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MAE WEST gave an interview to the Evening Star on Sunday, 6 March 1921. This extensive feature was printed on the theatre page and reveals that Mae had distinct views about succeeding in show business when she was 27 years old.
• • "Mae West and Advice" • •
• • Mae West says she never would have amounted to anything on the stage if she had ever taken any kind friend's advice. This comedienne is a firm believer in doing things in "your own way." She justifies her position with illustrious examples.
• • "Suppose George M. Cohan had accepted all the suggestions made to him in the old days by stage directors and friends," she says. "Would he have been so successful?"
• • "Mr. Cohan is a genius," it was suggested.
• • "He surely is!" assented Miss West. But she added that if Mr. Cohan had followed the advice of every stage director when he was a young man, he would not have developed that marvelous personality and talent of his as he has, or be what he is today.
• • "Merely to do things in the same way that they have been done before," she continued, "bow, smile, wave the hand, and speak with studied intonation just as thousands of other people do have done on the stage for years is not going to get you anywhere in specialty work, musical comedy, or vaudeville."
• • "Of course, when people come to you with suggestions that you modify your acting or certain things in it so as to conform more strictly to stage conventions and ethics, they may mean kindly. In fact, they are probably prompted to come to you with this advice because they have the kindest feelings towards you. But in reality they are your deadly enemies and are likely to be destroyers of your chances of success."
• • "I think that little eccentricities of walk or speech or facial expression or gesture and manner — — even such a little thing as a Cohanesque shoulder stoop or a drawing down of the corners of the mouth, if original and natural — — all ought to be treasured as most precious possessions if the comedian wants to make a hit in eccentric characterization."
• • Miss West said a lot more wonderful things, but life is short and art is long.
• • Source: Article in The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.); published on Sunday, 6 March 1921.
• • On Wednesday, 30 March 1927 • •
• • By Wednesday, 30 March 1927, twelve male jurors had been selected for Mae West's "Sex" trial set for Jefferson Market Court on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village. Mae hired four attorneys to represent her. Her defense team was headed by Harold Spielberg, Herman "Beansie" Rosenthal's former associate. Trial coverage appeared in the N.Y. Herald Tribune, The N.Y. Times, Variety, and elsewhere.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West was voted by the Seaman's Institute as their favorite actress.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "She who laughs lasts."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The London Review of Books mentioned Mae West.
• • "Nobody’s perfect" • •
• • London resident Vanessa Coode wrote: While I was an undergraduate, the University Film Society showed a series of Mae West films. I think I went to all of them and in the process noticed that, while the women in the audience got all the jokes (as far as I could tell), the men got about half — — that is, they did not get the ones about men. . . .
• • Source: Item in The London Review of Books; posted on Thursday, 30 March 2000
• • 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 recently when we completed 3,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3145th blog post.
Unlike many blogs, which draw
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or
a
magazine
and/
or
summaries,
links,
or
photos,
the
mainstay
of
this
blog
is
its
fresh
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focused
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life
and
career
of
Mae
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herself
an
American
original.
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•
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in vaudeville in 1921 • •
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NYC Mae West
MAE WEST did not fill her household with any remnants from old wedding albums, even though she was legally married twice. But she did not mind playing the oft-married blushing bride Marlo Manners, who enters a posh London hotel lobby on the arm of her sixth husband, only to be greeted by an adoring mob of Marlo fans in "Sextette" [1978]. There is a very impressive rendition of "Hooray for Hollywood" by a large cast of performers. The iconic song was written by Johnny Mercer, who died in the month of June — — on 25 June 1976 — — from a brain tumor at age 66.
• • Unlike Mae West, the singer—songwriter has been honored by the United States Postal Service with his portrait placed on a stamp in 1996. Amazing who gets on an American postage stamp and who does not, eh?
• • Born in Savannah, Georgia, Johnny Mercer [18 November 1909 — 25 June 1976] was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer. Though he is best known as a lyricist, he composed music, too. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others. From the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s, many of the songs Mercer wrote and performed were among the most popular hits of the time. The prolific musician wrote the lyrics to more than fifteen hundred songs, including compositions for movies and Broadway shows. He received nineteen Academy Award nominations, and won four. Mercer was also a co-founder of Capitol Records.
• • "Hooray for Hollywood" • •
• • "Hooray for Hollywood" is a film song first featured in the motion picture "Hollywood Hotel" [1937], a number that has since become the staple soundtrack element of any Academy Awards ceremony. Curiously enough, "Hooray for Hollywood" is even frequently played during non-American movie ceremonies, e.g. the French César Awards. The popularity of the song is notably due to the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, which reference the American movie industry and satirize the illusory desire of many people to become famous as actors. Richard A. Whiting [1891 — 1938] composed the music, then had a heart attack at the height of his fame.
• • When I die, you are going to be very surprised! • •
• • In connection with a special Pride show on Thursday, 24 June 2010 in Manhattan, Joan Rivers got a column devoted to her in The Villager, whose hard-working reporter asked the Botoxed-to-death comedienne if there was anything yet to be revealed. “Only for you,” Joan Rivers said, referring our plea for an exclusive nugget: “I am a man. Mae West did that all her life. Mae would say to her audiences, ‘When I die, you are going to be very surprised!' Then she died and there was no surprise — — but how clever.” [Source: The Villager, Volume 80, Number 4 | June 23 - 29, 2010.]
