Mae West: Final Defiance

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 14 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West: her final act of defiance • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Dirty Blonde codirector Julia Marchesi said in a statement to V.F. “Some might find this depressing, but Mae didn’t care. This was her final act of defiance against social norms.”

• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: As Sextette costar Ringo Starr recounts in Dirty Blonde, Mae West was also still in search of the spotlight. “She invited us to dinner,” he recalls. “She went all the time to this restaurant she knew, but she gets there an hour earlier than you — — to do the lights. So, she’s got all the lights on her as you walk in the restaurant — — and we heard later she does that wherever she goes.”
• • This 14-part article has now been concluded. Did you enjoy it? Tell us.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Wednesday, 10 September 1980 • •
• • It was on Wednesday, September 10th that the news media reported that a stroke had caused Mae West to suffer a speech impairment. At the time, she and Paul Novak were registered in Good Samaritan Hospital under the press-dodging names of Gloria and Paul Drake. The Los Angeles sunshine invaded their private room, flooding the floor with fractured light.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • A fan mag once reported that Jim Timony, Mae West’s manager, had a cork leg and so Jim spent the next six months showing his bare leg to Hollywood, to prove that such was not the case.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Don't eye oilier men when you're with an escort."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Film Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • Praise for Mae West: "A model of discretion, yet a robust piece of entertainment, displaying Miss West's unmatched gifts luxuriantly. . . should fare very well." — Daily Variety  ...
• • Source: quoted in The Film Daily; published on Thursday, 6 January 1938
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,558th 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 Ringo Starr in 1978 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Barrymore's Wisdom

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 13 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West: John Barrymore's wisdom • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: According to Mae West, John Barrymore once told her the truth about her cohorts: “Actors are people — — but not human.” This criticism would often be leveled at West herself, who became an increasingly campy institution as the decades wore on. In 1978, the octogenarian wrote and starred in her last film, Sextette, playing a still sizzling character with many husbands played by actors including Tony Curtis, George Hamilton, Ringo Starr, and Timothy Dalton.
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: “She was still wearing her corsets and low-cut dresses, asking 25-year-old men, ‘Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?’”
• • Mae West: her final act of defiance • •  ...  
• • This 14-part article will be concluded tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Sunday, 9 September 1934 • •
• • "Me and My Past" was reprinted in Delaware Star on Sunday, 9 September 1934.  Among other matters, Mae West discusses ("How Her Famous Gait Was Born with Ed Wynn and Frank Tinney") the development of her slow, studied, slouchy strut while appearing on Broadway in "Sometime" with Ed Wynn, a comedian who moved very quickly across the stage.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Salary checks of individuals made public by the Treasury among about 18,000 persons who received $15,000 or more during 1934 follows: Mae West, actress, Paramount, $339,166.65.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Don't believe all you read in the papers. I am not broke. I am only down to my last few millions.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •

• • The Daily Variety mentioned Mae West.
• • “The Wicked Age” — — harmonica music by Mae West • •
• • Variety was not impressed with Mae West's harmonica playing in "The Wicked Age."  They were not amused by "Satisfied" nor the other songs she thought up like "My Baby's Kisses."  But the most startling element was her racy, tummy-tossing physicality.  Variety reprimanded her in their review: "Miss West is getting away at $3.85 with something the [burlesque] wheels don't dare at $1.65." . . .
• • Source: Variety; published on Friday, 9 September 1927
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,557th 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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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1927 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Strapping Studs

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 12 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West:  Dressing Room Drama • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: But the real battle was between strapping studs Paul Novak and Mickey Hargitay (whose given name was Miklós).
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: In Mae West’s version, Hargitay would not accept her romantic rebuffs. This harassment reached its peak at a press conference, where the over-protective Paul (whom she called “Chuck”) and Hargitay came to blows.

• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote:  Paul Novak’s loyalty would be rewarded. He would become Mae West’s life partner and true love until her death. Hargitay didn’t do bad for himself either, becoming an actor, husband to sex symbol Jayne Mansfield, and father to Law and Order SVU star Mariska Hargitay.
• • Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number • •
• • Mae West: Barrymore's wisdom • • ...   
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Friday, 8 September 1922 • •
• • "Mae West, author, loses her pianist," noted Variety in their issue dated for Friday, 8 September 1922.
• • Harry Richman — — an unknown in 1922 when Mae West gave him a chance — —  ditched her to join singer Nora Bayes [1880 — 1928] in her vaudeville act. Awww.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Boxing is in Mae West's blood.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I consider myself above changing.  I haven't had time to change."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article recalled a play about Mae West.
• • "Mae West and Ten Good Men" written by Jerry Boswell was staged at Yellow Springs Center Stage until Friday, 7 September 2001. This wonderful community theatre in Ohio shut its doors, unfortunately, in 2003.
• • Source: an Ohio theatre article; published on (undated)
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,557th 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 Paul Novak in 1954 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Beefcake Blues

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 11 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West created The Mae West Revue with beefcake • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote:  In the 1950s, she began mixing business with pleasure, creating a Vegas review of bulging muscle men. “All through the years, night clubs have aimed at something for the men— girl floor shows,” she writes in Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It. “The wives and sweethearts have had to sit bored, while their men applauded female semi-nudity. I was going to give the women something to look at.”
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote:  According to West, this troupe of former Mr. Universes and bodybuilding champions began to battle for her affections [sic], much to her barely-contained delight [sic]. Two men got into a gun fight [sic] over her. [Editor: you'd think a Vanity Fair writer would do better than this mess, wouldn't you?]
• • Mae West:  Dressing Room Drama • • ...
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.
• • On Friday, 7 September 1934 • •
• • “Grand Theatre — Second Week for Mae West” • •
• • On Friday, 7 September 1934, the Film World columnist wrote: Only films that prove more than usually popular are permitted to occupy the screen for two weeks at the Grand Theatre and, naturally, the Mae West success, "I'm No Angel," falls into this class. It will enter on its second and final week today . . .
• • Film World's columnist added: There may be different opinions about Mae West, but there is no doubt of her popularity today.
• • Source: The West Australian; published on Friday, 7 September 1934.
• • On Wednesday, 7 September 1949 • •

• • The "Diamond Lil" revival enjoyed great success at the venerable Plymouth Theatre [236 West 45th Street]. It opened there on Wednesday, 7 September 1949 — — and had four months of performances (182 performances) on Broadway.
• • In his admiring review of her 1949 reinvigorated Bowery queen romp through her popular "naughty nineties" hit, The New York Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson admitted he was moved to acknowledge what he called — — in an atypically poetic effusion — — ''the sublime fatalism of the entire business,'' and he went on to ask: ''Is she kidding or is she serious?''
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • One of the last bits of Will Rogers' humor was found in his message to youth (quoted in 1935). It read: "Don't miss the next Mae West show."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "That picture was a mistake from the word 'Shoot!'''
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on diaries began with Mae West.
• • Jason Wordie wrote: The truth of American actress Mae West’s famous wisecrack that everyone should keep a diary, “because one day, honey, it’ll keep you …” ensures some diarists write with a mercenary posterity in clear view; British politician Alan Clark and heritage conservationist James Lees-Milne are classic examples.  …
• • Source: South China Post; published on Friday, 7 September 2018
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,556th 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 • • revival in 1949-1950 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Savvy Sexpot

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 10 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West got her desired leading man • •

• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote:  Mae West also got her desired leading man for “She Done Him Wrong,” the 1933 screen adaptation of her hit play “Diamond Lil.” Mae West writes: “I saw a sensational-looking young man walking along the studio street. He was the best thing I’d seen out there. ‘Who’s that?’ I asked. Kaufman recognized him. ‘Cary Grant,’ he said. ‘He’ll do for my leading man,’ I said. ‘But,’ Kaufman protested, ‘he hasn’t made a picture yet. Only tests.’ ‘Call him over,’ I said. ‘If he can talk, I’ll take him.’”
• • The Battle of Bulge • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: In her personal life, West seems to have had a particular penchant for weight-lifting studs decades her junior.
• • Mae West created The Mae West Revue with beefcake • • ...
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Wednesday, 4 September 1935 in Hollywood • •
• • Joseph Breen wrote to John Hammel on Wednesday, 4 September 1935, complaining (again) about the script for "Klondike Annie" and Mae's dialogue.  
• • On Friday, 4 September 1987 in California • •
• • "I'm No Angel" starring Mae West was screened on Friday, 4 September 1987.  This iconic comedy was selected for the series "Paramount Pictures: 75 Years."
• • Mae West's director was Wesley Ruggles.  
• • Audiences enjoyed it at the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive during Labor Day weekend.  
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West's appeal, via a trailer made in Hollywood, for support of the Cinema Benevolent Fund, was a sensation in this town.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "You've got to keep everything under control."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Toronto Star mentioned Mae West.
• • Watching “Sex” by Mae West • •
• • On Wednesday, 4 September 2019, Glenn Sumi critiqued "Sex" for a Canadian newspaper the Toronto Star, explaining: Mae West’s star might be dimmed today — — have millennials even heard of her? — — but her legend lives on in some circles. Several years ago, she was impersonated by a contestant on an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Let’s hope this production encourages more people to discover Mae — — and enjoy some good "Sex" while they’re at it.  ...
• • Source: Toronto Star;  published on Wednesday, 4 September 2019
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,555th 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 • • in 1932 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Wanted Control

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 9 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West:  I enjoyed my success • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Unlike most golden age movie stars, West knew her worth. “I enjoyed my success with no false humility, and no coy hiding of my ego under a basket,” she writes in her autobiography.
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: According to an anecdote that was recounted in “Mae West: Dirty Blonde,” Paramount head Adolph Zukor discovered this while negotiating her contract. West wanted to write her own scripts, to control costume design—and to get paid. When Adolph Zukor asked her how much, she said, “Well, how much do you make?” Zukor told her. “I want a dollar more,” Mae West allegedly replied. Supposedly, she got it.
• • [Editor: Hmmm. Maybe. Maybe not.]
• • Mae West got her desired leading man • •  ...
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Friday, 3 September 1937 in Film Daily • •
• • Hollywood — Jack Linder, formerly New York stage producer and one of the leading vaudeville bookers there, has entered the motion picture agency field here at 8741 Sunset Boulevard. Linder has produced such shows as Mae West in "Diamond Lil," "The Squealer," "Cortez," "The Honor Code" and others. Jack Linder also plans to produce legitimate shows on the Coast in the fall.
• • Though Jack Linder was still trumpeting his association with the Paramount star, just four months later, Mae West was back in court with his contentious brother Mark Linder, wrote Film Daily on Friday, 3 September 1937.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • Mae West was featured in the animated cartoon "The Coo-Coo Nut Grove" [1936]. The script took the audience on an amusing tour of a fashionable Hollywood night club.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "When you make the right demands, the studios are delighted."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Daily Variety mentioned Mae West.
• • According to Variety, the Wall Street crash clobbered the box office. When "Sex" starring Mae West enjoyed a ten-week engagement at the Garrick Theatre in Chicago, Variety noted that The Windy City had only three other plays in production during that interval.  
• • Variety's issue dated for Wednesday, 3 September 1930 noted that a dozen legitimate Chicago playhouses had gone dark.  It was a lucky break for Mae, all the same.  . . .
• • Source: Variety; published on Wednesday, 3 September 1930
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,554th 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 • • in 1936 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Trademark Wriggle

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 8 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West: I refused to appear unless . . . • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Mae was equally underwhelmed by her first movie role, in the George Raft vehicle “Night After Night.” West refused to appear in the movie unless she could rewrite her part, and studio brass finally relented. As she walks into frame for the first time [sic] with her trademark wriggle and roll, an attendant exclaims, “Goodness, what beautiful diamonds!”
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: “Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie,” she replies.
• • She Wants What She Wants, and She Wants Cary Grant • •
• • Mae West: I enjoyed my success • •  ...   
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Tuesday, 2 September 1969 • •

