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On December 12th — — the date of the old "Chase and Sanborn Hour" tempest — — what often comes to mind is how much was political and how much MAE WEST was merely a pawn in a Catholic reformers game. It's ironic that a skit set in the Garden of Eden could lead to Eve's banishment from the airwaves, an expulsion by the lords of the Legion of Decency.
• • For a well-researched analysis of this, Steve Craig's article — — "Out of Eden: The Legion of Decency, the FCC, and Mae West's 1937 Appearance on The Chase & Sanborn Hour" — — in The Journal of Radio Studies [November 2006] is most enlightening.
• • Helen Menken's birthday is December 12th • •
• • How many performers could say they were arrested with Mae West? 
• • It was on 9 February 1927 that Mae — — along with the cast of "Sex," and the cast of "The Captive," and the cast of "The Virgin Man" — — was cuffed and dragged in to Night Court.
• • Broadway ingenue Dorothy Hall [1906 — 1953] was the youngest actress to face the judge after the raid; Hall was 21 years old. Helen Menken was 26 and Mae was 33 at the time of this arrest.
• • Native New Yorker Helen Menken [12 December 1901 — 27 March 1966] was born Helen Meinken to a German-French father, Frederick Meinken, and an Irish-born mother, Mary Madden. She was still a newly-wed, having married Humphrey Bogart in May 1926, when discussions started about an American version of a French sensation called "The Captive" (a controversial new drama about a lesbian who leaves her husband for a woman).
• • Perhaps the prestige this play enjoyed in Paris persuaded Helen Menken to accept the leading role. "The Captive" was produced at the Empire Theatre, opening on 29 September 1926.
• • During December 1926 both "The Captive" and "Sex" were doing brisk business at the box office. While Mae did everything possible to get more publicity to attract men to see her show, Helen Menken reached out to women theatre-goers.
• • Unknown to her fans (nor revealed to reporters) was this alarming coincidence. Though Helen appeared so confident onstage in her role as the unconventional heroine Irene De Montcel, at home her alcoholic husband was getting drunk and beating her. Not long after the police padlocked the play on 9 February 1927 [after 160 performances], Helen would divorce the brutish Bogart.
• • The police stopped the play during a scene between Basil Rathbone and Helen Menken. • • Playing the role of Mr. Clean, attempting to disinfect the sewer Broadway had become, New York City's Acting Mayor Joseph V. McKee made sure the news men were informed the evening before.
• • After 10:00 PM, Helen Menken, Dorothy Hall, and Mae West were charged with "contributing to a common nuisance" and "obscene exhibition" and found themselves shoulder to shoulder with each other and answerable to Magistrate John Flood Wells, who set bail at $1,000 each.
• • On February 10th, the local newspapers focused more on Miss Hall and Miss Menken than on Mae West. All three producers sought restraining orders permitting them to reopen. Under fire, Dorothy Hall immediately quit the play — — and Lucille Lortel replaced her.
• • Helen Menken continued her Broadway career, starring in a number of plays until the mid-1930s. One of her greatest stage triumphs was "The Old Maid," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play that starred Menken and Judith Anderson from January — September 1935. [Bette Davis would recreate Menken's role as the spinster with a secret in the 1939 film version.] Menken's final Broadway appearance was in an unsuccessful piece named "The Laughing Woman," which closed after a few weeks in 1937. She was active on radio in the 1940s (notably recreating her performance opposite Judith Anderson in a 1946 radio adaption of "The Old Maid") and a major presence behind the scenes in the theater world, especially at the American Theatre Wing. She received a special Tony Award posthumously in 1966 for her work.
• • Don't you wish you could have been there when the door to the police paddy wagon opened on 9 February 1927 and the 26-year-old Helen Menken came face to face with Mae West for the first time?• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Broadway rivals in 1927 Menken with Rathbone • •
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Mae West.
Wearing a derby, he took the role of Spider Kane and had some scenes with Lady Lou played by MAE WEST.
• • Born in New Haven Connecticut on 17 August 1898, Dewey Robinson was solidly booked as a character actor for several decades. He looked right at home in Gus Jordan's Bowery saloon in She Done Him Wrong [filmed in 1932 when Dewey was 34].
