Mae West: Naughty

A MAE WEST motion picture opened in Stanford, California and received this review.
• • "Time Marches as Mae West Also Runs" • •

• • Sheldon wrote:  Best thing about the Mae West bill at the Stanford Theatre tonight is the March of Time review of Nazi Germany. Not that Miss West is not her usual parabola self — — far from it indeed, but fans who race to the show in search of the good old Puritanical  naughty-naughty scene of anticipation will be slightly disappointed. 
• • Sheldon continued:  Story of "Everyday's a Holiday" revolves around the clever Mae as a light-fingered New York gal and Edmund Lowe, the equally clever and overly-honest New York City cop.  Both, according to the best of Hollywood scripts, are in love with each other; but duty always has the unfortunate habit of keeping them apart until the end. Through a series of far too complicated moves, "Honest John" Quade, the villain and crooked politician, is out-witted, beaten in the election when he flies Lowe from the force, smacked in the face at his opponent's political rally. All, of course, in the best of 1890 style, which by this time has gotten a little stale.
• • Dialogue Good • •
• • Sheldon explained:  Dialogue between Mae West and Butterworth, and West and Winninger, at times approaches the humorous, but is nowhere near the too famous Ameche-West Garden of Eden [radio] scene.
• • Sheldon added: In the "March of Time" review, despite the editor's comment to the contrary, propaganda tells its powerful story, neatly slaps Der Fuhrer's face.  Almost a perfect parallel of Sinclair Lewis' book. "It Can't Happen Here," this pictorial study shows only too well the effects of mass hysteria on an economically and socially broken nation.    
• • Source: Review in The Stanford Daily; published on Friday, 11 February 1938.
• • John Edwin West, Jr. [11 February 1900 — 12 October 1964] • •
• • Born in February — — on Sunday, 11 February 1900 — — in Brooklyn, John Edwin West died on 12 October 1964. He was 64. Mae made arrangements for the body of her beloved kid brother to be sent back to Brooklyn to the family crypt.
• • Two weeks later, Mae — — who hated to think about death — — made a Will.
• • On Saturday, 11 February 1933 in The Los Angeles Daily News • •
• • The Los Angeles Daily News ran an article on "She Done Him Wrong" in their weekend edition on Saturday, on 11 February 1933.
• • On Saturday, 11 February 1933 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • Film critic Mordaunt Hall wrote: Mae West is to be seen at the Paramount in a hearty and blustering cinematic cartoon of the devilish '90s. With the haughty strut and the nasal twang which are the principal assets of her repertoire, she filled the screen with gaudy humor. Illustrating the troubled career of Lady Lou, whose heart is bigger than her sense of decorum, she rhymed "amateur" with "connoisseur" in one of her beer-hall ballads and, on the whole, gave a remarkable suspicious impersonation of Diamond Lil. In fact, "She Done Him Wrong," with a few discreet cuts and alterations, is the same "Diamond Lil" without which no bibliography of Miss West's literary works would be complete.
• • Mordaunt Hall continued: Most highly prized of the Bowery belles, Lady Lou is notable both for her beauty, which is ornate, and for her wit, which is not dull. Although her reputation is nightly torn to bits by the pious in the mission next door to the saloon where she holds court, district leaders and other local Napoleons fight for her favors. Despite the title, she did nobody wrong. While her man is doing a "rap" she has to live, and she has chosen a good location. "My career is diamonds," she says, and men fight for the privilege of adding to her collection of jewelry. . . .
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Paramount's Christmas tree blazes brightly with two of the year's big hits: Mae West in "Gentlemen's Choice" and Bing Crosby and Kitty Carlisle in "Here Is My Heart' — — delivered to you for holiday business.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "Hiring someone to write your autobiography is like hiring someone to take a bath for you."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A book on sin mentioned Mae West.
• • Chapter 8, which is devoted to "Lust," is where Mae West makes an appearance. In particular, the author cites her character Tira's role in inciting the lust of men in "I'm No Angel" [1933].
• • Source: from the book "Sinning Like a Christian: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins" written by William H. Willimon [Abingdon Press]; published on Friday, 1 February 2013
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. The other day we entertained 1,430 visitors. We reached a milestone this week: 3,100 posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3112th 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/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • print ad in 1938 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC  Mae West

