Mae West: Brassy Gold

Reporters who met MAE WEST during the 1920s and early 1930s — — before stardom cloaked her utterly — — have a refreshingly different take than those who met her as a bonafide movie queen.
• • New York Herald Tribune reporter Stanley Walker came up to see Mae West often in New York.
• • A section in Stanley Walker’s 1935 memoir discussed Mae West. This is Part 3 of 19 segments.
• • “Sex Comes to America” • •
• • Miss West is a rather small woman • •
• • Stanley Walker wrote: Notwithstanding the impression one gets from her pictures and stage get-up, Miss West is a rather small woman.

• • Stanley Walker wrote: She is maybe 5 feet 4 inches tall [sic] and weighs about 120 pounds. The most she ever weighed was 136 when she went on a cream and pastry diet to build up for the role of Diamond Lil. She eats almost anything chopped as well as raw steak, kippered herring, and home-made pie. She is full of vitality and practically immune to fatigue.
• • Stanley Walker wrote: She does exercises and rides a stationary bicycle in her Hollywood apartment, but doesn't go in for sports. Broadway knew her hair as a brassy gold, but now it is platinum white and very fluffy.
• • Mae’s specially constructed front door is of the speakeasy type • • . . .
• • This long chapter by Stanley Walker will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Chapter “Sex Comes to America” from "Mrs. Astor's Horse" written by Stanley Walker [NY: Frederick A. Stokes, 28 October 1935, 320 pages].
• • On Sunday, 16 March 1930 • •
• • It has been reported by multiple sources that Mae West's "Pleasure Man" trial began on 16 March 1930. But since March 16th was actually a Sunday, that date is imprecise.
• • Postponed from its scheduled start on 4 February 1930, the battling finally did get under way on Monday, 17 March in New York, NY.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Written by Caroline Boucher, "My Tea with Mae West" recalled an afternoon visit with the star at her Hollywood home in 1974.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I have an extra thyroid gland. It gives me twice the energy and twice, the, you know, everything else I guess."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Reporter George Lait interviewed Mae West for a four-part series in 1933.
• • "The Bushwick Baby Blonde" • •
• • George Lait wrote: La West had no time to devote to the flicker tintypes. She was too busy with the theater.
• • George Lait wrote: Matilda, Mae's mother, pridefully observing her daughter's progress as a dramatic actress, envisioned further fields to conquer. Vaudeville was in its ascendancy and it was a wide field for a talented young girl.
• • George Lait wrote: So little Mae was shipped off daily over the Brooklyn Bridge to Ned Wayburn's school in Manhattan to study dancing. Singing lessons, dancing lessons, dramatic lessons — — then readin’, writin' and ‘rithmetic when there was time — — that was a typical example of the average childhood day of the "Bushwick Baby Blonde.” Then rush home to supper, practice half an hour on the piano, and the mad dash to the theater for a last-minute rehearsal of the part she was to present that night.
• • George Lait wrote: Mae West declares that her mother alone is responsible for her success. …
• • Source: Winona Republican Herald [Minnesota]; Monday, 11 December 1933
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,431st blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1911 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Brave and Bawdy

Reporters who met MAE WEST during the 1920s and early 1930s — — before stardom cloaked her utterly — — have a refreshingly different take than those who met her as a bonafide movie queen.
• • New York Herald Tribune reporter Stanley Walker came up to see Mae West often in New York.
• • A section in Stanley Walker’s 1935 memoir discussed Mae West. This is Part 2 of 19 segments.
• • “Sex Comes to America” • •
• • Mae West put a laugh in the libido • •
• • Stanley Walker wrote: One of her best tricks is the way she eyes a man, beginning by staring at his shoes and gradually allowing her gaze to wander up to his neck and face.

• • Stanley Walker wrote: With her small-waisted figure, her undulating hippy strut, her nasal whine and her meaty lips, she has made sex a thing gorgeously panoplied, as it was in the brave and bawdy days of that old minstrel of the boudoir, King Solomon.
• • Stanley Walker wrote: There are more stories about her, most of them off-color, than ever were told about Pat and Mike.
• • Stanley Walker wrote: She has taken what is known as woman's priceless possession, added a few circus touches, and put a laugh in the libido.
• • Miss West is a rather small woman • • . . .
• • This long chapter by Stanley Walker will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Chapter “Sex Comes to America” from "Mrs. Astor's Horse" written by Stanley Walker [NY: Frederick A. Stokes, 28 October 1935, 320 pages].
• • On Saturday, 13 March 1937 in the gossip columns • •
• • Mae West declined Ted Peckham's invitation to the premiere of "Lost Horizon."
• • Gossip columnists reported this on Saturday, 13 March 1937: Big-hearted Ted Peckham, the 22-year-old 'Gigolo King,' who values his art at $1,000 per escort, donated an evening to Helen Burgess [1916 — 1937] and staked her to supper and pink lemonade.
• • The downy-chinned, freshwater college boy (from Ohio’s Western Reserve University) compromised on Helen Burgess — — after Mae West showed no interest in his invitation.
• • Note: Helen, under contract to co-star with George Raft in a Fritz Lang film, died three weeks later on Wednesday, 7 April 1937.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Released in the U.K. on Monday, 13 March 2006 was "Mae West, Screen Goddess Collection" (Six Discs). 
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "A man in the house is worth two in the street."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Reporter George Lait interviewed Mae West for a four-part series in 1933.
• • George Lait wrote: Try to visualize curvaceous movie actress Mae West as Little Eva in "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
• • George Lait wrote: Newspaper clippings of those days tell us she was a sensation in that role. For seven years Mae “trod the boards" with Hal Clarendon, playing a different role each week — sometimes a different role every night. She had little opportunity for schooling, what with rehearsals, costume fittings and such. So her education was left to private tutors who gave her lessons backstage between shows or at home early in the mornings. …
• • Source: Winona Republican Herald [Minnesota]; Monday, 11 December 1933
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,430th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml  
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1932 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Sex Before Mae

