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The Sunset Strip was once dotted with night clubs where all the big names performed live such as MAE WEST, Cab Calloway, Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, and more.
• • In 1940, Billy Wilkerson opened Ciro's at 8433 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.
• • When Jerry Fink interviewed Steve Rossi for the Las Vegas Sun, he mentioned Ciro’s.
• • Steve Rossi: Mae West came in to see me one night [in 1953] with her manager, Jerry Franks. I was 20 at the time. After the show, they knocked on my dressing room door and she walks in with all her jewels and false eyelashes an inch-and-a-half long and she says, "You're a terrific singer and you've got a great body and a great face. I'm doing a nightclub act with Mr. America, Mr. World and Mr. Universe and I want you be my leading man. You'll feed me lines and sing to me in the show." I told her I was a student at a Catholic university and she said, "I don't give a damn ... I want you in my show, and I'll sign you up with my agency, William Morris."
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| Steve Rossi and Mae West |
• • Las Vegas Sun: How long were you with her?
• • Steve Rossi: For 14 months. And for a long time "The Mae West Revue" was at Ciro's Supper Club on the Sunset Strip, where all the biggest stars worked. Our sold-out show went on right after (Frank) Sinatra and just before Sammy Davis Jr. …
• • Source: Las Vegas Sun; published on Friday, 24 May 2002.
• • On Wednesday, 12 June 1946 • •
• • The Schuberts wanted to land "Come On Up" starring Mae West on Broadway, after her regional tour. They promoted this show with a full page of warm-hearted local reviews in Variety, in the issue dated for Wednesday, 12 June 1946.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West was doing the best she could between legit hits and flops, and mostly flops, in 1929, but she's a $6,600 picture name on the New York Paramount stage this week.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I have always been too busy with my own affairs to be envious of anyone.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An academic paper mentioned Mae West.
• • Jenna Simpson wrote: For one thing, there is considerable evidence that "immoral" pictures were quite popular across the country. Mae West, for instance, was very successful in her transition from stage to screen in the early 1930s. Her 1928 play "Diamond Lil" was so inflammatory that the Hays Office [the film censorship office run by Will Hays and supported by the movie studios] demanded that the studio should change the title and the plot before the movie could be released. …
• • Source: “Reforming the Stage and Screen: How Expectations, Audiences, and Economics Shaped the Film and Theatre Censorship Movements in Early-1930s New York” by Jenna Simpson; posted in 2005
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • •
•
• Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during
these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors.
And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts.
Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,495th
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: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • with Steve Rossi [this image is protected by ©; be nice and do not grab it without permission] • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
MAE WEST's protege was a young man who became known, under her tutelage, as Steve Rossi. Let's continue this fascinating insider's story where we left off yesterday.
• • The information below is based upon our extensive interview about ten years ago with Mr. Rossi. This material was published and it is © copyrighted. Be courteous and do not steal it; kindly ask for permission to reprint it first.
• • Steve Rossi [25 May 1932 — 22 June 2014] • •
• • "The Mae West Revue" • •
• • Steve Rossi wrote the opening numbers for this new musical revue — — "The Opposite Sex Now and Then," "In Dreams I Kiss Your Hand, Madame" — — songs that were performed by a 15-piece orchestra as he fox-trotted with Mae West. (Rossi remembered the lyrics and sang some of the song to me.) In 1953, since nothing like this had ever been done before, they were unprepared for the audience's reaction. "Women stormed the stage. They went absolutely wild for the men. We'd have to stop the show until these ladies were led back to their seats." Steve Rossi adds, "Wherever we played, The Mae West Revue sold out."
• • According to Mae West's leading man, however, "Mae didn't put my name on the marquee at Ciro's because there was no room for it. Then we went to the Sahara. The night before we opened she called me up and said, 'I want to see you downstairs at the marquee.' My entire name was across the whole marquee. Her name was only seven letters. She says, 'What name do you notice up there?' I said, 'To tell you the truth, I notice my name more than yours.' 'Why is that?' asked Mae West. I said, 'Because I have 22 letters, and you only have seven.' Mae made a decision: 'From now on, your name is Steve Rossi.'" He got used to seeing his new name spelt out in lights, his wagon hitched to a star.
• • In 1953—1954 Steve co-starred with Mae West in her sold-out concerts all over America.
• • In 1957, Steve Rossi teamed up with Marty Allen and they became a top comedy team. They appeared on 700 television shows including 44 appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show," three of which were with the Beatles in 1964.
• • Allen and Rossi were regular guests stars on “What’s My Line,” “Hollywood Squares,” “Password,” and other game shows. They also starred in Paramount films notably The Last of the Secret Agents with Nancy Sinatra and Ed Sullivan as guest stars.
• • Steve Rossi has guest-starred with Perry Como, Dean Martin, Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, and with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show.
• • He will be missed.
• • Source: © 2014 The Mae West Blog
• • On Wednesday, 26 June 1935 • •
• • The 8-minute cartoon "Who Killed Cock Robin?" was released on 26 June 1935 in the USA. Loverboy Robin is crooning to a Mae West-like Jenny Wren when he is shot with an arrow.