• • 25 June 1926 • •
• • Speaking of Benefits and good deeds that were scheduled right after the first day of summer, on 25 June 1926, Mae West appeared with Houdini and other entertainers (such as George M. Cohan, Fanny Brice, the Marx Brothers, Al Jolson, Ann Pennington, Hazel Dawn, Eddie Foy, etc.) at the Polo Grounds on West 155th Street in Manhattan's Washington Heights area [zipcode 10032].
• • The fundraiser, organized for the benefit of the United Jewish Campaign, was staged by Mae's old dancing teacher Ned Wayburn.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/________
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Mae West
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Mae West.
MAE WEST appeared at the same Big Apple fundraiser with a comedienne who died at the end of May.
• • Born on New York's Lower East Side, Fanny Brice [29 October 1891 — 29 May 1951] was a popular and influential American illustrated song "model," comedienne, singer, theatre and film actress, who made many stage, radio and film appearances but is best remembered as the creator and star of the top-rated radio comedy series: The Baby Snooks Show. Thirteen years after her death, she was portrayed on the Broadway stage by Barbra Streisand in the musical "Funny Girl" and its 1968 film adaption.
• • On 25 June 1926, Mae West appeared with Houdini on the same stage for the last time. The star of "Sex" was performing with the magician and other bold-faced named entertainers (such as Fanny Brice, George M. Cohan, the Marx Brothers, Al Jolson, Ann Pennington, Hazel Dawn, Eddie Foy, etc.) — — where? — — at the Polo Grounds on West 155th Street in Manhattan's Washington Heights area [zipcode 10032].
• • The fundraiser, organized for the benefit of the United Jewish Campaign, was staged by Mae's old dancing teacher Ned Wayburn.• •
Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/________
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1933 • •
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Mae West.
Ruth Donnelly was in one classic screen gem with MAE WEST.
• • How many remember the character actress as Aunt Lou in "My Little Chickadee" [1940], directed by Edward F. Cline?
• • Born in Trenton, New Jersey on 17 May 1896, Ruth Donnelly began her stage career at the age of 17. In 1914, her Broadway debut brought her to the attention of George M. Cohan — — who proceeded to cast her in numerous comic-relief roles. Though she made her first film appearance that same year, her Hollywood career began in earnest in 1931 and lasted until 1957.
• • Ruth Donnelly died in New York City during the month of November — — on 17 November 1982.
• • 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 her youth, MAE WEST was often taken to the theatre.
• • Clearly, the variety artists fascinated her because she enjoyed imitating them. In amateur competitions, "Baby Mae — Song and Dance" impersonated Bert Williams, Eddie Foy, Eva Tanguay, and many others. After seeing these performers again and again, Mae perfected their individual gestures and mastered their timing along with other nuances. Mae and her mother became very familiar with the trends set by Tony Pastor.• • Born in Brooklyn, New York, Antonio Pastor [28 May 1837 — 26 August 1908] was the son of a theatre violinist. While still a youngster, Tony sang on the temperance circuit, then gave his first professional performance as a child prodigy at Barnum's Museum in 1846. Often considered the father of modern American vaudeville, he was involved in show business as an actor, impresario, and theatre owner.
• • After appearing in minstrel shows and with circuses, Pastor made his variety debut in 1861. At the time, variety still had rough edges. Most theatres had bars that actively pushed the sale of liquor and attracted low-class males. The ambitious Roman Catholic set out to elevate the tone and quickly succeeded. When he opened his first theatre in 1865, he discouraged alcohol, attempted to clean up off-color acts, and solicited family trade.
• • In 1881, Pastor leased the Germania Theatre on 14th Street in New York City that became widely known as Tony Pastor's Theater. He alternated his theater's presentations between operettas and family-oriented variety shows, creating what became known as vaudeville. His theater featured performers such as Ben Harney presenting a new style called "ragtime" as well as other up-and-coming talents such as Lillian Russell, May Irwin, and George M. Cohan.
• • A small, stocky, mustachioed man, Pastor regularly appeared on his own bills.
• • In the musical Hello, Dolly!, the song "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" includes the line, "We'll join the Astors at Tony Pastor's."• • On Sunday 17 August 2008, during the "Mae West's Walk on the Wild Side" walking tour, the group will visit a location linked to Tony Pastor and a tune associated with the father of vaudeville will be sung live by a vivacious actress, a native New Yorker who has performed in many musicals.
• • Walking Tour: "Mae West's Walk on the Wild Side"
• • When: 1:00 PM on Sunday — — 17 August 2008 — — rain or shine• • Meet: Village Restaurant, 62 West Ninth Street, New York, NY 10011
• • Price: $20
• • Subway: E or F [IND] train to West Fourth Street; PATH to 9th Street station
• • Attire: why not wear a Mae West-inspired hat?
• • Info: Seesaw864@juno.com
• • This event — — which is part of the Annual Mae West Birthday Gala — — is open to the public.• • 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.
