 'shimmy' sitting down?" wrote one British drama critic.
• • The production was directed by William Mollison.
• • In the London cast were Richard Bailey as Captain Cummings; David Davies as Gus Jordan; Hal Gould as Chick Clark; Noele Gordon as Rita; Bruno Barnabe as Juarez, etc.
• • The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre located at 31 Coventry St., London, England, W1D 6AS near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937 — — and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner.
• • In 1948, Mae West's "Diamond Lil" was a box-office smash there.
• • In 1949, "Harvey" — — Mary Coyle Chase's comedy about an imaginary rabbit — — was a hopping success.
• • In the 1950s, the theatre hosted variety and revues, starring such famous performers as Norman Wisdom, Peter Sellers, Bob Hope, Gracie Fields, Benny Hill, Hughie Green, Frankie Howerd, and Morecambe and Wise.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1948 • •
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Mae West: The Lyric

Some people in Alabama still remember their first visit to the Lyric, the magnificent old vaudeville and movie palace at Third Avenue and 18th Street North downtown, where MAE WEST once wowed the audience.
• • According to a local scribe Jesse Chambers: Built in 1914 when Birmingham, Alabama was a raucous young boomtown with a thriving entertainment district, the Lyric Theatre once played host to the greatest names in entertainment but is now all but forgotten — — in urgent need of both renovation and public rediscovery. . . .
• • The people of Birmingham get a rare opportunity to visit the Lyric and, perhaps, to experience the same thrill of discovery that Burrow did [i.e., Holly Burrow, Director of the new Hill Arts Center], this Sunday, December 7th, 2008, from 2 — 4 p.m., during the 2008 Christmas Open House at the Alabama, the Lyric, and the Hill Center. On hand to answer questions about the Lyric . . . will be Dan Liles, a former history instructor at Marion Institute who is now the unofficial historian of the Lyric and the Alabama. . . .
• • For event information, phone: (205) 252-2262.
• • Legendary theatrical promoter Jake Wells built the Lyric as a top-tier vaudeville house, with 1,200 great seats, magnificent acoustics and elegant decor, and it quickly became the premier venue in Birmingham. Vaudeville was the name used to describe the wildly eclectic, often bawdy variety shows that were the most popular form of entertainment in America before the coming of radio and sound films. All the greats played the Lyric — Mae West, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Buster Keaton, George Burns, Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Eddie Cantor, George Jessel, Sophie Tucker, Billie Burke, and the Marx Brothers.
• • The good times for the Lyric, and for vaudeville, came to an end with the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression. Wells lost his theatres, including the Lyric, to the mortgage company. The Schubert organization leased the Lyric and continued to present vaudeville, but the form was dying and, by the mid 1930s, the theatre was sold to the Waters family of Birmingham and became a second-run movie house. It closed in 1958 and has been largely unused since then. . . .
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: "The voice of the theatre: Holiday open house to showcase the Alabama Theatre and the lovely Lyric"
• • Byline: Jesse Chambers
• • Published in: Birmingham Weekly — — www.bhamweekly.com/
• • Published on: 5 December 2008
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Bloomington

