Mae West: Free Gifts and Fun

It's a grand MAE WEST birthday celebration — — and the attendees get the gifts.
• • On Saturday, 14 August 2010, at the Annual Mae West Birthday Tribute in Times Square, each guest is given one free raffle ticket. After a rousing performance by The Gaudy Girls, raffle prizes will be awarded. PAROL, those German neckwear geniuses, donated THREE of the top prizes — — and here's one (on the right).
• • Picture yourself in this delightfully elegant PAROL Scarf with its distinct design and delicate coloring made of finely combed and highly refined cotton.
• • PAROL's designer noted: The essence of Mae West´s savoir vivre is knitted into the scarf — — "When I´m good I´m very, very good, but when I´m bad, I´m better!" This generous shawl scarf, which measures approximately 25 x 200 cm, is styled in these colors: stonegreen, wool-white, and mince.
• • PAROL's designer made sure that even bad girls would look very good in this tongue-in-cheek creation that proclaims: "When I´m good I´m very, very good, but when I´m bad, I´m better!" This generous shawl scarf, which measures approximately 25 x 200 cm, is styled in these colors: brandy, black, dahlia (on the left).
• • PAROL's third scarf [not shown] announces: "Too much of a good thing is wonderful!' And the winner will look especially fab in this chic red and grey accessory.
• • Visit PAROL's web site — — http://www.parol-accessoires.de/ — — where they feature their Mae West collection as well as other trendy fashion statements inspired by Edith Piaf and others.
• • • • An A-MAE-ZING Teddy Bear • • • •
• • There will be no shortage of raffle prizes during the festivities at Actors Temple on August 14th. Give-aways will include a rare library of silent films made by Mae's good friend Texas Guinan, a new biography on Mae, a stunning portrait of Mae West that was commissioned in the 1930s (matted and ready to display), an a-MAE-zing teddy bear, and other unique items. Some attendees will win a prize for the best costume or the slinkiest shimmy.
• • But, most of all, the live entertainment will ignite you and delight you on West 47th Street when two broads head back to Broadway — — Sophie Tucker along with Mae West.
• • Continuing her custom of commemorating the birthday of Mae West, playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo has a most exciting late-night treat in store this year: The Gaudy Girls, two talented beauties who perform the best-loved songs made famous by Sophie Tucker and Mae West. As part of their repertoire, the ladies will offer a tribute to New York-based composers and lyricists who created the hits “Frankie & Johnny,” “My Old Flame,” "Red Hot Mama,” “My Yiddishe Momme," "Everybody Shimmies Now," and more.
• • It's one night only so plan to come up and see Mae — — and Sophie. Details below.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
• • WHERE: ACTORS TEMPLE, 339 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036 [where SOPHIE TUCKER was one of their first vaudeville members in 1923]
• • WHO: MAE WEST [Anne Marie Finnie], SOPHIE TUCKER [Maggie Worsdale], presented and introduced by playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo — — and, of course, Garside the Great
• • WHAT ELSE: Shimmy lessons, raffle prizes, goodies, and a chance to win deluxe European scarves featuring MAE WEST’s quotes, a rare Mae West caricature, a Mae West teddy bear, and other keepsakes.
• • SUBWAYS: IND: C, E to West 50th Street station; BMT: N, R, W to West 49th Street station — — exit on the West 47th Street side.
• • GENERAL ADMISSION: $15. VIP service and Group Sales available.
• • URL: TheGaudyGirls.com and MaeWest.blogspot.com
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
• • Come up and see Mae on August 14th in New York City!
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Parol's Mae West neckwear, a Mae West bear • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Remembered