• • According to movie maven Hal Erickson: Barrel-chested American actor Dewey Robinson was much in demand during the gangster cycle of the early '30s. Few actors could convey muscular menace and mental vacuity as quickly and as well as the mountainous Mr. Robinson. Most of his roles were bits, but he was given extended screen time as a polo-playing mobster in Edward G. Robinson's Little Giant (1933), as a bored slavemaster in the outrageously erotic "No More Love" number in Eddie Cantor's Roman Scandals (1933), and as a plug-ugly ward heeler at odds with beauty contest judge Ben Turpin in the slapstick 2-reeler Keystone Hotel (1935).
• • Dewey Robinson died in Las Vegas, Nevada in the month of December — — on 11 December 1950. A fatal myocardial infarction finished him off. The cinema veteran was 52 years old.
• • Vote for "Baby, It's Cold Outside" • •
• • New York Magazine pondered the age-old question: Glee vs. YouTube: Who Did ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ Best?
• • New York Magazine polled readers: Last night's Glee delivered a comfy megadose of Christmas spirit: Brittany still believes in Santa Claus! Sue is the Grinch! Gift of the Magi! (Okay, that one wasn't so comfy.) And coziest of all, Kurt and Blaine's standout version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside." But was the pair's rendition of this classic duet better than Rock Hudson and Mae West, Selma Blair and Rainn Wilson, hand puppets, and more? (Only actual videos were held in consideration. Sorry Bing, Dean, Rod.)
• • You can vote for Mae West's version on nymag.com
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1932 UK ad • •
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Mention Jascha Heifetz and few would suspect a link to MAE WEST during the Prohibition Era.
• • Born in 1901 in Vilnius (then the Russian Empire, now Lithuania), Jascha Heifetz was a violin virtuoso. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time and people who follow classical music know about his other career highlights and recordings.
• • In 1930, the 29-year-old Heifetz lived next door to Mae West in Manhattan.
• • Heifetz died in Los Angeles during the month of December — — on 10 December 1987 at the age of 86.
• • Shadow and Substance: My Time with Charlie Chaplin • •
• • St. Louis, Missouri writer Gerry Mandel turned his extensive knowledge about early Hollywood, the Jazz Age, and Chaplin into his first novel. Douglas Fairbanks is seen bending elbows with Chaplin at a Los Angeles bar, and Mae West, Buster Keaton, and Cary Grant are noticed in local hang-outs, too. If you enjoy fiction that swirls around celebrity names and seethes with Chaplinesque mysteries, check this out. And good luck to Mr. Mandel.
• • On 10 December 2010 help restore a vaudeville gem! • •
• • Speaking of Mae West and Buster Keaton, these vaudeville greats once performed at the Lyric Theatre on Third Avenue North in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. That magnificent old vaudeville palace has become, alas, quite dilapidated and thus it's been shuttered for decades. Tsk! But the non-profit group Birmingham Landmarks Inc. is hosting a Benefit, hoping to raise enough green to restore this playhouse. The fundraiser is set for the Spring Street Firehouse in Avondale tonight — — on Friday, 10 December 2010 at 7 PM. Tell them the Mae West Blog gave you a nudge.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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The role of Captain Cummings — — in MAE WEST's play "Diamond Lil" — — required a handsome, charismatic man with stage training. For the Broadway role, Mae chose Curtis Cooksey, who was born in Pike County, Indiana during the month of December — — on 9 December 1891. 
• • "Diamond Lil" debuted at the Royale Theatre [242 West 45th Street, NYC] on 9 April 1928. It was a box office success as well as a favorite with drama critics.• • Since 1916, the 25-year-old actor began winning leading roles on The Great White Way. Curtis Cooksey had starred in over a dozen productions before stepping into his Salvation Army uniform to make an impact on a beautiful saloon singer, a vivacious blonde bombshell who told him, "Diamonds is my career."• • Since 1911, Curtis Cooksey had also been cast in silent films [debut: "Taming a Tyrant"] and he made a smooth transition into talkies.
• • In the film version of Mae's play, Cary Grant played Captain Cummings [a.k.a. "The Hawk"].• • After a long career in Tinseltown, Cooksey contracted cancer. He committed suicide in Hollywood on 19 April 1962. He was 70 years old.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • her co-star Curtis Cooksey • •
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Mention "Night After Night," the classic Pre-Code gem featuring MAE WEST, and many fans will recall leading man George Raft and the wonderful cast assembled by Paramount Pictures — — but let's not forget Bradley Page who played the role of Frankie Guard.