• • Stanley Musgrove spoke to Mae West often as she prepared for "Myra Breckinridge" and fretted about working with Michael Sarne and a much younger actress. Musgrove's diary entries on Tuesday, 2 September 1969 reveal a different side of Mae than most of her fans knew.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • A thought for the day: In the movie "Klondike Annie," Mae West said, "Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I saw that under the daffy California sun there had hatched out as queer an industry and as odd a collection of self-made men as ever crossed the Rockies with dollar cigars in their teeth. Power, passion to own and run, and sharp dealings made talking pictures.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Architectural Digest mentioned Mae West.
• • The Story Behind Dalí's Iconic Lips Sofas • •
• • How Mae West’s pout sparked a Surrealist sensation • •
• • Hannah Martin wrote: Around 1935, Spanish artist Salvador Dalí saw something special in the face of movie star Mae West: an apartment. In a watercolor, he turned her blonde curls into portières, her eyes into paintings, her nose into a fireplace, and her lips into a divan. The last was a furnishing so provocative that British arts patron Edward James requested a three-dimensional version.  …
• • Source: Architectural Digest; published on Monday, 2 September 2019
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,553rd 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 Stanley Musgrove and friend Chris Basinger in 1978 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Daffy California

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 7 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West: I met the sodden gilded people • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Mae West said: “So, this is the place a leaf falls up in some canyon and they tell you it’s winter,” she quipped upon her arrival in Hollywood.
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Mae West was decidedly unimpressed. “I saw some of the town, met some of the sodden gilded people,” she writes. “I saw that under the daffy California sun there had hatched out as queer an industry and as odd a collection of self-made men as ever crossed the Rockies…. The studios were giant factories turning out the same length of scented tripe, dressed up with the same rubber stamp features of large cowlike heads, mammary glands, and 10-foot-high closeups of nostrils you could drive a Cadillac into.”
• • Mae West: I refused  to appear unless . . . • •     
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Monday, 1 September 1941 • •

• • Enjoying themselves in Los Angeles on Monday, 1 September 1941 were Mae West, John Carradine, and John Barrymore in box seats.
• • A stage show "The Silver Screen" had its debut on that date at the Wilshire Bowl nightclub (5665 Wilshire Blvd).
• • Mae attended with her usual companion, Jim Timony.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • The only trouble with Mae West's doormat deluxe is that it doesn't mean what it says.
• • This foot-wiper fantastic is made of finest velvet in shades of white and blue. It is installed where all may walk at the stoop of her studio bungalow and it has embroidered upon it a reminiscent phrase: "Come up and see me sometime."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I don't approve of nudity in films. It’s just not right. But I can see what's happening. The picture makers have run out of titles; that's why you get all those long titles nowadays. They've also run out of plots."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Motion Picture Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • We want our critics to see the list of enduring favorites that are to be made into films.
• • We are laying little stress on the Mae West pictures, the Gables, the Crawfords, the Rogerses because we know that the admirers of these stars will come out as usual, but we are stressing the pictures made from popular books because we know that is the best and most positive way to answer our critics, and at the same time reach that large group of folks who only rarely attend our theatres. …
• • Source: Motion Picture Daily; published on Saturday, 1 September 1934
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,552nd 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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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1941 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Less Miserable

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 6 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West: I could make them less miserable maybe • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: The star-struck [sic] warden concurred. Now comfortable, West settled in, and was convinced by the besotted [sic] warden to greet her adoring fellow inmates. “When I went into a large dormitory, all the women began applauding. ‘Glad to see you!’ ‘Hello, Mae!’ I didn’t care for the use of my first name, but I figured if I could make them a less miserable mob, I was doing some good.”
• • Diamond Lil Comes to Town • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Already a scandalous superstar [sic] in New York, cash-strapped Paramount Studios convinced West to finally make her first foray into motion pictures in 1932.
• • [Editor: the grammar error known as "a misplaced modifier" (sigh) is courtesy of Hadley Hall Meares.]
• • Mae West: I met the sodden gilded people • •  ...
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Wednesday, 31 August 1938 • •

• • An article complimenting Mae West and applauding her newest motion picture "Every Day's a Holiday" was published in The Queenslander (Brisbane, Australia) on Wednesday, 31 August 1938.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Our special investigators have just brought to light the fact that Mae West's screen kisses are the shortest on record. Seems Mae's motto is "Leave something to the imagination."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Good sex is like good bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • "Mae West-ian'' Styles • •
• • In the age of the Gibson girl, veils were worn for two reasons.  
• • Mae West says she thinks the women felt that "veiled" beauty was more enchanting than the frank, open allure of to-day and that, although the Gibson girl knew she could protect her complexion by an enveloping shroud of veiling, she was a born coquette and the veil was "part of the act." ...
• • Source: The Sunday Times (Perth); published on Sunday, 26 August 1934
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,551st 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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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • lobby card from 1937 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Obscenity, Infamy