• • Actress Martha Wentworth [2 June 1889 — 8 March 1974] was the voice of Jenny Wren. Wentworth also did Mae's voice in "The Mae West Jewel Robbery," which made its radio debut on 21 February 1934.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • In March 1939 Walter Winchell reported in the Daily Mirror: "Mae West is amazing New Yorkers with her newly-added excess weight. Almost looks like her photos now."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I don't read. Never have and guess I never will. I write in my books what I learned myself, from life."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article in the newspaper New York World mentioned Mae West.
• • Eugene O'Neill and Mae West both use hokum and both succeed.
• • Source: The New York World; published on Friday, 3 November 1933
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2944th 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 1953 in Las Vegas • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
MAE WEST invited a handsome young Italian American to perform with her — — and she renamed him Steve Rossi.
• • Las Vegas Sun reporter John Katsilometes was the first to mark the passing of the legendary entertainer: Steve Rossi died just before 2 p.m. today (Sunday) at a Las Vegas hospice at age 82. He had suffered from cancer in his lungs, esophagus and liver. Family and friends, including his wife of 11 years, Karma, surrounded him at the time of his passing. Tentative plans are for a memorial service at Palm Eastern Mortuary on Friday.
• • Source: Las Vegas Sun; published on Sunday, 22 June 2014.
• • Associated Press added this detail: LAS VEGAS (AP) — Steve Rossi, one half of the prolific comedy duo Allen and Rossi, which became a favorite of "The Ed Sullivan Show" and other TV variety shows, has died at age 82.
• • Associated Press continued: His friend of 40 years, Michael Flores told The Associated Press on Sunday that he visited the pal who introduced him to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in hospice care Friday, and he was weak from cancer of the esophagus that had spread but wasn't in any pain.
• • The information below is based upon our extensive interview about ten years ago with Mr. Rossi. This material was published and our text and the photo (given to us by Mr. Rossi) are © copyrighted. Be courteous and do not steal it; kindly ask for permission to reprint it first.
• • Steve Rossi [25 May 1932 — 22 June 2014] • •
• • Joseph Charles Tafarella was born on 25 May 1932 in New York, NY.
• • He's been on center stage since he was nine. Born on Third Avenue and East 111th Street in Manhattan's East Harlem section, he was most influenced by his father's success in the entertainment business. "We owned a book printed in 1929 that listed Santi Tafarella as the world's greatest cornet player," he proudly recalls. "Papa was also an experienced musical arranger and notator." During the Depression, NBC Radio in California hired Santi Tafarella, who immediately moved his family to North Hollywood and got his son enrolled in the prestigious Robert Mitchell Boy Choir School. Touring with them, the youngster learned to serenade God in seven languages including Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.
• • While his father toiled away, making beautiful music with NBC, Catherine Bianco Tafarella was busy driving her son to auditions. At 12 years old, he harmonized with Hollywood's version of a priest — — Bing Crosby — — in Going My Way (1944); at 14, he sang in The Jolson Story (1946). This was an auspicious beginning: both pictures scored at the Academy Awards and more roles in movie musicals followed.
• • Much as he loved being onscreen, he had a yearning for higher learning. In 1949, Santi Tafarella's son entered Loyola University on a scholarship, majoring in communication arts and theater. Couple of years later, he was playing the lead in The Vagabond King for the Civic Light Opera Company in Los Angeles when he caught the eye of a Hollywood icon.
• • Mae West, clad in furs and jewels, came up to see him backstage with her manager Jerry Franks. "I told her I was a student at a Catholic university. Mae West said, 'I don't give a damn. You're a terrific singer and you've got a great body and a great face. I want you to be the leading man in my show, and I'll sign you up with my agency, William Morris.'" The 60-year-old actress ushered him into her new Las Vegas extravaganza that would feature modern gladiators: Mr. Universe, Mr. America, Mr. World, and other musclemen. "Though several of these bodybuilders were gay," he chuckles, "Mae West slept with them all!"
• • Continue reading about Mae West and Steve Rossi in tomorrow's blog.
• • Source: © 2014 The Mae West Blog
• • On Friday, 25 June 1926 • •
• • It was on Friday, 25 June 1926 that Mae West appeared with Al Jolson — — as well as Houdini and other entertainers (such as George M. Cohan, Fanny Brice, the Marx Brothers, Ann Pennington, Hazel Dawn, Eddie Foy, etc.) — — at the Polo Grounds on West 155th Street in Manhattan's Washington Heights area. The fundraiser was for the benefit of the United Jewish Campaign.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Meanwhile under the Shubert aegis, Mae West continues to tour in "Come On Up."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Where do I write my screenplays? Usually in bed. Like Mark Twain. He wrote good stuff, too. Besides, it keeps me in the mood."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article in a California newspaper mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae West Accused of Filching Air Skit" (Associated Press Leased Wire)
• • LOS ANGELES, June 21 — The Garden of Eden radio skit, back In December, 1937, which got Mae West ruled off the air had an aftermath in federal court today. Judge Harry Hollzer had under advisement a $10,000 copyright infringement suit brought by Joan Storm Dezendorf against Miss West, the National Broadcasting Co., and others.
• • Miss Dezendorf, Hollywood writer, charges part of the skit was taken from her copyrighted play "Love and Applesauce."
• • Miss West is in New York, but her lawyers contended the actress had never heard of the play. "
• • Source: Associated Press article rpt in The Bakersfield Californian; published on Wednesday, 21 June 1939
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2943rd 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 1953 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