To commemorate the birthday of MAE WEST next week, the Asheville Film Society will screen "Night After Night" [1932] and "She Done Him Wrong" [1933] on Tuesday 17 August 2010 in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville. More details will follow on an up-coming post.
• • As reported yesterday, a new portrait of the Brooklyn bombshell will be unveiled this weekend at Fat Sat's in Belen, New Mexico. Clearly, Mae's charms remain, for many, undiminished by time.
• • Diamond Lil contemplates Cathy • •
• • What would a sunny-side-up comedienne like Mae West have thought about "Cathy," the 34-years-running comic strip about a self-deprecating woe-is-me female whose downbeat world view focused mainly on gaining weight or striking out with men? Cartoonist Cathy Guisewite (born in 1950), who created "Cathy" in 1976, just pulled the plug, perhaps worn-out by recycling her character's endless self-contempt, mediocrity, and slime-cold suspicion.
• • For many, the appeal of Mae's scrappy characters — — Diamond Lil, Lady Lou, Tira, Maudie Triplett, Peaches O'Day, etc. — — is that these figures were so supremely un-Cathy-like, heroines whose honor has not been the possession of her keeper. For Mae, a woman's honor was rooted in being able to say yes or no, and make each stick fast, inspirited with a responsible will carried high like a torch. Watching these celluloid citizens — — Flower Belle Lee, Rose Carlton, Ruby Carter — — the audience is invigorated by the lightness, the wit, the absence of toxic judgment rusting each moment. In every frame, she who delights and replenishes us, returns.
• • Proust said that truth is only a point of view about things. David, a discerning collector of rare Westiana who had had personal contact with the screen queen since he was a teenager, cherishes the Brooklyn bombshell and shares his adventures with our readers.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • In commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of Mae's burial, California-based admirer David Pekrol writes about Mae West and the treasures he has unearthed.
• • • David remembers: As Mae's August 17th birthday approaches, we are also reminded that it is the year of the 30th anniversary of her death in November of 1980.
• • My interest in Mae West started un-officially at the age of 8, in 1968, when I caught the stagecoach robbery scene in "My Little Chickadee" before my older brother switched the channel. Forward four years and a visit to the local drug store where they had a display of posters at $3.00 each. The one that caught my eye was Mae dressed as the Statue of Liberty in black and white (i.e., the publicity shot for Myra Breckinridge). I bought it immediately and hung it in my bedroom. This sparked my collection and I wanted to know more about this amazing woman who was 76 years old when the photo was taken and still incredibly sexy. This was also the beginning of my lifelong love of Camp. What a great sense of humor this woman must have, I thought, to dress in this costume and still be taken seriously.
• • • • • • A Personal Connection • • • • • •
• • Back then we didn't have many resources beyond the library and I researched as much as I could — — old magazines, books, etc. Then I discovered her address listed in the Who's Who in America. I wrote Mae many fan letters and eventually spoke with her on the phone twice officially and I also spoke to "Beverly" three times.
• • Most die-hard fans know by now that she would masquerade as her sister to 'feel out' an ardent fan. So, it is most probable I had the good fortune to speak to her five times. She was the most amazing woman on the phone as well! Very kind and most appreciative when she discovered my young age!
• • "How old are you?" Mae asked.
• • I replied, "I'm fifteen."
• • She responded, "Ohhhhhh!"
• • If was after this that she began to really open up and reveal some personal experiences to me of her life. These incidents have been, subsequently, confirmed in posthumous books.
• • She asked me if I had ever been to Santa Monica. Living on the East Coast (in New Jersey) back then, I said no. I believe she was probably going to invite me to one of her seances but it was not to be.
• • I was struck hard when she passed away and, after clipping the plethora of articles of her death, the funeral and then the burial, I put the collection and scrapbook away for two years. One day, in late 1982, I opened the scrapbook and out fell the clippings. As I read them, I finally began to grieve for this woman whom had been a part of my life for the last ten years. A very cathartic afternoon which ended by putting the finishing touches on the scrapbook that had chronicled every public sighting, news event, etc. since 1972. Closure...
• • • • • • One Man's a-MAE-zing Collection • • • • • •
• • Living in SF, from 1983 on, I would haunt the memorabilia shops looking for anything related to Mae. Disappointingly, most of the items were really quite ordinary. Then came the Internet and Ebay! Items I never thought I would ever come across suddenly were a click away!
• • Some of my favorite items I now own are: a rare and original 3 sheet movie poster for "Every Day's a Holiday," a half sheet for "Klondike Annie," a one sheet for "The Heat's On," many lobby cards, play programs including a mint condition program for "The Constant Sinner," and what is believed to be the earliest known autograph she gave to a young fan in June of 1910 when she was touring with the "Huck Finn" act in Acton, Pennsylvania (she wrote the date and location on the slip of paper). She was to marry for the first time soon after in April 1911.
• • In 1998, I was very fortunate to find a VHS copy of The Dick Cavett interview in an antique store in Palm Springs. I quickly released this incredible find to the public (where it belongs), and it is now found on YouTube. The tape also included rare silent footage of her Las Vegas musclemen act: "The Mae West Revue" from the 1950s.
• • But my most treasured items are the autographed photos she sent me and the Xmas card I received from her on Xmas Eve 1974.
• • Looking back, I think my interest in Mae at my early age of 12 had much to do with the fact I knew I was gay and was at odds with my sexuality and my Catholic upbringing. She appeared to me to be someone who didn't give a damn what anyone thought of her own expression of sexuality. This was eye-opening! Mae West helped me come to terms, quite easily, with who I am. I loved the way she treated men in her movies and I decided I would follow her example when I came out at age 18(!). Unfortunately, in the real world, this isn't really the proper way to treat someone you're interested in. But it sure was fun for quite a while. My twin mantras were: "When caught between two evils I always pick the one I never tried" and "It's not the men in my life that counts, it's the life in my men!"
• • What a woman! She is sorely missed.
Written by: David Pekrol, California, United States of America
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1932 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Portrait at Fat Sat's

MAE WEST's portrait will be exhibited and offered for sale in the southwest this weekend — — along with eleven other notable faces, all with a Roaring Twenties vibe.
• • After a chance meeting between a tavern owner and a neighborhood portraitist, a local saloon in New Mexico got a Hollywood makeover. Tijeras native Michael Ostaski, whose airbrush art has been commissioned by several local businesses, decided to paint Prohibition Era-inspired murals inside Fat Sat's Bar and Grill in Belen. The colorful works drew so much media coverage and many compliments from tipplers that on 14 August 2010 he will unveil a dozen new canvases created to continue the theme.
• • New Mexico reporter Kristina Medley writes: "The 1920s will come back to life on Saturday, August 14, when a New Mexico native and internationally-known artist showcases some of his work at Fat Sat's Bar and Grill in Belen. ..."
• • Kristina Medley adds: "Michael Ostaski decided to model other pieces after the mural he did of [Robert] De Niro and has created 12 black and white airbrush paintings of famous people from the era — — including Mae West, W.C. Fields, Marlene Deitrich, Edward G. Robinson, and others. The pieces fit the theme of Fat Sat's perfectly and will be featured at the restaurant until they are sold, he said. ..."
• • Spectators can view Mae West's portrait along with the entire display this weekend at Fat Sat's: 51 I-25 Bypass in Belen; T. 505-864-7715.
• • Tell them you heard about it on the MAE WEST BLOG.
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: "Renowned artist paints mural for Belen business"
• • By: Kristina Medley
• • Published on: 11 August 2010
• • Published in: Valencia County News-Bulletin [Belen, NM]
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • none • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Audio-Animatronic