• • Born in Seattle, Washington, Bradley Page [8 September 1901 — 8 December 1985] was a character actor who worked steadily in dozens of motion pictures during the years 1931 —1943. "Isle of Missing Men" is among his final film credits, not long after which he seems to be missing from the Hollywood scene.
• • Bit part player Bradley Page died in Brookings, Oregon during the month of December — — on 8 December 1985 at the age of 84.• • It is Beverly's birthday! • • • • In the month of December, we honor Mae's younger sister Beverly — — born on 8 December 1898.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mention "I'm No Angel," the classic screen gem written by and starring MAE WEST, and many fans will recall the Paramount Pictures team behind the scenes including the director Wesley Ruggles — — but let's not forget Leopold.
• • Born in New Haven, Connecticut in the month of December, Leo Tover, A.S.C. [6 December 1902 — 30 December 1964] was an American cinematographer, twice nominated for Academy Awards for his work on "The Heiress" (1949) and "Hold Back the Dawn" (1941). Among his other credits are "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "Payment on Demand," both released in 1951.
• • Leopold Tover started working as a cinematographer in 1928 when he was 26 years old and cinema was a new field. Perhaps you already know that a cinematographer is the one photographing with a motion picture camera. The title is generally equivalent to director of photography (DP), used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image. In 1933, it was Leo Tover who gave "I'm No Angel" its intriguing visual Art Deco flair.
• • After a long, successful period in Hollywood, Tover died in Los Angeles, California during late December when he was 62.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Joe Breen ran MAE WEST through the ringer and robbed her scripts of vigor.
• • Once the Brooklyn bombshell was under contract to Paramount Pictures, Joseph Breen, "the Hitler of Hollywood," took a hatchet to all of Mae's scripts and ripped the fun out.
• • Joseph Breen died at age 75 during the month of December — — on 5 December 1965. It is doubtful that Mae West attended his funeral.
• • In December let's remember . . . • •
• • Versatile actor Paul Harvey hailed from Sandwich, Illinois where he was born on 10 September 1882. The dapper six-foot-two leading man enjoyed success on Broadway, creating several memorable roles from 1916 — 1933. When he went out to Hollywood, he was cast in nearly 180 motion pictures. Fans will remember him as Donovan in "Goin' to Town" [1935].
• • Paul Harvey died at age 73 due to a coronary thrombosis in the month of December — — on 5 December 1955 — — in Los Angeles, California.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Archie Mayo directed MAE WEST in 1932 — — and we are thinking of him because he died during the month of December.
• • Born in New York City, Archie Mayo [29 January 1891 — 4 December 1968] was a stage actor who relocated to the West Coast in 1915 and soon began working as a film director.
• • Mayo directed the speakeasy motion picture "Night After Night" [1932] — — a George Raft vehicle that did more for Mae's career than for the tough guy actor known best for "Scarface."
• • Critiquing the film's debut, Variety (for once) was full of praise for Mae West.
• • Reviewer Bige wrote: Bootlegger stuff and some gangster atmosphere climaxed by and off screen shooting finish are played down to run secondary to the feminine interest. Raft is mixed up in both. The women are: a past flame (West), recently discarded sweetheart (Gibson), present head woman and "nice" girl (Cummings) and a middle-aged school teacher employed to give the mugg English lessons. When the Misses Skipworth and West are on view, together or separately, the laughs come often, and in the brief period assigned them as a team the comedy pace is even speedier. They do a virtual cross-fire two-act when doubling. Miss West's dialog is always unmistakably her own. It is doubtful if anyone else could write it just that way.
• • The way the West—Skipworth moments stand out suggests the picture could have stood more of them, but the obvious intent is to nurse Miss West along. She's tossed into this one rather abruptly and without bearing on the plot, much in the manner that Jimmy Durante has been handled by Metro. That's okay if they don't do it too often. As long as this film proves the former legit name has something for pictures it wouldn't be taking a chance to shoot the works on her from now on.
