Mae West: Tops

MAE WEST wishes all of you a sensational New Year, a year that tops the last twelve months in every way!
• • On Sunday, 1 January 1967 • •
• • Newspaper readers in D.C. got a brief respite from hearing about the antics of President Lyndon B. Johnson on Sunday morning, 1 January 1967 when the Washington Post printed an article by Kevin Thomas: "Mae West, Like Rock 'n' Roll Music, Is Still Deeply Rooted in Ragtime."
• • On Sunday, 1 January 1978 • •
• • A review of the motion picture "Sextette," starring Mae West, was printed in Variety, the issue dated for Sunday, 1 January 1978.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I top 'em all. So why should they like me? People don't want to be topped."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • It was on Wednesday, 1 January 1941 that a review of "My Little Chickadee" was printed and the critic praised Mae West.
• • From Queensland, the Morning Bulletin's movie critic wrote: What could be funnier than W. C. Fields as a patent medicine vendor turned masked bandit (sic), and Mae West, late of the honky tonks, as a little desert flower blooming brighter every hour? A riotous "team" they make, this one-glance gal and two-shot son-of-a-gun. Their adventures among the citizenry of Greasewood City, one of the wilder outposts of the West, are something in the nature of a parody and burlesque on the familiar fixtures of Western pictures. Nothing has been spared in the hulabaloo of ridicule, and the disorderly progress of Fields through the badlands. lt is a flt subject for the short, barking laugh (it goes "Hah," and is bitten off on that syllable) or the comfortable internal chuckle.
• • The Queensland movie critic conveyed admiration by noting this: W.C. Fields is assisted in his hilarious duties by Mae West, who retains her old slinky ways, frank humour, free Invitations, wisecracks, and peculiar style that attracted the public in her first picture. She is Flower Belle Lee, idol of the "boys," and the sight of the comedian battling to save himself from the alluring dangers of the beautiful West is the kind of screen material that will throw any audience into a panic.
• • The critic concluded: It will be screened at the Wintergarden this afternoon [Wednesday, 1 January 1941] and tonight, also tomorrow and Friday.
• • Source: Entertainment Feature: "Wintergarden Theatre "My Little Chickadee" (page 8) written for the Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld); published on Wednesday, 1 January 1941
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2533rd 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 • • 1937 • •
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Mae West: Flower Belle Lee

MAE WEST will be featured at a Tuesday matinee this month on Long Island. 

• • "My Little Chickadee" [1940] will be screened at the Farmingdale Public Library and the admission is free. Join the fearless Flower Belle Lee and traveling con man Cuthbert J. Twillie on Tuesday, 15 May 2012, starting at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon.

• • WHERE:  Farmingdale Public Library, 116 Merritts Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735.

• • Eddie Borden [1 May 1888 — 1 July 1955] • •

• • Mae West worked twice with Eddie Borden, who was seen in "I'm No Angel" [1933] as an amusing carnival sideshow spectator who ogles "Tira the Incomparable" in her provocative costume — — and he was cast the following year as a comedian in "Belle of the Nineties" [1934].

• • Born in Deer Lodge, Tennessee on the first day in May — — on 1 May 1888 — — the funnyman launched his career as a variety artist, then gave up vaudeville for the screen trade. After his start in Hollywood in 1922, Eddie Borden appeared in 142 motion pictures during the next 30 years.

• • Eddie Borden worked with director Leo McCarey in "Bad Boy" [1925], who would also direct "Belle of the Nineties" nine years later.  The five-foot-nine actor had a number of feature roles when he first landed in Tinseltown in the 1920s, but gradually he became just another bit parts player.

• • Casting agents tended to use him as an extra in a brief scene. Typically, he was seen as a stagehand, one of the revenuers, a waiter, barfly, reveller, spectator, man in the crowd, taxi driver, etc.  Borden bid his farewell to the silver screen in "Holiday for Sinners" [1952], a title that sounds tailor-made for Mae West.

• • Eddie Borden died in Hollywood, California on the first day of July (on 1 July 1955) in Hollywood, California. He was 67.

• • On Tuesday, 4 May 1886 • •

• • On Tuesday, 4 May 1886 the black composer Shelton Brooks was born. Mae and Beverly performed his dance novelty "Walking the Dog" when they toured with their act "Mae West and Sister." In her 1928 Bowery melodrama "Diamond Lil," Mae performed his jaunty song "Where Has My Easy Rider Gone?" and the number would be reprised in "She Done Him Wrong" [filmed in 1932].

• • On Saturday, 4 May 1935 • •

• • A Los Angeles Times columnist noted on Saturday, 4 May 1935, that the news about Mae West's secret marriage to Frank Wallace had "chased Hitler, the NRA, and the quintuplets off the front page of every newspaper in America for two weeks."

• • On Sunday, 4 May 1969 • •

• • Reporter Whitney Bolton wrote an article, a first person remembrance: "Critic Impressed by Mae West Role of Siren at Seance." Bolton had attended one of Mae's backstage seances and his piece was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer in its weekend edition on Sunday, 4 May 1969.

• • In Her Own Words • •

• • Mae West said: "If we can send a man to the moon, why don’t we send all of 'em?"

• • Quote, Unquote • •

• • An article on the weather in May mentioned Mae West.