Early ideas for Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World had included an old-fashioned and amusingly decrepit thoroughfare where a carload of Keystone Kops would have occasionally raced down Hollywood Boulevard in search of crooks, and MAE WEST (clad in elaborate 1890s daywear) would have paraded through these precincts arm-in-arm with W.C. Fields in a top hat. An illustration of this scene appears in "The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World" (Disney Editions, July 2010) — — as well as on this post.
• • • • An Audio-Animatronic Mae West • • • •
• • Jim Hill's illustrated review of this 128-page paperback notes several interesting detours on the road to construction. For instance, Mr. Hill writes: If the guys at WDI had gotten to build the version of this studio theme park that they had originally pitched to Michael Eisner, the Keystone Kops would have been all over Disney's Hollywood Studios. They would have starred in a slapstick stunt show for that theme park. Not to mention being prominently featured in a sequence for "The Great Movie Ride" that was to have paid tribute to Hollywood's comedy legends. Which (as you'll see in Gene Johnson's concept drawing for this proposed scene here) was to have had an Audio-Animatronic carload of Kops rolling past AA recreations of Mae West, W.C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. ...
• • Artwork: Concept drawing by Gene Johnson featuring MAE WEST, et al. Copyright 2010 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: "Imagineering Field Guide goes in for a close-up on Disney's Hollywood Studios"
• • By: Jim Hill [for Jim Hill Media — — jimhillmedia.com]
• • Published on: 11 August 2010
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • as an AA • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Harry Tickled the Keys

"MAE WEST, author, loses her pianist," noted Variety on 8 September 1922.
• • Born like Mae during the month of August — — on 10 August 1895 — — Harry Richman was an unknown talent in 1922 when Mae West gave him a break and hired the tall piano man with a pronounced lisp. Featured together on the big-time B.F. Keith vaudeville circuit, they were a good team. Wherever their act was booked, the pair got excellent reviews.
• • 1568 Broadway at West 47th: Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square Hotel, built in 1991 as the Embassy Suites to a Fox & Fowle design, envelopes the old Palace Theater, built in 1913 by Kirchoff & Rose. During its heyday it was every vaudevillian's dream to play The Palace. Among those who made it were Sophie Tucker, W.C. Fields, Fanny Brice, Will Rogers, Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope, the Marx Brothers — — and Mae West (accompanied by pianist Harry Richman), who starred here in 1922.
• • Ungrateful for the mega media exposure Mae had afforded him, Harry split with her and joined Texas Guinan's friend, singer Nora Bayes, in her act. However, Mae and Harry did manage to reunite (briefly) when they appeared together in April 1923 at the Colonial Theatre [Broadway and West 62nd Street].
• • Entertainer Harry Richman [10 August 1895 — — 3 November 1972] was an actor, a singer, dancer, comedian, pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and cabaret performer. He was born Harold Reichman in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• • A flamboyant personality, Richman joined the George White's Scandals in the 1920s and appeared in the 1931 Ziegfeld Follies. In 1930, he made a splash in Hollywood with this crowd-pleaser: Puttin' on the Ritz. This film featured the Irving Berlin song of the same title, which gave Richman a phonograph record hit that year. His film career was hampered by his limited acting skills. [Writing about Puttin' on the Ritz, Leonard Maltin remarked: "A songwriter drinks and goes blind — — after seeing this you'll want to do the same".]
• • Okay. Maybe the silver screen was not his best medium. Nevertheless, Harry Richman remained a popular nightclub host and stage performer.
• • In 1966, his autobiography A Hell of a Life was published. In it he recounts his private and public relationship with Mae West.
• • Harry Richman married three times. All three marriages ended in divorce. He lived it up until age 77 and died in Hollywood, California in 1972.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West's accompanist • • Harry Richman • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Nine and a Half Inches

"Beauty knows no pain" — — one saying not attributed to MAE WEST — — might have been muttered under her breath on numerous occasions.
• • The stage actress deals with illusions and perceptions. Since one of Mae's secrets was her height, barely five feet tall, this had to be carefully stage managed during every live show.
• • Most women will wear high heels to increase their stature. An insufficiently tall star must go one better, which led to some custom-made footwear with very high platforms. Though her evening slippers were usually disguised under gowns, and no one was the wiser, Mae's poor little feet surely took a beating. These made-to-order "performance shoes," worn in the mid-1950s during her Las Vegas years, measure a good nine-and-a-half inches high.
• • These shoes were received by the FIDM Museum as part of a large donation of footwear and Jule Park undergarments worn by Mae West. [Gift of Kevin Thomas in Memory of Dolly Dempsey.]
• • Located at 919 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, the FIDM Museum is devoted to the exhibition and interpretation of dress and textiles. The FIDM collection focuses primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, with an emphasis on American and European dress. When you're in California, come up and see FIDM sometime.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Mae's shoes in 1953 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: No Stamp, No Statue, No Fan Club