• • Miss Skipworth's intelligent painting of a cultured lady having her first taste of hotcha is a gem. Misses Cummings and Gibson are more restricted than their elders, holding down ingenue-like roles that call for looks mostly. But they deliver in every way. No leading man has been more ably supported.
• • Story is merely that of a mugg who yearns to toss off the mugg staff after falling in love at a distance with a Lady. That he winds up with his goal attained doesn't matter much, although the happy ending changes the tone that runs through the story up to them. He's told midway by one of the girls he is more likable when he's himself. . . . [Source: Variety Magazine; columnist Bige; an excerpt from a lengthy review originally published on 1 November 1932.]
• • In addition to "Night After Night," Archie Mayo's directorial credits include Is Everybody Happy? (1929) with Ted Lewis, The Petrified Forest (1936) with Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart, and The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) with Gary Cooper.
• • Mayo retired in 1946 — — shortly after completing A Night in Casablanca with the Marx Brothers and Angel on My Shoulder with Paul Muni, Anne Baxter, and Claude Rains.
• • Mayo has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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MAE WEST gets full chapter coverage in a new book-length study of a neglected motion picture genre — — the comedy.
• • "Another Fine Mess: A History of American Film Comedy" [Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 576 pages] is the work of Saul Austerlitz, a writer living in New York City.
• • According to a review by critic David M. Kinchen: From "City Lights" to "Knocked Up," Austerlitz examines American film from the perspective of its unwanted stepbrother, the comedy, and puts the comic titans of the present in the context of their predecessors. The chapters and short essays follow the connections that link Mae West to Marilyn Monroe and W. C. Fields to Will Ferrell. ...
— — Excerpt: — —
• • BOOK REVIEW: 'Another Fine Mess' — — Film Comedy Deserves More Respect and Saul Austerlitz Tries to Level the Playing Field
• • Reviewer David M. Kinchen
• • Published by: HuntingtonNews.Net [located in Huntington, WV 25701]
• • Published on: 2 December 2010• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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It's doubtful that MAE WEST was overjoyed at the release of "The Heat's On," which debuted on 2 December 1943.
• • A sharp-eyed California costume designer who watched this curiosity recently shared this poignant observation: "It was not a great film but Mae West looked fabulous and sang better than ever. Unfortunately, one shot disclosed that she was certainly not the star — — in the dressing room where the back of her dress had severe unsightly horizontal wrinkles from its tightness. Obviously, the audience was supposed to focus on her face in the mirror, but a more expert or reverential cameraman would have simply shaded the back area to near darkness."
• • Did you notice this off-beat detail, too?
• • In early 1943, when "Catherine Was Great" was being hammered out, Mae got a visit from Ratoff. He wanted her to star in a new film for Columbia Pictures to be called "The Heat's On," which he would direct. To arouse Mae's interest further, he hinted that he might also produce her newest extravaganza rushing to Broadway. Alas, when The New Times sat through this mess, the critic noted, "The heat is definitely OFF!"
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1943 • •
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Just when you thought you could name each and every motion picture starring MAE WEST comes an obituary for an actor that names a film you never heard of — — or have you?
• • According to Simon Foster's obit for actor Leslie Nielsen: A strapping, athletic young man, his natural talent as ‘anchor’ on his frat house’s cheer-squad pyramid led to a career in acting, initially as a means by which to scam insurance claims but ultimately as a stand-out member of the North Dakotan comedy troupe, ‘The Rarely Scene Players.' [So far so good.]
• • Leslie Nielsen as a "powder boy" in a Mae West movie? • •
• • Then Simon Foster adds this twist: Graduating from backstage giggler during the company’s acclaimed all-nude version of ‘South Pacific,’ Leslie Nielsen was soon basking in leading-man glory as Willy Loman in the ensemble’s staging of an all-nude ‘Death of a Salesman.’ Hollywood beckoned, though nude roles proved elusive, and Leslie Nielsen was forced to take thankless parts in little-seen films (‘Bus driver’ in Stan Laurel’s "I’ve Paid My Fare"; ‘Powder boy’ in Mae West’s "It’s Still Shiny!"). ...
• • Maybe Foster was kidding when he wrote "RIP Leslie Nielsen" on 29 November 2010. You can reach Simon Foster at SBS Television in Australia [Address: 14 Herbert Street, Artarmon NSW 2064].• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Who doesn't love MAE WEST?