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 5 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West: I became a writer by accident • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Mae West said: “I became a writer by the accident of needing material and having no place to get it,” West writes in her autobiography. As playwright and star of the titillating piece of theater, she rocketed to fame — and infamy. On April 19, 1927, she was sentenced to 10 days in prison for obscenity and “corrupting the morals of youth.”
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Off to jail on Roosevelt Island she went, game except for her rough, prison-issued lady’s undergarments. “I want to wear my silk underwear,” West demanded.
• • Mae West: I could make them less miserable maybe • •  ...  
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Monday, 28 August 1939 • •
• • Life Magazine's issue (dated 28 August 1939) included a half-page photo of Mae West.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • Modern Screen wrote: The biggest battle of the season was the battle of the false eyelashes, staged by Mae West and Alice Brady in 1936 during the making of “Go West Young Man."
• • Modern Screen wrote: When Mae appeared with long eye adornment. Alice showed up with longer ones. It went on days, but Miss W. won out by the simple procedure of cutting Miss Brady's part here and there.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “The best way to hold a man is in your arms.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A museum mentioned Mae West.
• • Mae West’s 1959 Olympia SF (on loan from Steve Soboroff) on display in Chicago • •
• • Mae West's typewriter is now on display in the Tools of the Trade exhibit [which opened June 22, 2019] at the American Writers Museum in Chicago.
• • Learn more: American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Avenue, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60601.
• • Source: American Writers Museum; posted on Tuesday, 13 August 2019
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,550th 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 Jack LaRue in "Go West Young Man" in 1936 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Forever Hooked

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 4 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West: I demanded my light • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Baby Mae West said: “‘Where is my spotlight!’ I stamped it again and the spotlight moved across stage onto me and caught me in the act of demanding my light. The audience saw me and laughed and applauded.”
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: “Baby Mae” was a hit, and the child was forever hooked on showbiz. “The rest of America could ask for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” she writes. “I’d take the spotlight.”
• • Mae West: "Sex" • •

• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote:  After years on the vaudeville circuit, West became the toast of Broadway with her original play Sex in 1926.
• • Mae West: I became a writer by accident • •  ..
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Friday, 27 August 1976 • •
• • The Times Sunday Review interviewed people who knew Mae West. The actress had attended the theatre with friends and after the show they asked what she thought of it. And Mae had replied: "I kept concentrating on making my mind wander. It [the play] made me realize there's less to life than sex."
• • Source: The Times Sunday Review [U.K.]; published  on Friday, 27 August 1976.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • "I always have somebody with me during interviews," Mae West explained to Mike Connolly, "ever since that Mickey Hargitay mess. He and that Jayne Mansfield were getting all the good publicity.  I was getting roughed up. No more of that for Mae West."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I had to stay in command of my career.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • "Mae West Plays Santa Claus'' • •
• • Film Daily wrote: About $15,000 in presents was passed around by Mae West to those who helped in the retakes of her new Paramount picture, "Belle of the Nineties." ...
• • Source: Film Daily; published on Monday, 27 August 1934
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,549th 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 • • "Sex" poster in 1926 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: My Spotlight

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 3 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Mae West: The Spotlight • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: A precociously fearless performer, West demanded her due from the time she was a curly-headed child vaudevillian. Scheduled for her first big show at the Royal Theater in Brooklyn, the seven year old’s mother dressed her in a pink and green satin dress with a white lace picture hat. Before she went on to sing “Movin’ Day,” West insisted to the stage manager that she have a spotlight. He said she would—but once on stage, there was none to be found.
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: “I stepped out on the stage, looked up angrily at the spotlight man in the balcony, stamping my foot,” she writes in her autobiography.
• • Mae West: I demanded my light • •  ..  
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Friday, 26 August 1921 • •