MAE WEST toured for years on the vaudeville circuit, honing her skills. Archivist Bill Kemp recalls the heyday of the Majestic Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois where the Brooklyn bombshell's name on a stage bill could draw crowds. Here is his intriguing article.
• • During the height of the vaudeville era, troupes of comedians, musicians, acrobats, and actors arrived in Bloomington, Illinois by train twice weekly, bringing with them carloads of sketch props, scenery, absurdly garish costumes, and trained animals. Vaudeville, it was said, was “big businesses with a bounce.”
• • The Majestic Theatre, located at the southwest corner of East and Washington streets, was Bloomington’s largest and most successful vaudeville house. Notable entertainers who performed on its stage included MAE WEST, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Roy Rogers, and others.
• • The theater opened on 18 April 1910, and its inaugural bill — — though it included no household names — — had plenty of vaudeville punch. Opening night performers included Carl Emmy’s “$5,000 animal act” and the Holmen Brothers and their “European sensational comedy act on the horizontal bars.”
• • Built of red vitrified brick, the Majestic could hold 1,400 on the main floor and two balconies. Its opening represented nothing less than “a great epoch in the histrionic phase of the city’s life,” declared owner Maj. Max Goldberg. The interior frescoing featured “delicate pea greens, gold and old rose tints.” The “ladies’ retiring room” (with “maids in attendance”) and “gentlemen’s smoking room” were on the mezzanine.
• • The extravagance, though, could not hide one ugly aspect of life in Bloomington, Illinois: Blacks were seated separately from whites in specially designated, segregated rows.
• • In an age of horrific theater fires (in 1903, the Iroquois Theater tragedy in Chicago claimed more than 600 lives), Maj. Goldberg stressed the Majestic’s “modern and up-to-date” design that offered “utter freedom from fire, danger and panic.” There were six ground floor exits, and the balconies emptied by separate stairs and exits, with a fire escape on the exposed wall along East Street.
• • By 1910, vaudeville cards often included short films, and the Majestic included a “moving picture machine” (dubbed the Majesticscope) to show “animated photography.”
• • During its early years, Majestic tickets ranged from a high of 25 cents for reserved boxes to a low of 10 cents for the cheap seats in the balcony (or about $5.50 and $2.20 today, adjusted for inflation). In 1911, acts included King & Brown, described as “two men and a pair of legs,” or “comedy monopede acrobats.” There also was Harry Thriller, “the lad on the tables and the chairs,” and Hector, the mind-reading dog.
• • The history of the Majestic includes sublime observations of life on the vaudeville stage. To save money, the Marx Brothers ate in their dressing room, preparing a dinner of goulash cooked over a Sterno-type stove. And there was the time when an overzealous stagehand turned a too-bright spotlight on fan dancer Sally Rand, leaving little to the imagination. The next day (or so the story goes), the line for tickets stretched from the box office all the way to Front and Main streets.
• • Even in its earliest days, the Majestic faced an uphill battle against the increasing popularity of movies. By 1915, there were several small nickelodeon-type theaters in downtown Bloomington, such as the Princess at 412 N. Main St. and the Scenic at 304 N. Madison St. That year also marked the opening of the Irvin Theater in the 200 block of East Jefferson Street. This “modern photo play house,” with its impressive screen and 1,000 seats, was the largest movie theater in town. By the mid-1920s, the Majestic was the only place in town to see regularly scheduled live entertainment.
• • In November 1937, the Majestic played host to Blackstone, billed as “the world’s most mystifying magician.” His roll call of tricks included “The Spanish Fantasy” and “Girl in the Auto Tires.” Interviewed by a local news reporter, the magician also recalled an appearance 15 years earlier when Jim Tucker, a veteran Majestic stagehand, misread a lighting cue and illuminated the “vanishing horse” before it had rightly “vanished.”
• • What had vanished by the late 1930s, though, was vaudeville, which was unable to compete against movies and radio. By the late 1940s to early 1950s, the Majestic stood empty and forlorn. “Darkened with the passing of vaudeville and grown ugly out of disuse,” observed The Pantagraph in 1955.
• • The theater finally fell to the wrecking ball in April 1956. Crowds gathered to watch the old vaudeville house come down in a shower of bricks.
• • “The pigeons have lost a good home,” cracked one sidewalk wit.
• • “The old vaudevillians lost theirs a long time ago,” was the comeback from Pantagraph reporter Bill Harris.
— — Source: — —
• • Article: "End of vaudeville spelled doom for Majestic Theatre"
• • Written by: By Bill Kemp — — Archivist/Librarian, McLean County Museum of History [Illinois]
• • Published in: The Pantagraph — — www.pantagraph.com
• • Published on: 7 June 2008
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: At the Paramount

MAE WEST returns to the Brooklyn Paramount on Friday 25 April 2008.
• • An all-day conference "Vaudeville at the Paramount" will be presented at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus and offer rare film clips along with panels including radio legend Joe Franklin, critic Dave Kehr and screenwriter Norman Steinberg, and a reception.
• • Once a prestigious Brooklyn landmark, the historic Paramount Theatre enjoyed a heyday during the Prohibition Era.
• • The wide-ranging cultural impact of vaudeville and the historic Brooklyn Paramount Theatre in the 1920s and 30s will be the topic of a special conference at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus on Friday, April 25, 2008. Featuring panels with writers, critics, and researchers along with rare film clips, a musical performance and reception, the event is free and open to the public.
• • The conference, entitled Vaudeville at the Brooklyn Paramount, will recall the history of the famed Paramount theatre — — now part of the Brooklyn Campus — — and explore the vaudeville variety art form and its influence on American popular culture in the twentieth century. More than ten scheduled speakers will include Dave Kehr, film critic for The New York Times; Norman Steinberg, writer of Blazing Saddles now teaching screenwriting at the Brooklyn Campus; and Joe Franklin, talk show icon and host of the weekly Memory Lane program on WOR.
• • Popularized in venues throughout the United States as accessible entertainment for the whole family, vaudeville performances included acts from the worlds of music, acrobatics, dance, comedy, trained animals and magic. When the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre opened in 1928 as a destination for viewing the new talkie films, it included vaudeville with the cinema offerings, drawing performers such as MAE WEST, Ginger Rogers, Rudy Vallee, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Ethel Merman. Although vaudeville was eclipsed by radio, film and television, it left an indelible influence on formats for diverse and democratic nightlife.
• • "Vaudeville at the Brooklyn Paramount" will take place in the Spike Lee Screening Room, LLC 122, on the Brooklyn Campus, located near Flatbush and DeKalb avenues in downtown Brooklyn, on Friday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A reception with a performance by the Sol Yaged Quartet will begin at 5 p.m. The event is open and free to the public.
• • Info: contact Michael Hittman, professor of anthropology at (718) 488-1185; or Joseph Dorinson, professor of history, at (718) 488-1191.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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