• • Well, even though Cecil Beaton was madly pursuing Greta Garbo, who spurned his marriage proposal, he also dedicated himself to avidly photographing the aristocrats, the fashionable, singers, and movie icons such as the Brooklyn bombshell. 
• • In a new photography book Cecil Beaton: The Art of the Scrapbook, there are many handsome black-and-white stills. The collection was edited by James Danziger and published by Assouline. New York Magazine celebrated this new title with a neat slide show on their website — — featuring pictures Beaton took of Mae West as well as other big names.
• • Featured photo montage of Mae West, courtesy of Assouline.
• • Thomas J. Gray • •
• • Mae was named for her paternal grandmother Mary Jane Copley, who was born in Ireland. And her familiarity with Irish dialects gave Mae a tremendous advantage in vaudeville, where she was often cast as an Irish maid — — and sang Irish novelties such as Tommy Gray's comical song "They Are Irish," to which Mae added a few more choruses, each in a different Irish accent.
• • The "Bard of Broadway" was born in New York City, Mae's hometown.
• • Talented and prolific, Thomas J. Gray [1888 — 1924] was an author and lyricist who had been educated at Holy Cross School and was a charter member of ASCAP (1914). He served overseas during World War I, and later wrote songs for Broadway and London revues, plus special material for Mae West, Bert Williams, Blossom Seeley, Frank Tinney, Savoy & Brennan, Trixie Friganza, and many others. He was also a columnist for Variety and the New York Dramatic Mirror. His chief musical collaborators included Fred Fisher and Ray Walker.
• • Bronchitis cut short his brilliant career. Tommy died in the month of November — — on 30 November 1924. He was 36 years old.
• • Though Mae often did not pay his bills, and was taken to court more than once by Tommy, she attended his funeral at St. Malachy's in midtown, a standing-room-only affair.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1930s • •
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MAE WEST said: "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." 
• • This statement could easily describe her handsome co-star Cary Grant, who died in the month of November — — on November 29th. Mae granted him access to a motion picture classic and paved his way for more leading man roles.• • It’s a kick to see Cary, still a youthful Englishman in 1932 [18 January 1904 — 29 November 1986], opposite Mae West before his own movie star image had solidified. The promise may be there, but Grant is stiff in the role of Captain Cummings. He would not yet become the polished and adroit comic leading man that he turned himself into by the end of the nineteen-thirties. As the uniformed do-gooder, he is baby-faced and no real match for West’s dominating presence.
• • Cary Grant was not yet thirty the first time he starred opposite West, and his age adds another provocative element to West’s gleefully taboo-busting, sexually frank presence. “To be sexual with younger men has been, according to Hollywood, a female sin punishable by death or dishonor,” feminist film critic Kathi Maio writes in her book Popcorn and Sexual Politics. “There have only been rare exceptions. When Mae West encouraged Cary Grant, a much younger man, to come up and see her sometime, she wasn’t interested in baking him a batch of brownies. Mae was sexy, but her blatant bawdiness was never threatening because her come hither looks were played for comedy. And besides, Mae West got to break the rules governing female comportment because Mae West was a law unto herself.”
• • Kathi Maio is mostly right here — — West really does seem to be a law unto herself as she shimmies across the screen and swaps lascivious double entendres, but what Maio neglects to acknowledge is that there were a great number of people who did find West extremely threatening, and that her persona only emerged as the result of cleverness and persistence in the face of censorship.
• • As for Cary Grant's emerging persona, he confessed, "I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be and I finally became that person. Or he became me. Or we met at some point.” In other words, Cary came up sometime — — to see his better self.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/________
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • on the set in 1932 • •
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During the 1920s, MAE WEST performed "Diamond Lil" onstage in San Bernadino in an imposing playhouse that seated 1200 — 1400 ticket-holders.
• • California reporter Nita Hiltner has researched the fascinating history of this building that was ahead of its time. According to Nita Hiltner: An elaborate red brick theatre, built in 1882 by mountain man and civic leader James W. Waters (who had traveled with Kit Carson and Herman Brinkmeyer), was furnished grandly with red velvet curtains, box seats, and an orchestra pit. The opera house at D and Court Streets was popular with the celebrities who performed there . . . .