Mae West: Applesauce Angst

MAE WEST, held responsible for Arch Obler's Garden of Eden skit, faced another mess when Jane Storm sued the actress. "Love and Applesauce" was a skit written by Miss Storm. Oh, my!
• • "Writer of 'Applesauce' Sues Mae West" • •

• • Los Angeles — Jan 18 [UP] —Mae West's "Adam and Eve" radio broadcast last December 12, which resulted in protests and led the National Broadcasting Co. to ban the use of the actress's name in broadcasts, had a new aftermath today — a copyright infringement suit.
• • United Press explained: Jane Storm, writer, filed suit in federal court here against Miss West, Don Ameche, the broadcasting company, and others, claiming they lifted act 1, scene 2 from her play "Love and Applesauce."  She asked damages in excess of $10,000 and an accounting of all profits.
• • United Press concluded: "Miss Storm thought she had a clean play until she heard it over the radio," said Ralph W. Smith, her lawyer.
• • Source: Article: "Writer Sues Mae West" printed by The Cornell Daily (Ithaca, NY); published on  Sunday, 19 January 1938.
• • Dated 19 January 1889 in the city of Brooklyn • •
• • It was Saturday, 19 January 1889, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, Battling Jack West and Tillie Delker took their wedding vows before a local minister with Jack's sister Julia West acting as maid of honor.
• • California biographer Emily Wortis Leider wrote: If they knew about it, Matilda's family almost certainly would have attempted to thwart her impetuous marriage at age eighteen to John "Battlin' Jack" West, a cigar-chomping, street-smart tough. The marriage certificate of Tillie Delker and John West, dated January 19, 1889, in the city of Brooklyn — — a separate city then, not yet a part of metropolitan New York — — lists the groom's age as twenty-two, his birthplace as New York City, and his occupation: "mechanic."
• • Emily Wortis Leider explained: His parents' names are entered in the appropriate slots: Father, also John West, a native of New York (the U.S. Census for 1920 contradicts this, naming Newfoundland as his father's birthplace); and Irish-born mother, Mary Cobley, a misspelling of Copley. Copley is also the name listed for one of the witnesses (E. Frances). The second witness was Julia West.
• • Emily Wortis Leider continued: The presence of two witnesses standing up for the groom and none from the bride's family supports the theory that while his family favored the marriage, hers did not. Perhaps the young couple's decision to marry had been made in such haste there wasn't time to arrange a full-tilt Event. Perhaps, fearing obstruction, Tillie didn't inform them of the wedding until afterward. Very likely, Tillie's father [Jacob Delker], a former chemical engineer at a sugar refinery in Germany, Mae claimed, who had a liquor business in 1892 and whose occupation in the 1900 census was given as "salesman — — coffee" disdained the modest earning capacity of a mechanic son-in-law. ...
• • Source: Chapter One of "Becoming Mae West" written by Emily Wortis Leider [NY: Farrar Straus Giroux] — — an excellent biography, highly recommended to all.
• • On Friday, 19 January 1973 • •
• • Released theatrically in the USA on Friday, 19 January 1973 was a frisky color cartoon starring Mae West — — "Kloot's Kounty." This Old West styled animated feature was written by John W. Dunn, who created the storyline: Mae West comes to visit Sheriff Kloot. It seems that her sheep are missing — — and she says Chief Crazywolf has taken them. Sheriff Kloot rockets into action but, by the end of the toon, he looks as if he has been hit by a rocket.
• • On Monday, 19 January 1981 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • Readers of The N.Y. Times opened their newspaper on Monday, 19 January 1981 and they read this startling headline: "Mae West Left Million, Mostly to Her Sister." A reporter based in California filed the story for Reuters, which was date-lined from Los Angeles.
• • Los Angeles, January 18 — Mae West, who died in November [1980] at the age of 87, left $1 million, according to her will filed in court here.
• • Paul Novak, a former ''muscleman'' in her stage act who was her constant companion for the last 25 years, was not mentioned in the will, filed on Friday in Santa Monica Superior Court.
• • A petition for probate estimated the value of Miss West's personal property at $1 million with an annual income of $50,000. She left the bulk of her estate, including her jewelry, to her sister, Mildred West. Other bequests included one for $3,500 to the Mae West Fan Club of Ontario.
• • Miss West, unlike the character she played on the screen, led a quiet private life and invested much of her money in property.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West, Don Ameche and the National Broadcasting Company today were named defendants in a $10,000 damage suit filed by Joan Storm, writer, who charged that Miss West's famous "Adam and Eve" broadcast on Dec. 12 was plagiarized from her play "Love and Applesauce."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "My sister's husband is the kind of guy whose accent has an accent."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A rather boring book mentioned Mae West.  Yawn.
• • Brett L. Abrams wrote:  Actress Mae West twice tried to bring groups of “fairies” to the Broadway stage, drew condemnation and/or official repression.  . . .
• • Source: Section in the book "Hollywood Bohemians: Transgressive Sexuality and the Selling of the Movieland Dream" written by Brett L. Abrams [McFarland, 19 August 2008]
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. Yesterday we entertained 1,430 visitors. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3095th 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/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • with James Braddock in 1938 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC  Mae West