• • "The Mimic World 1921" opened on 17 August 1921 and Jimmy Hussey's close friend, Jack Dempsey (another Irish-American) attended the premiere, and visited Mae West backstage after the show.
• • Clearly with Mae's approval and cooperation, Hussey penned the skit "The Trial of Shimmy Mae." Hussey himself played the judge as Mae demonstrated the shimmy in his topsy-turvy courtroom.
• • Variety tartly commented on 26 August 1921: "In a tent it would have been a riot."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • After the Hollywood newcomer's death, Mark Hellinger noted: “I found Dorothy Dell pretty, very pert and had a sweet smile. Everything Dorothy said and did was offered in a Mae West sort of way — — a very young Mae West-ish sort of way.  And Mae didn’t reach the screen until long after that Follies had closed.”
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “A man in the house is worth 2 in the street.”
• • Mae West said: "A girl in the convertible is worth 5 in the phonebook."  
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A newspaper in Perth, Australia mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae West-ian'' Styles • •
• • Mae will wear the famous "dust ruffles" of that period • •
• • The famous "dust ruffles" of that period have been used in many of Travis Banton's designs.  In that age, when the sight of a feminine ankle caused a terrific uproar, women coquettishly managed to have several layers of lacey ruffles supporting the hems of their dresses, and were always careful to lift these just a little bit higher than was necessary to keep them from dragging in the dust.
• • In this coming summer's fashions, such a revival is bound to be accepted enthusiastically, Banton predicts. Women have already shown a willingness to admit the petticoat, and modern girls will be delighted with a set of these ruffles as a "petticoat camouflage" — — just like Mae West’s character Ruby Carter in the film.  …
• • Source: The Sunday Times (Perth); published on Sunday, 26 August 1934
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,548th 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 • • showing her bare hips in 1921 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Dirty Sex

Was the heavily air-brushed memoir that MAE WEST published in 1959 “scandalous”? Vanity Fair seems to think so. See if you agree. This is Part 2 of 14 segments.
• • “When I’m Bad, I’m Better” — — Mae West’s Sensational Life in Her Own Words • •
• • PBS’s Mae West: Dirty Blonde delves into the life of a savvy sexpot—but even it is not half as scandalous as West’s 1959 autobiography.
• • Underneath the diamonds, Mae West had a message • •
• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: “Underneath the blonde wigs and the diamonds and the wisecracks, she had a message and an agenda,” Dirty Blonde co-director Sally Rosenthal said in a statement to Vanity Fair. “She wanted to offer an alternative version of womanhood, in which overt sexual desire wasn’t shameful or dirty but an expression of independence.”

• • Hadley Hall Meares wrote: Behind this unwavering independence was a rock-solid belief in herself that would carry West through many a professional and personal rock and roll. “The letter ‘I’ appears very often on these pages,” she writes in Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It. “That is because I have been given the liberty, or have taken it, of telling my own story in my own way — and I like a story that takes its time.”  
• • Mae West: The Spotlight • • .. .
• • This 14-part article will be continued tomorrow.
• • Source: Vanity Fair; published on Tuesday, 16 June 2020.  
• • On Saturday, 25 August 1934 • •
• • On Saturday, 25 August 1934, syndicated gossip columnist Louella Parsons wrote:  Snapshots of Hollywood collected at random: . . . Mae West, dripping with orchids, in a ringside seat with her boy friend [sic] Jim Timony; Raoul Walsh, Adolph Zukor and dozens of other film celebrities, watching these bouts  ...
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Larry Sloan moved to Los Angeles from New York after serving in World War II, and made a name for himself through the gossipy, table-hopping column he wrote for the Hollywood Citizen News.
• • As a publicist, Larry Sloan represented a roster of Hollywood stars that included Mae West and Elizabeth Taylor.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "If you can't go straight, you've got to go around."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Mail Online mentioned Mae West.
• • “How to have it all: Life lessons from the original goal-getters” • •
• • Elizabeth Foley and Beth Coates wrote: If you’re feeling down with your dumpiness, remember the wise words attributed to Hollywood legend Mae West: “Curve: the loveliest distance between two points.” ...
• • Source: The Mail Online; published on Saturday, 25 August 2018
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,547th 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 • • at home in 1959 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest