Thursday, November 26, 2015

Mae West: Not Disappointed

A motion picture starring MAE WEST took a college coed by surprise. Let's read her charming film critique together. We wish we knew Miss Chapin's first name.
• • The Reviewer • •
• • "I'm No Angel" (Paramount)  At the Stanford Theatre • •
• • This is one of those pictures which a reviewer can discuss with the comforting knowledge that nothing she says will make one whit of difference.  Mae West, like the Depression, is a national institution, and has come to have all the attention commonly accorded the same.
• • "I'm No Angel" suffers the lot of all sequels — — not that it is in any way connected with "She Done Him Wrong," but it will forever be compared with that first phenomenon. If it had appeared first, it would probably have been the bombshell that the other one was, but as it is, people will probably be disappointed in "I'm No Angel," largely because they are determined to be.
• • I expected to be disappointed, and my only disappointment was that I was not disappointed. Mae West is still Mae West, and "I'm No Angel" is superlative entertainment.
• • The story of Tira, the circus dancer and tamer of men and lions, is told with a maximum of gusto, and the snappy, sharp, and slightly racy dialog which only Mae West can write. It is to be regretted that the theatre advertisements have so completely appropriated the best and most characteristic lines, thereby taking away some of their tang.  . . .
• • This has been Part 1. Part 2 will follow tomorrow (Friday).
• • Source: Film Review by Miss Chapin for The Stanford Daily; published on  Monday, 27 November 1933.
• • On Thursday, 26 November 1931 • •
• • The New York Herald Tribune reported on the intense displeasure to white Washingtonians when Mae West brought her Harlem play "The Constant Sinner" to D.C. where the local D.A. was Leo K. Rover. Leo roared about the profanity and the dances performed by the black cast. The D.A., apparently, had been telling the media he would "arrest the entire company of fifty one if another performance were given," noted the Herald Tribune on Thursday, 26 November 1931. Racism reared its head.
• • On Friday, 26 November 1954 • •
• • In a vintage catalogue that kept track of Decca's 78 rpm platters, it was listed that Mae West recorded "Frankie and Johnny" and the B-side "All of Me" [Decca # 29452] on these dates: Friday, 26 November 1954 and Monday, 29 November 1954.
• • On Thursday, 26 November 2015 • •
• • Happy Thanksgiving to our readers and devoted Mae-mavens. Let's take a moment to count our blessings and be grateful for good friends, good health, and good times.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • On radio, Charlie McCarthy sparred with Mae West, W. C. Fields, and Orson Welles among others and became a star in his own in right.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "What I mean is I was coming to the conclusion that boys made much better playmates than girls."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Hollywood Magazine mentioned Mae West.
• • Motion picture stars have to be different, even when they sign their names for autograph collectors. 
• • Mae West always uses red ink. Claudette Colbert puts capital "E's" in both of her names. Dorothy Lamour uses "Dottie" instead of Dorothy; and Tyrone Power prefers plain "Ty."  . . .
• • Source: Item in  Hollywood Magazine; published in the issue dated for January 1943   
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 11th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eleven years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,200 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3320th 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 1933

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

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Mae West: Nightly Guffaws

It was November 1954 and MAE WEST was booked at the famed Latin Quarter in Manhattan.
• • "New York Cavalcade" • •
• • Louis Sobol wrote:  "The nightly guffaws at the Latin Quarter as Mae West leeringly surveys her platoon of muscle men. . ."
• • Earlier in November 1954, Sobol mentioned: Johnnie Ray travels backstage of the Latin Quarter to pose for a few camera shots with Mae West.
• • Source: item in Louis Sobol's gossip column syndicated in The Desert Sun;  published on Thursday,  25 November 1954.
• • On Saturday, 25 November 1911 in Variety • •
• • The opening night cast of  "Vera Violetta" at the Winter Garden did not include the misbehaving  and Gaby-upstaging Mae West. Her antics during the out-of-town try-outs brought about her dismissal. Variety (perhaps without knowing it) printed a face-saving explanation in their issue dated for Saturday, 25 November 1911, indicating that Mae had pneumonia. 
• • Hmmm, no doubt it was the kind of "pneumonia" brought on by standing in an icy draft when Gaby Deslys opened her mouth wide and blasted a naughty cast-mate.
• • On Tuesday, 25 November 1947 in Australia • •
• • Australia's Savoy Theatre announced "Maurice Chevalier, Mae West now showing together on the same programme!! We have turned back the clock and from 1934 have brought you the Happiest Entertainment of 1934 — — Maurice Chevalier, Jeannette MacDonald, Charlie Ruggles in "One Hour with You" and also Mae West, Cary Grant, Edward Arnold in "I'm No Angel" now at these times . . .
• • Source: The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, 25 November 1947.
• • On Thursday, 25 November 1943 in NYC • •
• • Bouquets of praise did not shower Mae West after her film "The Heat Is On" was released right before Christmas in December 1943. Trading on The Big Apple's fondness for the Brooklyn bombshell, this ill-fated project had a special New York City premiere on Thursday, 25 November 1943.
• • On Tuesday, 23 November 1980 • •
• • A private service for Mae West was held in the Old North Church replica, in Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, on Tuesday, 25 November 1980.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West once told a reporter that she almost married George Raft.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I won't drink Los Angeles water — — it's terrible.  I only drink bottled water." 
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Vassar Miscellany News mentioned Mae West.
• • At Liberty Theatre — — Mae West in "I'm No Angel" for "five big days" Sunday to Thursday with Cary Grant. Mae says: "Come up and see me!" Continuous shows from 1 to 11pm. Phone 2755 . . .
• • Source: Item in Vassar Miscellany News; published on Saturday, 25 November 1933
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 11th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eleven years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,200 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3319th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.


• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________

Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlAdd to Google

• • Photo:
• • Mae West • in 1933

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