Mae West: Outwitted by Weintraub

Eventually, MAE WEST lost her enthusiasm for the book by Joseph Weintraub called "The Wit and Wisdom of Mae West." He was making money, she reasoned, thanks to her witticisms and her rare photos. Is that fair?
• • Joseph Weintraub's slim hardcover was reviewed in The Spirit (Number 12) in February 1976.
• • On Friday, 12 February 1943 • •
• • Mae West wrote numerous letters to her fans. Here's what she wrote on Friday, 12 February 1943, from a rare letter to a fan that was preserved in her archives.
• • Dear Mr. Jackson-Craig:
• • No one could help being moved by your always beautiful letters and the fineness of the sentiment they express. The most recent of your letters presents a problem, however, that cannot, I am afraid, be solved in the way that you wish. ... A life such as mine is anything but simple. ...
• • Curious? In another post, you might learn more about this intriguing letter from 1943.
• • On Saturday, 12 February 1949 in Billboard • •

• • Saturday night with Mae West as Diamond Lil at the Coronet Theatre, wow.  
• • Billboard reviewer Bob Francis was in the crowd on her opening night (5 February 1949) and recorded his fascinations in a lengthy, generously detailed piece that was printed the following week on Saturday, 12 February 1949 in Billboard Magazine. Critic Bob Francis had an exceptional perspective, since he had seen the show at the Royale Theatre in 1928, too.
• • Photo: This is the scene where Lil shows her new photographs to Rita and Pablo, beginning a serious flirtation with the South American gigolo. 
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Shame! No nutty nationalist, I find no fault with the nominations except they did not include that sturdiest, acting-est American, Mae West, who, incidentally, seems to be the choice of foreigners in the land of Bernhardt, the land of Duse, and even in the land of West, if box-office votes are any criteria.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "It wasn't what I did, but how I did it. Well, everybody knows how I did it. I've got more imitators than anyone else, so they know. A lot of gay boys imitate me." 
• • Mae West said: “Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Pottstown Mercury (Pottstown, PA) mentioned Mae West.
• • Mae West had numerous things to say about politics.
• • At this point Mae’s voice shaded down to a stage whisper.
• • "Of course,” said the comedienne, with a wide grin, "there may be one drawback to a government controlled by women. The State Department might have to fold up and international diplomacy might just as easily collapse. For how many women can keep a secret?” . . .
• • Source: Pottstown Mercury; published on Monday, 10 February 1936
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2852nd 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 • • 1949 • •
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Mae West: Bling Abroad

N.Y. Times reporter David Belcher does not remember the motion picture "Night After Night" too clearly (heck, no one does) — — but he did not forget MAE WEST.

• • David Belcher began his May 16th article this way: “Goodness, what lovely diamonds,” a hat-check girl said to a bejeweled and brash Mae West at a black-tie party [sic] in the 1932 film “Night After Night.” “Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie,” West quipped.  . . .  Harry Winston’s contribution will be part of a major exhibition, “Hollywood Costume,” at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, opening in October, which will illustrate jewelry’s presence on screen and off, Belcher explains in his article "Hollywood Fame Shifts but Jewels Remain Forever."

• • The Bling King: When Harry Dressed Mae • •

• • In February 1949, when Mae West walked out onstage as Diamond Lil during her triumphant return to Broadway [at the Coronet Theatre, 230 West 49th Street), it was Harry Winston who had supplied an Ali Baba's cave worth of glitter for this revival.

• • Mae West's adornments in 1949 included: “Seven part waist decoration, $500,000; necklace, $100,000; three bracelets, $200,000; 46-carat emerald-cut diamond ring, $300,000; 30-carat oval-cut diamond ring, $75,000…”

• • These industrial-strength carats were ferried by couriers each night to the vault — — and brought back to the Coronet Theatre, heavily guarded, in time for each performance. Splendor such as this was never seen on the Bowery during the 1890s.

• • Harry Winston is at 718 Fifth Avenue between West 55th — West 56th Street, NYC; T. (212) 245-2000. Be sure to phone them to ask if Mae is in the exhibit.

• • Bridgette Andersen [11 July 1975 — 18 May 1997] • •

• • In 1982, she portrayed Mae West as an adorable child.

• • Born in California on 11 July 1975, Bridgette Andersen embarked upon an acting career in her youth — — not unlike Mae.

• • By her 7th birthday, Bridgette was buzzing and busy. First she was selected for a TV movie "Washington Mistress" [1982]. Later that year, Bridgette Andersen appeared in her most memorable role as the title character in "Savannah Smiles," followed by roles in "Family Ties," "Remington Steele," and as a young Mae West in the TV bio-pic of the actress' life.

• • In 1983, she was cast in a horror flick, a few short-lived sit-coms, and was nominated twice for a Young Artist Award.

• • Though she worked steadily throughout the mid-1980s in feature films and on the small screen, by 1987 the 12-year-old was much less in demand.

• • Unlike Mae West, Miss Andersen was not close to her family. As a teen, she became a heroin addict, which distanced her further from career aspirations or contact with loved ones. Reportedly, she was trying to clean up and get back on track by 1997 when she was employed by Erewhon Health Food Store in Los Angeles, California.

• • Unfortunately, during May — — on 18 May 1997 — — her screen dreams ended with a fatal overdose of alcohol and drugs. Bridgette Andersen was 21 years old. So sad.