• • Humorist Glenn Cochrane wrote:  After a typical Toronto winter, which always seems so long and so dour, we are finally heading happily into the Merry Month of May and not a moment too soon, if you ask me. According to my notes the month is named after Mae West, a popular stage and movie performer back in the 1930s and '40s. Little is known about her today which I believe is the result of a cover up on the part of her bosses, which is what they were always urging her to do. Cover up, that is, which I am adding for purposes of clarification. Mae West is long back in the days of her buxom prime.   . . .

• • Source: Article: "Mae West can’t beat May in the Beach" written by Glenn Cochrane for Beach Metro Community News; published on 4 May 2011

• • By the Numbers • •

• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2290th 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: Alabama Auction

On Sunday, 22 January 2012 an auction held in Alabama offers a large vintage Royal Doulton Character Toby Mug fashioned to look like MAE WEST. Designed by Colin M. Davidson for this special series, The Celebrity Collection, the Mae mug was issued 1983 — 1986.
• • This a-Mae-zing keepsake is listed on page 206 of the book "A Century of Royal Doulton Character and Toby Jugs."
• • Oh, I do wish I had one of these. Good luck to all the Mae-maven who might be bidding today.
• • WHERE: Estate Road Show Auctions LLC, 3450 Highway 72, Killen, Alabama 35645
• • Happy Birthday to Piper Laurie • •
• • Though we are not big fans of the 1982 TV bio-pic about Mae West, the actress who played Mae's beloved mother onscreen was born today.
• • Cast in this televised production as Matilda West, Piper Laurie's birthname was Rosetta Jacobs. The little redhead was born in Detroit, Michigan in the month of January — — on 22 January 1932 — — the daughter of a Polish immigrant and his Russian-American wife. The five-foot-four actress married her husband Joe Morgenstern on 21 January 1962, one day before her 30th birthday. They are now divorced.
• • On Monday, 22 January 1934 in Times Square • •
• • It was a festive Monday evening, on 22 January 1934, when Mae West and Eddie Cantor and many other stars entertained at the New Amsterdam Theatre — — at the 52nd annual benefit for the Actors' Fund.
• • Mae West, a longtime member of Actors Equity, left one-third of her estate to the Actors Equity Fund, hoping to assist actors and actresses who are facing a hardship and are in need. When I telephoned the Fund's headquarters in NYC to ask how much they had received (to date) from Mae's thoughtful provisions for them in her Will, they were unaware of this bequest. The Actors' Fund had never been contacted by the executors of Mae's Will; they have never received the funding Mae intended for them.
• • Now this is certainly too bad, that someone refused to administer Mae's charitable bequest and carry out her wishes after she died — — and isn't it a shame?
• • Who pocketed the money meant for The Actors' Fund?
• • On Wednesday, 22 January 1964 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • New York Times readers who turned to the financial business section of the paper, published on Wednesday, 22 January 1964, noticed this item on page 75.
• • The headline read: "Mae West Plays Role for 'Mr. Ed'; Actress Makes TV Episode for Showing in March."
• • Times reporter Val Adams wrote: Mae West, a theatrical sex symbol for more than half a century, has completed filming a guest star role for "Mr. Ed," the comedy series about a talking horse. Many fans of "Mr. Ed" are children, but the average age of the audience may increase considerably when Miss West's performance is televised by the Columbia Broadcasting System on a Sunday evening in March. ...
• • On Tuesday, 22 January 1980 in Los Angeles • •
• • It was a Tuesday, on 22 January 1980, when Mae West signed a check to give her sister Beverly West the sum of $125.00. Drawn on her personal account at the United California Bank, Mae noted that $125 was for "maintenance & care of the ranch." Beverly endorsed the check on the back.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "It takes two to get one in trouble."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about "My Little Chickadee" playing in London mentioned Mae West.
• • Peter Bradshaw wrote: It has to be the King-Kong-meets-Godzilla event of classic screen comedy: WC Fields teams up with, and indeed ties the marital knot with, Mae West in this ridiculous, and ridiculously funny, 1940 comedy, a preposterous tale from the old west, presented next week as part of the Fields season at London's BFI Southbank.
• • Peter Bradshaw noted: The man himself plays Cuthbert J Twillie, a travelling salesman fond of a drink and the occasional sporting wager, whose business-card announces that he is the business of "Novelties & Notions". West is Flower Belle Lee, a woman who has scandalised the local community with her romantic adventures. Her chief accuser is a Mrs Gideon, a sour-faced spoilsport played by Margaret Hamilton, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
• • Peter Bradshaw continued: Flower Belle responds to these calumnies with a defiant hip-wiggle, but nonetheless submits to the general demands that she makes amends by getting married. She weds Cuthbert, whose fraudulent claims of bravery have fluked him into the unlikely job of sheriff in a neighbouring town, but finds Flower Belle intent on withholding his conjugal rights.
• • Peter Bradshaw added: The script, co-written by the stars, has an outrageous one-liner in every line, and there is a weird yin-yang rightness in the Fields/West pairing. ...
• • Source: Article: "My Little Chickadee" written by Peter Bradshaw for The London Guardian [UK]; posted on Friday, 22 January 2010
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2185th 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
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1983, Royal Doulton • •
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