After meeting at Tommy Guinan's speakeasy party in the summer of 1926, MAE WEST was fascinated by Rudolph Valentino [1895 — 1926] — — and her first seance with Texas Guinan was led by an Italian medium who attempted to communicate with the Hollywood heart-throb to find out if he had been poisoned by a jealous rival in August of 1926.
• • Since Valentino gave Mae advice on this occasion, she adopted him as a spiritual guide.
• • Increased Height in the After-Life • •
• • Interestingly, when a statue of "the Sheik" was commissioned in Apulia, the Puglese sculptor generously increased the height of the beloved silent screen star.
• • Apparently, the same thing happened for Mae who, in reality, was barely five feet tall. "A wax image of her was once on display at The Hollywood Wax Museum but that 5 ft. 5 in. tall figure, designed by Leah DeLio, and revamped by Hollywood Wax Museum curator Ken Horn, was auctioned off in 2009," writes Laura Deni, who displays a photo of the larger-than-lifesize figure in the current issue of her excellent online magazine Broadway to Vegas. The Nevada-based scribe adds the auctioneer's description of this statue: "Mae West looks sultry wearing a black floor length gown, black heels, and black feather boa as if she's about to say "Come up sometime and see me." This figure, designed by Leah DeLio, is one of the original figures of the Museum and revamped by Hollywood Wax Museum curator Ken Horn. The wax head was sculpted and portrait painted in oil and the figure stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall. ..."
• • In commemoration of the movie queen's birthday as well as her legendary floor shows in Las Vegas, Laura Deni has written a provocative and informative feature article. Broadway to Vegas has been published since April 1998. Read "Mae West Birthday Celebrated" at the link below.
• • Despite all of her contributions, only the Congo has seen fit to honor Mae West with a stamp.
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: "MAE WEST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED — — NO STAMP, NO STATUE, NO FAN CLUB
• • By Laura Deni, Editor and Publisher
• • Published in: Broadway to Vegas — —
http://www.broadwaytovegas.com/August8,2010.html
• • Published on: Saturday, 8 August 2010
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • During this week, the MAE WEST BLOG will savor some more revealing commemorations of the screen queen by her long-time fans and collectors of Westiana.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • a postage stamp from the Congo • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Chico's Mercedes-Benz

In 1932 Chico Marx issued a challenge and MAE WEST, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Gary Cooper were among silver screen luminaries who turned out in four busloads to watch the showdown at Muroc Dry Lake in the Mojave desert, north of Los Angeles, according to N.Y. Times reporter Jerry Garrett. Six years later, Muroc Dry Lake, now known as NASA's Edwards Air Force Base, was also the site of hot-roddings first major lakes professional event that took place back in 1938.
• • Test-driving the Marx Brothers' splendid 1928 Mercedes-Benz S 26/180 Boattail Speedster on a California speedway recently, Jerry Garrett explained: "The Mercedes-Benz is expected to be one of the stars of the auction blocks. It is largely in the same trim it was in 1932 when Chico Marx, the oldest of the comedic siblings, issued a challenge for a high-stakes match race against a Model J Duesenberg owned by a prominent Hollywood agent. ... The cars are to be offered for sale after the Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance on August 15th." [Source: "Art to Go: Driving 3 Masterpieces" by Jerry Garrett, The N.Y. Times on 6 August 2010].
• • It was in New York City during the 1920s that Mae West applied for her first driver's license. She gave her birth year as 1900.
• • During this week, the MAE WEST BLOG will savor some more revealing commemorations of the screen queen by her long-time fans and collectors of Westiana.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • none • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: August at The Corner

