Mae West: James Donlan

James Donlan appeared in one cinema classic with MAE WEST.
• • Born in San Francisco on 23 July 1888, James Donlan dove into the motion picture whirl during 1929 when he was 41 years old.
• • Though he sang in two motion pictures, his forte was his versatility as a character actor.
• • Between 1929 and 1938, he appeared in over 100 movies including "Belle of the Nineties" [1934], portraying Kirby, the manager of boxer Tiger Kid. He also was cast in a few comedies with the Three Stooges.
• • He is the father of actress Yolande Donlan, who was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on 2 June 1920. Her mother (and Donlan's wife) Therese was a singer. In 1976 Yolande published her autobiography, "Shake the Stars Down," which explores her childhood, her father's hectic schedule doing bit parts in a dozen pictures a year, and growing up in Tinseltown during the 1930s.
• • James Donlan died in Hollywood of a heart attack during the month of June — — on 7 June 1938 — — a month shy of his 50th birthday.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: In Pittsburgh

MAE WEST will return to the Pittsburgh area tomorrow night in a rollicking nostalgia-rich stars and stripes production set during wartime.
• • "A USO Tribute Variety Show" will focus on the heyday of Bob Hope's tours, the World War II years of the 1940s. There are some GIs who still can remember when Bob Hope ventured out to the war zones taking with him a constellation of Broadway's best and Hollywood's biggest names.
• • Bob Hope would be accompanied by high-profile stars such as Mae West, Judy Garland, the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, Rita Hayworth, the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Shirley Temple, Jack Benny, and more.
• • All these famous entertainers (and many others) will come to life again through the 50-member — — the largest ever for ACT — — cast.
• • "A USO Tribute Variety Show" was written and organized by producer Paul Wright of North Buffalo and co-directors Cortney Bavera of Worthington and Laura Lloyd of Washington Township.
• • "A USO Tribute Variety Show" is being presented by Pennsylvania's Armstrong Community Theater
• • When: Thursday — Saturday on February 19, 20, and 21, 2009 at 7:30 PM.
• • Info: 724-763-3680
• • Location: Armstrong Community Theater Group at Lenape Technical High School [2215 Chaplin Avenue, Ford City, PA 16226-1608]
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: 21 January 2009

Come up and see MAE WEST tomorrow — — Wednesday evening January 21st — — on the six-part PBS documentary series "Make 'em Laugh: The Funny Business of America" shown on television for two hours back to back.
• • Tomorrow these two segments will air — —
• • "Slip on a Banana Peel: The Knockabouts" — — features physical comedians including Charlie Chaplin, the Three Stooges and Jim Carrey.
• • "When I'm Bad, I'm Better: The Ground-breakers" — — focuses on those who pressed the boundaries of free speech, such as Mae West, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor.
• • Filmmaker Michael Kantor began work this project because he was inspired by the 2004 presidential election of George W. Bush. Ironically, his sextet is being broadcast when the United States is groaning under the weight of a grave economic downturn that many have likened to the Great Depression — — a time not unlike the era that produced many of America's most adored laughmeisters who enriched our lives with their comic capital such as, yes, yes, Mae West and W. C. Fields.
• • About the year 2004, Michael Kantor said: "The country was polarized, and the funniest comedy at the time, in my opinion, was 'The Daily Show' ... which made fun of both candidates. I began to think ... that comedy (could) reflect American culture in all its glory and weirdness."
• • Verne Gay of Newsday was not all that impressed with Kantor's banter.
• • Verne Gay wrote: "You have to admire PBS's ambition. This is a vast subject, probably too vast for a single program, even one six hours long. The strange paradox here is that there's too much on display and yet there's not enough. . . . In an effort to slip in references to just about everyone — — or so the illusion would suggest — — comics who deserve a richer, deeper exploration (Richard Pryor) have to make room for lesser luminaries. And just as a portrait starts to fill out (Mae West) ... zip! zap! zing! — — it's on to the next person. That said, this can be a hugely enjoyable viewing experience, and that's probably what viewers want. Sit back. Relax. Laugh."
• • Next Wednesday the final two hour-long segments will air:
• • "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break: The Wiseguys" — — looks at curmudgeons and snide humorists such as W.C. Fields, Groucho Marx, and Chris Rock.
• • "Sock It to ME? Satire and Parody" — — details comics who mock American life including Will Rogers, Mel Brooks, Johnny Carson, and Stephen Colbert.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Garden State

MAE WEST, a New York native, also spent time in the Garden State, where she moonlighted for her father's detective agency and helped handled his caseload — — in between her bookings onstage in vaudeville.
• • Home and Away Magazine — — in a recent promotional article about the New Jersey shore — — reminded readers about the allure of Atlantic City, especially the Steel Pier, with its glorious history.
• • Columnist Karen Eakins writes: Built in 1898, the enclosed pier became an early-20th-century staple for appearances by the likes of MAE WEST, Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, and The Three Stooges. Eventually closed in the late 1970s, the pier endured years of neglect and a fire. Then, in 1993, Trump Management purchased, renovated, and reopened it. There’s no gate charge at the now open-air entertainment venue . ...
• • Source: Home & Away — — homeandawaymagazine.com
• • Byline: Karen Eakins
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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