• • On Saturday, 18 May 1912 in Variety • •

• • Frank Bohm bought a generous ad in Variety (issue dated for 18 May 1912) to help publicize his client Mae West as "The Scintillating Singing Comedienne, Late of Ziegfeld's Moulin Rouge." Billboard gave the vaudevillian's act a favorable review the following month.

• • On Thursday, 18 May 1933 in Camperdown Chronicle • •

• • Costume designer Travis Banton spoke about beauty standards in motion pictures and the measurements of Mae West, Claudette Colbert, and other top actresses. The Australian newspaper Camperdown Chronicle printed the article in a Thursday issue on 18 May 1933.

• • In Her Own Words • •

• • Mae West said: "Diamonds is my career."

• • Mae West said: "It isn't what I do, but how I do it. It isn't what I say, but how I say it, and how I look when I do it and say it."

• • Quote, Unquote • •

• • An article about a movie mentioned Mae West.

• • Reviewing the new screen comedy "Bridesmaids," Carrie Rickey wrote: Instead, I submit Exhibits A through J as proof of Why Women Are Funny:

• • Exhibit A: Mae West calculating Cary Grant's assets while explaining her hobby in She Done Him Wrong: "It was a toss-up whether I went out for diamonds or sang in the choir. The choir lost." ...

• • Source: Article: "Bridesmaids, why women are funny, and who makes you laugh?" written by Carrie Rickey for Philly.com; posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2304th 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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Mae West: Horse Sense

MAE WEST on Valentine's Day! The publication was the Watertown Daily Times and the issue was dated for Friday, 14 February 1964. The bold headline (on page 5) was: Mae West Lures "Mr. Ed" To Equine Dream House.
• • "I've vamped a lot of males in my time," purred the 72-year-old veteran of stage, screen, and night clubs, "but this is the first time they've asked me to charm a horse!"
• • As the reporters watched the handsome hunk of equine flesh trot in and sniff the blonde bombshell in his stall, Mae joked, "I don't know if either of us will finish this thing alive. But from what I'm reading it should turn out to be a riot of laughter."
• • The article is an exceedingly peppy piece, filled with Mae quotes and sass. Agreeing with the news man about how desirable she still is, Mae ventured this: "Guess I was way ahead of my time. And maybe the time is right now for a Mae West comeback." Good horse sense.
• • Zolya Talma [14 February 1895 — 26 November 1983] • •
• • The last revival of "Diamond Lil" — — written by and starring Mae West — — staged at the Broadway Theatre [1681 Broadway, NYC] closed during the month of November in 1951.
• • One of the performers who portrayed Russian Rita was Zolya Talma. Born in California in February — — on 14 February 1895 — — the actress appeared numerous times on The Great White Way as well as on TV in two Alfred Hitchcock episodes; she also appeared in "The Rose Tattoo" and other major motion pictures during the 1950s. Zolya Talma died in Los Angeles, California on 26 November 1983. She was 88. Today we pay tribute to this Broadway mainstay.
• • On Tuesday, 14 February 1933 • •
• • Variety's reporter "Bige" wrote an article on "She Done Him Wrong." The magazine ran it on pages 12 and 21 in their issue dated 14 February 1933.
• • Dated for the week of 14 February 1949 • •
• • Spotted for sale: Mae West on the cover of a "Diamond Lil" Playbill from the Coronet Theatre. It was dated for the week of 14 February 1949. What a Valentine!
• • On Friday, 14 February 1986 • •
• • The news sheet Winslow Mail announced on 14 February 1986 (on the front page) "Doll Show Begins Monday." The vast collection included character figures. Visitors would see Mae West and W.C. Fields in authentic clothes from their movie "My Little Chickadee," for instance.
• • On Wednesday, 14 February 2001 in Brazil • •
• • It was reported in the news on Wednesday, 14 February 2001 that Coca-Cola was to relaunch the 237 ml bottle in 4,500 restaurants in Sao Paulo and Campinas. The 237 ml bottle, known as Mae West, would be distributed in the region supplied by Panamco do Brasil, one of the main Coca-Cola bottling companies in Brazil.
• • Until Wednesday, 14 February 2001 in NYC • •
• • In December 1999, Hourglass Group presented the first New York City revival of Mae West's notorious 1926 play "Sex," the show that helped land West in jail and made her (in)famous. Directed by Elyse Singer, the play starred Carolyn Baeumler in the role of Margy LaMont, originally created by West and featured music by Steven Bernstein's Sex Mob. "Sex" ran Off-Broadway to standing room only audiences at the Gershwin Hotel until Wednesday, 14 February 2001.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Women with pasts interest men. They hope history will repeat itself."
• • Mae West said: “I have found men who didn't know how to kiss. I've always found time to teach them.“
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Florida reader asked a question about Mae West.
• • The Orlando Sentinel wrote this reply: Mae West lived to the ripe age of 87. She wasn't a classic beauty by any means. She was short, about 5-foot-1 and, some thought, overly buxom. But she made the best of what she had. What she had for most of her life was good health. She never smoked or drank. As she confided to a friend, she also took an enema every day. When someone suggested this unorthodox regimen would not be approved by any doctor, Mae retorted: ''Naturally. It kept me from going to any of them.'' ...
• • Source: Column: Q&A written for the Orlando Sentinel; posted on 14 February 1988
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2209th 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 • • in 1964 • •
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