It was 1912 when MAE WEST got her first major vaudeville break: a spot on the bill at Hammerstein's Victoria in mid-May. At last the scintillating singing comedienne could demonstrate that she was in a league with top-tiered headliners such as Eva Tanguay, Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice, and Nora Bayes.
• • Later that year, close to her 19th birthday, Mae had been invited back to "The Corner" for a weeklong booking that began on 6 August 1912. She shared the stagebill with several acts — — including Fields and Carroll.
• • Half of the team was Arthur Fields [1888 — 1953] who was born as Abe Finkelstein in Philadelphia in the month of August — — on 6 August 1888 — — and who toured for years with Harry Carroll. Fields was just 11 years old when he turned pro, accepting singing engagements in Utica, New York and then branching out to Coney Island. Around 1908 the ambitious baritone toured with Guy Brother's Minstrel Show, and helped assemble a vaudeville novelty "Weston, Fields, and Carroll." Four years later, the partnership had been paired down to Fields and Carroll. Arthur Fields had his first hit as a songwriter with "On the Mississippi" (1912); he had composed this ragtime music with Harry Carroll, but Ballard MacDonald supplied the lyrics.
• • Mae West heard Fields and Carroll perform their jaunty rag "On the Mississippi" — — 98 years ago today on the corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street. Then "Mae West and Her Boys" sang a few rags and played the bones, minstrel style. Variety slammed their routine, suggesting she return to burlesque since she lacked the refinement necessary for top-drawer vaudeville. Instead Mae once again became a solo act, purchased new material, and kept on trouping.
• • "It's better to be looked over than overlooked," Mae would often say, refusing to hear the nay-saying, and steeling herself to press ever onward. Bravo.
• • Proust said that truth is only a point of view about things. Romain, who is a fairly new toastmaster at the Mae West banquet table, shares his personal tastes with our readers.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • In commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of Mae's burial, French follower Romain Tutak shares his journey into the heartland of Mae West country.
• • Part 2 • •
• • Romain writes: Since the Internet helped me acquire Mae West books and keepsakes, I was often trolling online for more Westiana.
• • The Mae West Color Site • •
• • Since I enjoyed the Color Site so much, I left a guestbook comment back in April 2007. Not long after, a response arrived from the webmaster Martin. He explained that he had developed the web site in collaboration with Ian, another fan, and he'd be happy to answer any questions.
• • Well, the conversation has not yet ended. I am often asking Martin's advice about items to buy. Martin told me about his experiences — — his meeting at Ian’s place filled with mountains of Mae-morablia. He clued me into other motion picture classics such as "Sunset Boulevard" and acquainted me with actresses like Bankhead, or Gloria Swanson. And, playfully, Martin called me a freak because I am so young but have old-fashioned tastes.
• • In 2007, I decided to leave Paris for Toulouse (Southern France) to study Fashion Design in a more affordable school.
• • SURPRISINGLY, this was where I stumbled across many fascinaing Mae West collectibles. No longer did I need to buy online when there were the most curious little shops — — unfortunately, some have since closed — — where I found her LPs and posters. One proprietor, a very kind man in his forties, sold me records at a discount. He'd say, "Because you seem to really like her, and that’s my only chance to sell it…!"
• • It seems to me that my modest collection is not impressive at all. I do not own anything that was hers, for instance. It's quite funny that, even when I was in Toulouse, burdened with tuition and living expenses, I always managed to have some euros to spend on Miss West, for a book, or another LP or a DVD.
• • • • The Lack of a Mae West Fan Club • • • •
• • I think it’s too bad there is no one who cares to maintain an official Mae West Fan Club or even an on-going forum on the Internet dedicated to her. A newcomer such as myself always needs a guide to check things out about Mae West. Despite the Internet, it is still difficult to get RELIABLE information. Internet information isn’t really trustworthy nor are some of the books.
• • Recently, I bought a new Mae West biography, only to discover it was filled with stupid errors; the writer made many careless mistakes, saying she died in 1978 and was buried in California, for example, and he furnished mostly the wrong dates for her films, songs, and shows. With disappointing biographies like this floating around, it becomes even more valuable to be able to check details with longtime fans, people who can answer my questions or verify details — — such as which perfume did Mae wear. Without an official fan club, where reliable information might come from, Mae's fan base is the only source. And I really want to thank these Mae experts. They know who they are and I feel blessed to "know" them.
• • Lack of Legacy Management • •
• • But it is a shame that there is no formal fan club for other reasons, too. These days my main concern is what her legal claimants are doing to keep her legacy, her memory, and her work alive. It does seem like she’s still very vivid as a character in people’s mind in the USA. With the right legacy management, Mae West could be like Marilyn Monroe or James Dean or Audrey Hepburn … though, of course, this was not half of what Miss West was!!! A fan club could help attract new FANS!!! I just don’t understand why they don’t try harder to make that happen.
• • There are plenty of things to do, to spread the word about Mae West, which would bring them loads of money. Let me ask these questions! Where are the unpublished plays?! Where is the Complete Collection of Miss West Movies? LPs? Writtings? Where is the tour operator who could design the ultimate Miss West Hollywood/ New York trip? The Mae West Official Youtube Channel, Facebook page, website (which is not a joke), forum, myspace…?!
• • Despite my being a tyro who still does not know much about her, Miss West has become part of my life. And she will stay a part of it for a long time, and I hope more people of my generation will be attracted to her… so that we’ll keep her work, her image, and her message of tolerance, acceptance, and humor still alive!! Though she is dead, this is not over. Her fascination and her impact will continue. I know this.
Written by: Romain Tutak, Paris, France
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: A French Twist