• • Nita Hiltner writes: After James W. Waters died, Martha Kiplinger, his daughter, took over the management of the opera house in 1894 and began bringing in top entertainers such as Sarah Bernhardt, Al Jolson, Lillian Russell, Howard Kyle, Maude Adams, and George M. Cohan.
• • Nita Hiltner adds: From Broadway came magician Harry Houdini, Mae West, Will Rogers, and the Barrymores. ...
• • This is a must-read for theatre buffs and followers of California history, so check out the link while this is still online.
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: Southern California's first opera house — — SAN BERNARDINO: The facility was popular with the celebrities of the day who performed there.
• • By Nita Hiltner | Special to The Press-Enterprise
• • Published in: The Press-Enterprise — — www.pe.com/
• • Published on: 27 November 2010
• • Vaudevillians Fields and Carroll • •
• • Mae West performed at Hammerstein's Victoria during August 1912 and Fields and Carroll were on the same stagebill. Harry Carroll, a well-regarded American songwriter, pianist and composer, was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the month of November — — on 28 November 1892. Harry Carroll died on 26 December 1962, in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania. His brilliant career will be the topic of another post.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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On Thanksgiving, some news people gave thanks for MAE WEST.
• • For instance, San Diego, California reporter Beth Accomando wrote: I give thanks to Paul Newman for the bluest blue eyes and for bucking the system with impertinence; to Errol Flynn for swashbuckling his way through adventures with a rogue's grin that could make me swoon; and to Robert Mitchum for lighting up a cigarette like no one else could. And to all the cinematic clowns who made me laugh till my sides ached starting with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd who needed no words; to Hong Kong's Stephen Chow who mixed physical and verbal comedy with equal ease; to Carole Lombard, Barbara Stanwyck, and Jean Arthur for their sophisticated screwball comediennes; and to Mae West who could turn any phrase into a suggestive come on.
• • MAN: I shall die to make you happy.
• • MAE WEST: But you're no good to me dead.
— — Excerpt: — —
• • Article: Rants and Raves: Films to be Thankful For — — This Thanksgiving What Films Are You Grateful For?
• • By Beth Accomando
• • Published via: www.kpbs.org/
• • Published on: 24 November 2010• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Eugene O'Neill, You've Put a Curse on Broadway • •• • In 1922, Mae West spoofed Eugene O'Neill's play "The Hairy Ape" during one comical number for "The Ginger Box Review."
• • It was during November that the native New York dramatist died — — on 27 November 1953. Considering he won so many awards, why did O'Neill look so sour in every photo he posed for? If you have an explanation, let us know. Inquiring minds are wondering. . . .• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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The last revival of "Diamond Lil" — — written by and starring MAE WEST — — staged at the Broadway Theatre [1681 Broadway, NYC] closed during the month of November in 1951.
• • One of the performers who portrayed Russian Rita was Zolya Talma. Born in California on 14 February 1895, the actress appeared numerous times on The Great White Way as well as on TV in two Alfred Hitchcock episodes; she also appeared in "The Rose Tattoo" and other major motion pictures during the 1950s. Zolya Talma died during November — — on 26 November 1983 — — in Los Angeles, California at the age of 88. Today we pay tribute to this Broadway mainstay.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West.
Come up and see MAE WEST this coming Tuesday. 
• • Columbia, Missouri journalist Aarik Danielsen sets forth the history on the pre-Code Era: The transition from silent films to “talkies” included a period where filmmakers operated relatively free of censorship. With the libertine spirit of the 1920s still roaring inside and the technology to give their characters’ secret desires a voice, these creative conspirators tackled uncomfortable social topics in an often raw, risqué fashion before the brakes were applied through a binding Code of conduct. The best of these pre-Code films have been shown during “Forbidden Hollywood,” a series at Ragtag Cinema that continues Tuesday with Barbara Stanwyck in “Baby Face” and concludes with the Mae West — Cary Grant vehicle “She Done Him Wrong” on November 30th. Both screenings are at 6:00 pm.
• • Aarik Danielsen notes: Since moving to Columbia, Missouri six years ago, physician Lokke Heiss looked for an opportunity to program a series at Ragtag Cinema showcasing films made in the pre-Code period of 1930 to 1934, his favorite in Hollywood history. Though fleeting, those 48 months were, Heiss said, a “window of opportunity” yielding some of cinema’s paramount classics. ...
• • Aarik Danielsen adds: Fans of Mae West can see her at her bawdy best in “She Done Him Wrong,” which features her iconic turn of phrase, “Why don’t you come up some time and see me?” Adapted from a play, it stars West as a saloon entertainer embroiled in a world of criminal activity. Some scholars have suggested strong female leads and the treatment of issues relevant to women were better handled in pre-Code movies than for decades to follow, a battle still being waged today. The “vibrant” trajectory of black roles also was derailed once the Code was enforced, Heiss added. ...
• • According to Dr. Heiss: Mae West’s character essentially has two people killed … by what she does and, instead of her getting put to jail, she gets to marry Cary Grant,” Heiss said of “She Done Him Wrong.” “The bad woman doesn’t get punished — — she gets rewarded. Now, after 1934, that would have been the opposite. She would have to die or be put in jail so that the hero could marry the ‘good girl.’ ” . . .
• • WHEN: 6:00 PM on Tuesday, 30 November 2010
• • WHERE: Ragtag Cinema, 10 Hitt Street, Columbia, MO 65201-5014; T (573) 443-4359
— — Excerpt: — —
• • This article was published with the headline "CROSSING THE LINE — — Lokke Heiss explores a glorious time in pre-Code film history replete with strong women, bad men"
• • Byline: Aarik Danielsen| e-mail: ajdanielsen [at] columbiatribune.com
• • Published by: The Columbia Daily Tribune, 101 North 4th Street, Columbia, MO 65201
• • Published on: Sunday, 21 November 2010• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1932 • •
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NYC
Mae West.
MAE WEST told a reporter that she almost married George Raft [26 September 1895 — 24 November 1980], a native New Yorker and an actor most closely identified with his portrayals of gangsters in crime dramas of the 1930s — 1940s.
• • Born George Ranft in Manhattan to Conrad Ranft (who was of German descent), he adopted a slick "tough guy" persona that he would later use in his films. 
• • In 1910, little Georgie was living with his sister and parents on West 163rd Street, which was the Washington Heights section.
• • As with the case of Mae West's maternal side, George's mother was also born in Germany; she emigrated to the USA in 1878. Eva Glockner Ranft taught dancing to theatre people — — and gave her son lessons. His smooth tango and dance-floor style led to performances at some of Times Square's most fashionable nightspots. He became part of the stage act of "Texas Guinan and Her Gang."
• • In 1923 George Raft wed Grayce Mulrooney. Though it was soon apparent that this was a bad move, the devout Roman Catholic refused to give him a divorce. Grayce finally died in 1970, when her husband was 75.
• • A former boxer, George Raft also ran errands for Owney — — such as retrieving his box office cut every evening after "Sex" and "Diamond Lil." Raft handled more than cash inside Mae's dressing room, where the dapper New Yorker staged a steamy (private) performance of his own on Broadway.
• • In 1928 Mae West tried to recruit him for the role of Juarez in "Diamond Lil" but George said he "wasn't ready." In truth, his lack of schooling made him worry that he might not be able to remember all the lines and cues for a stage play. As a dancer, he didn't have to worry about memorizing a lot.
• • In 1929 Raft moved to Hollywood and took small roles. His success came in Scarface [1932], the role that was originally offered to Jack LaRue, an actor who played opposite Mae West in her 1928 Broadway hit "Diamond Lil." George Raft's convincing portrayal of the gangster led to speculation that he himself was a mobster — — not far from the truth.
• • When the studio was casting Raft's new feature Night after Night, the role of Maudie Triplett, a former gal pal, was to be offered to a well regarded actress and night club personality: Texas Guinan. Raft suggested Mae West for this cameo, and Mae's three little scenes set the so-so film on fire. "Mae stole everything but the cameras," admitted George Raft.
• • One of his final film appearances was in "Sextette" (1978) with Mae West. He played himself in a brief cameo that went like this:
• • MAE WEST: "Why George Raft, I haven't seen you in 20 years. What have you been doing?"
• • GEORGE RAFT: "Oh, about 20 years!"
• • On 24 November 1980, George Raft died from leukemia at age 79 in Los Angeles, California. He was interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1932 • • NYC
Mae West.
