Mae West: The Girlie Show

A newly published British book on the art of comedy has a chapter that analyzes the art of MAE WEST.
• • "The Comic Offense from Vaudeville to Contemporary Comedy" • • 
• • Chapter 3 is “'The Girlie Show' as the New Burlesque — — Mae West to Tina Fey."

• • One reviewer said this:  “Through imaginative pairings, including Groucho Marx and Larry David, Mae West and Tina Fey, and Will Rogers and Stephen Colbert, "The Comic Offense" demonstrates how today's cutting edge comedy builds upon the legacy of Vaudeville, demonstrating yet again that everything old is new again.  Along the way, readers will develop a deeper understanding of how comedy has spoken to us across time about issues of gender, racial, and ethnic identity." . . .
• • The imprint is Bloomsbury Academic; published on Thursday, 31 July 2014.
• • On Tuesday, 25 September 1934 in Variety • •
• • A lengthy review of "Belle of the Nineties" appeared in Variety on this date.
• • Abel wrote: "Belle of the Nineties" is a little of everything. Even "St. Louis Blues" and "Memphis Blues" are in it — — she did "Frankie and Johnny" in "Diamond Lil."
• • On Wednesday, 25 September 1940 in Variety • •
• • Andrew R. Kelley reviewed "My Little Chickadee" for Variety. His heavy-handed piece began on page 3 (continued on page 20) in the issue dated for Wednesday, 25 September 1940.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • After Mae West, Mary Pickford, and Pola Negri all declined the role, Gloria Swanson decided that she will star in "Sunset Boulevard" as Norma.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Don't try to make me respectable.  My public expects me to be bad."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An obituary mentioned Mae West.
• • Ronald Bergan wrote: In 1955, a 64-year-old Mae West saw Hargitay on the cover of Strength and Health magazine. She asked him to join her chorus of musclemen, clad in leopardskin G-strings, in her Las Vegas nightclub act, the Mae West Revue. According to West, when she first met him, Hargitay had said: "Miss West, you are the end of my search for an ideal, my dream come true." ...
• • Source: Obituary: Mickey Hargitay in The Guardian [U.K.]; published on Monday, 25 September 2006   
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. The other day we entertained 1,223 visitors. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3012th 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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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in Hollywood • •
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Mae West: Maintenance Denied

MAE WEST was no longer trying to divorce Frank Wallace by 1941. Now she was trying to keep her ex from demanding money. This was at a time when her movie career was over, too. Let's see how it unfolded in court.
• • "Ex-Husband Loses Mae West Suit — Monthly Maintenance Denied Wallace" • •

• • SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Sept. 23  [U.P.] — — Frank Wallace lost his $ 1,000 a month temporary separate maintenance suit against Mae West today in a ruling that questioned his good faith in bringing the action against his actress-wife.
• • There is nothing in this case that would convince the court that the plaintiff is not motivated by profit in filing this action, said Superior Judge Charles L. Allison.
• • Judge Allison said Wallace married Miss West in 1911, separated from her one month later, and then married Raye Blakesly, with whom he lived for 19 years. In all that time, the Judge asserted, Wallace never tried to find out if Miss West had obtained a divorce.
• • Miss West testified earlier in the day, after her attorneys had contended she was in such financial straits that she had to borrow insurance money for her living expenses.
• • Source: Article in Daily Illini; published on Wednesday,  24 September 1941.
• • Starting on Monday, 24 September 1928 • •
• • "Pleasure Man" written by Mae West was shown at the Bronx Opera House from 17 September until 22 September 1928.  Then the play moved to the Boulevard Theatre in Queens for a single week starting on Monday, 24 September 1928.  Then Mae's provocative piece opened at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway on 1 October 1928, at which point the police padlocked it, despite its heavy advance sale.
• • The stage play "Courting Mae West" dramatizes the police raid and the aftermath.
• • On Monday, 24 September 1934 • •
• • After a long battle with the Hays Office, "Belle of the Nineties" won its approval. Despite that, several state censor boards deemed certain portions of the motion picture objectionable. They went on to take the scissors to some of Mae West's songs and snipped bits of dialogue, reported the Boston Herald in their issue dated for Monday, 24 September 1934.  Sigh.
• • On Tuesday, 24 September 1946 • •
• • Playing a sultry, irresistible detective, Mae West took the starring role of clever Carliss Dale in the stage play "Come On Up (Ring Twice)," which toured during 1946 in California and elsewhere. This comedy was written by Miles Mander, Fred Schiller, and Thomas Dunphy.
• • A local drama critic had written a review: "Come on up to Suite B-3, Bellflower Apartments, and ask for Carliss." This was published on Tuesday, 24 September 1946.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • A publisher was handing Mae West another royalty check. He is said to have sold nearly 1,000,000 copies of her book "She Done Him Wrong."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Jimmy Cagney is the only one in Hollywood that's got anything like my style. Animal personality. Gives them the rough stuff right out like I do."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A book on World War 2 mentioned Mae West.
• • Freddy Liebreich wrote: HQ 6th Airborne Division issued the additional codeword 'Mae West', . . .
• • Source: Cited in "Britain's Naval and Political Reaction to the Illegal Immigration of Jews to Palestine, 1945-1949"; published on 7 October 2004   
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. The other day we entertained 1,223 visitors. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3011th 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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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • news in 1941 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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Mae West: Monday for Negroes