On the Internet, searches for MAE WEST spike during her birth month. In her screenplay for "I'm No Angel," she lent lion lady Tira her own birthday.
• • • • Rajah: You were born in August.
• • • • Tira: Yeah, one of the hot months.
• • • • Rajah: It was on the 17th under the sign of Leo, the Lion.
• • • • Tira: Aw, King of the Beasts, huh.
• • So many images of the screen queen and all of them upbeat, vivacious, quick-witted, determined to triumph. In the cinematic miracle of wish fulfillment, fans put a hand in hers, knowing it will close on what they meant to find. After spending sixty-six minutes immersed in one of her motion picture classics, the world can become brighter, clear as a just washed picture window.
• • True Mae-mavens baptize themselves in this epistle of joy and laughter, reaching a lion-hearted clarity, and primed to charge anew like a rocket trailing sparks.
• • Proust said that truth is only a point of view about things. Romain, who is a new convert to the Mae West mania, shares his epiphanies with our readers.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • In commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of Mae's burial, French follower Romain Tutak explains the influences that spurred his new obsession with Mae West.
• • Romain writes: I was born in France in 1986, six years after Mae West had died, and I am 24 years old now. My grandparents were not even alive when "She Done Him Wrong" was first shown in movie houses. In France, her impact on the cinema was not as important as in English speaking countries. It seems to me that very few French people know who she is.
• • Miss West wasn’t supposed to cross my path. But as I matured, I became even more interested in powerful women with a strong personality. Perhaps that is the link that connected me to her.
• • In 2006, when I was 20 years old, I discovered her. At the time I was a student studying English Literature and British Civilization. I was really into pin ups and the 1950s. Vintage was à la mode, it really was my thing such as watching old American movies with Marlene, Rita, Audrey etc. And since I was researching images of "the pin up girl" — — Bettie Page, Vargas, and Elvgren‘s drawings — — I discovered some graphics with powerful girl power message. I am part of The Spice Girls generation.
• • I hoped to learn more about these female identities in order to read their biographies. Then I found something that listed the pin-up girls by decade. Mae West was listed as one pin-up of the 1930s along with Marlene Dietrich. Her name rang a bell because I recalled her saying "I used to be Snow White, but I drifted."
• • That was enough for me to start digging deeper and I chanced upon a page with many of her one-liners. It blew my mind!!!
• • • • So Who the Hell Was This Funny Lady?! • • • •
• • I had to find out. Wikipedia gave me some quick details and then I fell in love. I HAD TO know more about her!!! I then discovered the Mae West Blog, which I had mentioned on a blog I was writing back in September 2006, and also the Mae West Color Site. Here I was hooked on Mae West, 26 years after her death, 74 years after her first appearance on the big screen, 80 years after "Sex," and 113 years after her birth.
• • So began my fabulous trip around the Mae West universe. I had previously been introduced to the Roaring Twenties by reading Francis Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" for my English class in high school. This started me off adoring that 1920s and 1930s look of glamour — — the fashionable silhouettes, the cabaret music, the big names: Louise Brooks, Mistinguett, Joséphine Baker etc. But Miss Mae West really nudged what was just a little crush into a Big Love Story!!!
• • The Internet helped me grow my modest collection of Westiana. First I got "Night After Night," and then "I’m No Angel," and then (I think) "Sextette," and others. Additionally, I’ve bought "The Fabulous Mae West and Other Wonderful Girls," Jon Tuska’s book (which I read from cover to cover without stopping). And I was still hunting for anything about Mae West online. [to be continued]
Written by: Romain Tutak, Paris, France
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Movie Classic cover • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Virgins Get In Free

Once again, MAE WEST will be honored on her birthday in her own hometown, NYC, and this year there is a special twist. Though tickets to see an exciting live performance by The Gaudy Girls will be $15 per person, a certain type of individual will be admitted at no charge — — virgins.
• • Garside the Great, the mesmerizing mind reader, will be imported direct from Coney Island (where Mae's father used to walk the beat 100 years ago). Stationed at the door, this imposing turbaned titan will demonstrate his skills as a purity detective. Are you chaste enough to withstand the mental penetration of Garside the Great on August 14th? Read on . . . .
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Empress of Sex Offers Free Admission For VIRGINS in August
• • Mae West and Sophie Tucker Sizzle at the Annual Mae West Birthday Tribute in NYC
• • New York, NY: The general public will pay $15 each to enjoy the Annual Mae West Birthday Tribute — — but virgins (who are over 21 years of age) will be admitted free — — when The Empress of Sex and The Last of the Red Hot Mamas entertain on Saturday night, August 14th, 2010.
• • Mental Penetration by Garside the Great • •
• • There will be a mind reader — — a purity detective imported from Coney Island — — at the door to determine who is naughty and who is snow white. Mae West once said, “I was snow white but I drifted.”
• • In honor of Mae’s upcoming birthday, both the pure and the (ahem) experienced are welcome to enjoy the music once performed by Mae West, Empress of Sex, and Sophie Tucker, the Last of The Red Hot Mamas. Join us for a shimmy-long night of good songs, swell jokes, jaw-dropping raffle prizes, and more.
• • And the live entertainment will ignite you and delight you on Saturday August 14, 2010 when two broads head back to Broadway — — Sophie Tucker along with Mae West.

• • Continuing her custom of commemorating the birthday of Mae West, playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo has a most exciting late-night treat in store this year: The Gaudy Girls, two talented beauties who perform the best-loved songs made famous by Sophie Tucker and Mae West. As part of their repertoire, the ladies will offer a tribute to New York-based composers and lyricists who created the hits “Frankie & Johnny,” “My Old Flame,” "Red Hot Mama,” “My Yiddishe Momme," "Everybody Shimmies Now," and more.
• • It's one night only so plan to come up and see Mae — — and Sophie. Details below.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
• • WHERE: ACTORS TEMPLE, 339 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036 [where SOPHIE TUCKER was one of their first vaudeville members in 1923]
• • WHO: MAE WEST [Anne Marie Finnie], SOPHIE TUCKER [Maggie Worsdale], presented and introduced by playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo — — and, of course, Garside the Great
• • WHAT ELSE: Shimmy lessons, raffle prizes, goodies, and a chance to win deluxe European scarves featuring MAE WEST’s quotes, a rare Mae West caricature, a Mae West teddy bear, and other keepsakes.
• • SUBWAYS: IND: C, E to West 50th Street station; BMT: N, R, W to West 49th Street station — — exit on the West 47th Street side.
• • GENERAL ADMISSION: $15. VIP service and Group Sales available.
• • URL: TheGaudyGirls.com and MaeWest.blogspot.com
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West Party • • Gaudy Girls and Garside • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Milton's Little Willie