Mae West: Formal Condemnation

MAE WEST was formally "condemned" by the FCC. This re-post is a short excerpt from a lengthy, very depressing article printed on January  15th. Notice the man who wrote the skit was not clucked at by the FCC's barnyard rooster. Tsk tsk. How did Mae feel about this?
• • "FCC Formally Assails Mae West's Skit" • •

• • WASHINGTON, January 14. [UP] Mae West's recent Adam and Eve radio skit on "The Chase and Sanborn Hour" drew a formal condemnation today from the federal communications commission in Washington, D.C. 
• • The commission said the feature by Miss West and Don Ameche, and the dialogue between the actress and Charlie McCarthy, Edgar Bergen's dummy, were far below even the minimum standards which should control in the selection and production of broadcast programs.  ..
• • United Press coverage rpt in The Daily Illini; published on Saturday, 15 January 1938.
• • On Saturday, 15 January 1938 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • Anyone passing a newsboy in New York City on Saturday morning on 15 January 1938 could see this page one headline on a New York Times: "Mae West Script Brings Sharp Rebuke from FCC." Of course, it was Arch Obler who penned the skit for NBC. Mae West only read it for the radio with her sultry overtones and was instantly demonized by the Roman Catholic organizations. The censors pressed in on her, tighter and more uncomfortable than her metal corset stays.
• • On Sunday, 15 January 2012 in Australia • •
• • The 24th Midsumma festival will run from Sunday 15 January to Sunday 5 February, 2012.
• • "COURTING MAE WEST: Sex, Censorship, and Secrets" will be presented on Saturday, 28 January 2012 in Melbourne, Australia as part of the city's 24th Midsumma Festival. Based on true events during the Prohibition Era, LindaAnn Loschiavo's serious-minded comedy will be seen at this centrally located theatre: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran Melbourne, Australia.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Emanuel Cohen, head of Major Pictures, has packed up his bags at Paramount. The new studio boss there is Ernst Lubitsch.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "They kept begging me and telling me they had a contract with me."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Variety mentioned Mae West.
• • According to Variety, Mae West had been warned that she must strictly follow orders and that Paramount's production chief would not tolerate any challenges or deviations.  ...
• • Source: Item in Variety; published on Wednesday, 15 January 1936 
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. Yesterday we entertained 1,430 visitors. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3093rd 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/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1937 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC  Mae West