In September 1934, the latest MAE WEST motion picture was doing such outstanding business in Abilene, Texas that a special showing had to be scheduled so that people of color could enjoy it.
• • "The World's Best Known Blonde" • •
• • "3rd Starring Vehicle of Glamorous Mae West Previewed at Midnight" • •

• • Mae West essays the role of the country's most sensational burlesque queen of the gay 90s, surrounded by three "tall, dark and handsomes" — — Roger Pryor, John Mack Brown, and John Miljan — — together with Duke Ellington and his orchestra, Katherine DeMille, Warren Hymer, and Stuart Holmes.
• • As "American Beauty," the burlesque queen becomes involved with an ambitious young prize fighter (Roger Pryor) in St. Louis, but through some plotting by the prize fighter's manager, the romance is broken up.  Mae accepts an opportunity to leave St. Louis to become queen of a popular gambling palace in New Orleans. How Mae and her fighter sweetheart are reunited forms the basis for the climax.
• • Leo McCarey directed the picture from an original story and screenplay written by the star herself.  In the course of the story, Miss West sings several songs written for her by lyricist Sam Coslow and composer Arthur Johnston.
• • "Monday for negroes" • •
• • A midnight show has been scheduled Monday for negroes.
• • Source: Article in Abilene Reporter (Abilene, Texas); published on Sunday, September 23, 1934.  
• • On Sunday, 23 September 1934 in The L.A. Times • •
• • An article argued for censorship of the type of motion picture made by Mae West and other bombshells. "Films Should Be Fit for Children to See" was printed in The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, 23 September 1934.
• • On Monday, 23 September 1940 • •
• • "My Little Chickadee" starring Mae West and W.C. Fields was playing at the Grand Theatre, as part of a double feature, in New Zealand on Monday, 23 September 1940.  "Final screening tonight!" announced the advertisement on that date on the front page of the Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 216.  "Honestly, this is a great programme!" was lettered all in caps under the cast and credits.  "Both recommended — Censor for Adults."
• • On Tuesday, 23 September 1947 • •
• • The headline was: "I've Come to Find out, Says Mae."
• • The Singapore Free Press wrote: Mae West invited goggle-eyed British reporters to "come up and see me sometime" when she ran the first gauntlet of them on her arrival at Southampton at two o'clock on Wednesday morning. 
• • Just to keep everything above board, Mae asked them all to a press reception at the Savoy Hotel, explained The Singapore Free Press (on page 3) in their issue dated for Tuesday, 23 September 1947.
• • On Tuesday, 23 September 1969 • •
• • Production on the motion picture "Myra Breckinridge" began in September — — on Tuesday, 23 September 1969 — — and Mae West (cast as Leticia Van Allen) received top billing.   Production concluded on 26 February 1970.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • There is actually a Mae West, listed in the Los Angeles telephone directory, who is a corsetiere. The Mae West who sells corsets complains that her phone rings at all hours of the night. Drunks think it is fun to call up and ask if they can c'mon up some time.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Although your conscience depends on what is found out, there is no husband on my conscience."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Texas newspapers mentioned Mae West.
• • Mae "Come Up and See Me Sometime" West stars in "Belle of the Nineties" which is playing indefinitely at the Paramount theatre. ...
• • Source: Article in Abilene Reporter (Abilene, Texas); published on Sunday, September 23, 1934   
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. The other day we entertained 1,223 visitors. 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3010th 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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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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