MAE WEST sung "Willie of the Valley" in "My Little Chickadee" [1940]. Though the songwriter was uncredited, he is being unmasked on his birthday.
• • Born in New York City as Milton Druckman on 3 August 1916, Milton Drake was one of four children in a family that had emigrated from Romania (the Transylvania region).
• • Though Milton dropped out of school and did not study music formally, nevertheless, while still in his teens he began playing the ukulele and telling stories on his own radio program
• • During the 1930s, Milton lived in Hollywood and wrote songs for motion pictures. In 1940, he wrote "Willie of the Valley" with Ben Oakland [1907 — 1979] for the film "My Little Chickadee" and this had the distinction of being the only number in the movie and it was sung by Mae West herself.
• • He was known as The King of Novelty during the 1940s and scored a smash hit in 1943 with "Mairzy Doats," a novelty song he composed with Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston.
• • Milton Drake passed away in Palm Beach, Florida on 13 November 2006.
• • This early August date — — 3 August 1954 — — is when Colette died. The French author wrote a notable essay in 1934, assessing the impact of Mae West onscreen. Seventy-six years ago, Colette observed: "She alone, out of an enormous and dull catalogue of heroines, does not get married at the end of the film, does not die, does not take the road to exile, does not gaze sadly at her declining youth in a silver-framed mirror …. She alone has no parents, no children, no husband. This impudent woman is, in her style, as solitary as Chaplin used to be. ..."
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1940 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: A Scot's Remembrance

Dolly Dempsey began the first MAE WEST Fan Club during the 1930s. Dolly Dempsey was one of the few women Mae West admitted into her inner circle — — a woman for whom she had genuine affection. Kevin Thomas said Dolly was holding Mae's hand when she passed away on 22 November 1980. For many years Mae's fan club continued under the able stewardship of Craig Russell and Paul Novak (both deceased).
• • Who rates a fan club and who does not? In addition to the numerous societies organized by Marilyn Monroe admirers, here is a short sampling of the active groups that have banded together to show their appreciation of the actors and actresses who were Mae's peers.
• • Cary Grant's Fan Club:
• • The Email Warbrides is an email fan club for Cary Grant fans. It started off in July 1996 as a manual mailing list called CGML, because Zoë (mailing list owner) was sure that she was NOT the only Cary Grant fan in cyberspace. And they finally got an autolist at the end of October 1997 — — this list was called the Email Warbrides. The mailing list has continued serving a growing membership. To join: send email to warbrides-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
• • The Official W.C. Fields Fan Club:
• • Ted Wioncek is the president. To join: http://www.webtrec.com/wcfields/fanclubnews.html
• • The Rudolph Valentino Society and Fan Club:
• • Becoming a Proud Sahara Knight includes many benefits. To join: http://rudolphvalentino.org/join.html [an efficient and attractive web site].
• • The Official Marlene Dietrich Website & Fan Club:
• • Marlene Dietrich's Fan Club has been established with the cooperation of her heirs and estate. To join: http://www.marlene.com/index.html [an elegant web site].
• • A corporate site run by the paid employees of Corbis claims to have an "official" fan club for Mae West, however, no such information appears on any page. Therefore, it is not necessary to list the URL.
• • Proust said that truth is only a point of view about things. Ian, an avid collector of Westiana and one of the founders of the handsome "Mae West Color Site," cherishes the Brooklyn bombshell and presents these thoughts to our readers.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • In commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of Mae's burial, Scottish admirer Ian Macnicol examines some of the inciting incidents that sparked a life-long love of Miss Mae West.
• • • • PART 2 • • • •
• • Continuing from yesterday, Ian offers these thoughts.
• • • Ian writes: I have long tried to analyze why Mae holds such a fascination for me. As a child, on the surface, I guess it was simply her keen and suggestive wit, her unique style of delivery, and her amazing looks that attracted me to her and, of course, the fact that she brought my Dad and I closer together. One happy outcome was that my father funded the purchase of her records and we listened to them constantly.
• • • But I suspect other aspects of her persona also entered my consciousness, perhaps subliminally, i.e., the fact that she was always the architect of her own destiny, she was nobody’s fool, and she always knew and got what she wanted. As an adult, it is now clear to me that she was a woman succeeding in a man’s world, and a hostile world at that. By analogy, I think that helped me as a gay man trying to succeed in a straight and sometimes hostile world. The key to all success is self-belief — — and self-belief is something Mae had in spades. So, to that extent, she has been a role model for me and she has helped me through many difficult times. Just thinking about her cheers me up and it always has.
• • • Mae was a ground-breaker, always ahead of her time; no subject was taboo to her. One aspect of her life that is rarely viewed in the positive was her determination not to let her age determine how she wanted to present herself, how she acted or what roles she chose to play. At the time, some commentators suggested that she set herself up for ridicule but viewed today, i.e., thirty years after her death, her approach very much goes with the grain. It is ironic that Raquel Welch [birthdate: 5 September 1940], who said so many disparaging things about the aging Mae during their time together on “Myra Breckenridge,” is now 69-going-on-70 and nearly the same age as Mae was then, and yet she is applauded by one and all for her age-defying appearance and the fact that she has yet to play a granny!
• • • A Fellowship Instead of a Mae West Fan Club • • •
• • • Mae West may not have the following today that the likes of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean have, but her fans are, nevertheless, fiercely loyal and devoted to her memory. When Martin Kappinga and I were creating our tribute website — — www.maewest.nl — — we were overwhelmed by the kindness of fellow fans who contributed resources for use on the site.
• • • I have so enjoyed meeting fellow fans both in person and online, both in the UK and the US. Through my interest in Mae West, I have made a number of firm and much-valued friends. I hope for a time when Mae will be rediscovered by the younger generations because I genuinely believe that her appeal is timeless and that her work holds up well despite the long passage of time since it was made.
Written by: Ian Macnicol, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Recollections from Abroad

MAE WEST used to say: "I speak two languages — — body and English." It's obvious that her appeal is not just North American. You don't need to have grown up on the East or West Coast to "get" her.
• • What effect was there on her fans abroad and on her anxious household in November 1980, as the vivacious performer millions have applauded slipped further back, wavering in those last temporary breaths? A news flash on the 22nd fractured the calm, partnered with an emptying fear, words waving goodbye. Was it a star or a far streetlight that blinkered out just then? Yet something left a slender pathway of tracks — — recollections that filled in our emptiness.
• • Proust said that truth is only a point of view about things. Ian, an avid collector of Westiana and one of the wizards behind the vivid "Mae West Color Site," cherishes the Brooklyn bombshell and opens a precious memory book for our readers.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • In commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of Mae's burial, Scottish admirer Ian Macnicol writes about Mae West and the family affair that sparked his tender attachment.
• • • Ian remembers: My interest in Mae West goes right back to my childhood. My Mother revered the film stars of her youth — — Crawford, Davis, etc. — — and I grew up enjoying their films on TV with her. Even as a child, I loved the look of the classic Hollywood movies. However, it was my Father who introduced me to Mae West.
• • • Dad worked away during the week and he worked nights, so I only ever saw him at the weekend and hardly ever in daylight! It was nothing short of an event when, one Sunday afternoon, Dad got up to watch TV — — the idol of his youth, Mae West, was on the telly! The film was “She Done Him Wrong” and I sat at his feet to see who in the world had achieved this miracle. I was completely bowled over by Mae, laughing my head off at all the witty lines and basically just eating her up; I “got” her immediately. History repeated itself the next Sunday when “I’m No Angel” was televised and, from then on, Dad and I had something in common: a life-long love of Miss Mae West.
• • • Unbelievably, Mae was not back on TV in the UK for almost 10 years and in those days (the 1960s) it was not easy to find out about her. However, I did what I could, devouring the available books, including “Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It,” all of which only added to my fascination. At some point in the mid 1960s there was a big spread about Mae in a magazine. I was totally amazed by her appearance and delighted in her expressed outlook on life and in her total belief in herself. It wasn’t long after that that rumours began to percolate that Mae was about to make a film comeback in Gore Vidal’s “Myra Breckenridge” [1970]. Suddenly, there was massive press coverage about Mae, and I was in seventh heaven!
• • • I wrote to her and sent her a painting I had done. In return, I got a lovely hand-signed picture that I cherish to this day. I joined her photo-fan club and got a couple of batches of beautiful 8 x 10s that way. Looking back, it would appear that Paul Novak ran that club since the envelopes all bear the Ravenswood address and the sender is noted as Charles Krauser (the name he initially used when he appeared with Mae in her nightclub act).
• • • • • • One Man's a-MAE-zing Collection • • • • • •
• • • The internet has allowed Mae West fans greater and easier access to Mae West material and memorabilia and, of course, to one another. Indeed, my own collection would not exist were it not for the net. The main collections lie in several private hands as well as a number of public archives, most notably the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Having seen its photo collection, I am aware that it is very light on biographical photos and those chronicling her early and later theatrical career and her nightclub act. I am, therefore, more inclined to collect photos from those areas of her life as I plan to bequeath my paper/photo collection to the Academy.
• • • I also have quite a big collection of ephemera, which I have exhibited for friends and fellow fans, much to their enjoyment and amusement. This includes the paste necklace Mae wore in the “Hard to Handle” number in “Myra” and the fox fur trimmed cape she wore in the “Next” sequence in “Sextette." These were from her personal wardrobe and there are many photos of her wearing these items prior to their film appearances. My favourite piece, however, is a little handbag that she must have used many times for even after all these years, it still has the faint smell of her perfume and powder. I had intended having the bag restored but it is much more interesting to me in its current state.
• • • Knitted Stockings • • •
• • • One kind of funny thing I own is the pair of knitted stockings Mae wears in the photos with Julie Andrews [see picture on the left] where Mae sports her seldom seen but still fine pair of legs. ... [to be continued]
Written by: Ian Macnicol, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West shows her legs in 1927 • • and again with Julie Andrews • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.