Reporters who met MAE WEST during the 1920s and early 1930s — — before stardom cloaked her utterly — — have a refreshingly different take than those who met her as a bonafide movie queen.
• • Newsman Stanley Walker came up to see Mae West often. He saw her productions onstage on The Great White Way, he visited several times backstage, and sat at her table when she relaxed at a favorite night spot.
• • As a writer for the old New York Herald Tribune in the 1920s and 1930s, Stanley Walker chronicled the city with a pen the way Weegee did with a Graflex.
• • A section in Stanley Walker’s 1935 memoir discussed Mae West. This is Part 1 of 19 segments.
• • “Sex Comes to America” • •
• • Stanley Walker wrote: Before the rise of the lush Mae West, sex in the United States was treated either with extreme seriousness, even to the point of dolor, or it was laughed at and razzed.
• • Mae added a slightly burlesque overtone • •
• • Stanley Walker wrote: Mae West, by adding a slightly burlesque overtone to the by-play between the sexes, made everybody feel more comfortable except the censors, who felt rather vaguely that there was something wrong in her technique, though for the life of them they never made it clear whether it was because they took her acting seriously or as something amusing.
• • Stanley Walker wrote: Miss West can invest the simple phrase, “How do you do?” with a sexy quality which is the distilled essence of all the bordellos of all time.
• • Mae West put a laugh in the libido • •  . . .
• • This long chapter by Stanley Walker will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Chapter “Sex Comes to America” from "Mrs. Astor's Horse" written by Stanley Walker [NY: Frederick A. Stokes, 28 October 1935, 320 pages].
• • Mildred Katherine West [8 December 1898 — 12 March 1982] • •
• • In the month of March, we pay tribute to Mae's younger sister Beverly.

• • In March 1924, Variety noted a new act listed on Manhattan's stagebill: "Beverly West and Co., Piano and Singing." While not mentioning that she was Mae West's sister, Variety's reviewer admitted that "she puts over her numbers acceptably." Proctor's East 58th Street location had engaged Beverly and her musicians in 1924.
• • During the same interval (mid-March 1924), Mae West was trouping in vaudeville in Texas.
• • Born in Brooklyn on 8 December 1898, Beverly changed her stage name a few times. She was Beverly Osborne, then it was Beverly Arden. Afflicted with polio and a limp, Beverly favored long dresses that covered her imperfect legs. Beverly died two years after her older sister on Friday, 12 March 1982. She was 83.
• • On Friday, 12 March 2004 • •
• • ContactMusic.com wrote: Raquel Welch [born in 1940] discussed the rift on the movie's DVD. She said, "Mae West didn't really work until after 5 pm. Those were her hours, and it was even stipulated in her contract. I only had one scene with her in "Myra Breckinridge," and she was quite apprehensive about working with me. She hadn't done a movie in a long time. In all her previous films, she had been the only star and the only woman, and she was not very inclined to share the screen. So there were a few shenanigans." 
• • Note: during filming, Raquel was 30 and Mae was 77 years old.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • The title of Mae West's novel of interracial sex is "The Constant Sinner."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Personally, I like two types of men, domestic and foreign."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Reporter George Lait interviewed Mae West for a four-part series in 1933.
• • George Lait wrote: Although not particularly superstitious, Mae claims seven and eight as her lucky numbers. She points out her birthdate — August 17 — shows one of her lucky numbers and totals the other.
• • George Lait wrote: Astrologically speaking, the Zodiacal sign of Venus was in the ascendancy when Mae West was born, and throughout her career, Venus, the goddess of love, has guided her destiny, theatrically. …
• • Source: Winona Republican Herald [Minnesota]; Monday, 11 December 1933
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,429th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • her sister • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Quite Unique

The films of MAE WEST are being shown on college campuses. A showing at Indiana University inspired this fascinating article by Katherine Johnson, a PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture. This is Part 6 of 6 segments, the finale.
• • Mae West: More Than Meets the Eye • •
• • Mae West’s impact has lasted far beyond her career • •
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: Mae West’s impact has lasted far beyond her career as a prominent female figure in early Hollywood. To this day she is seen as a sex symbol and an important figure for the camp tradition. West is hard to forget for the defiant nature that still clings to her image; but she is also so often forgotten for the other creative and brave things that she did during her career. A woman with creative liberties like hers, who pushed back against the Production Code in the 1930s through her storytelling and dialogue, was something quite unique. She was more than met the eye, and I’d argue she still is.

• • For more on West see Biography’s piece on the actress, comedian, and writer.
• • “She Done Him Wrong” played at the IU Cinema on Saturday, September 29 at 4 pm as a part of the City Lights Film Series.
• • Katherine Johnson is a PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture, Katherine studies film and media, genre (particularly the Western), gender, and performance. She has a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and has been fascinated with film since she could remember.
• • This article by Katherine Johnson has now been concluded with this sixth segment.
• • Source: Article by Katherine Johnson for Indiana University Cinema… A Place for Film™; posted on Wednesday, 26 September 2018.
• • On Sunday, 11 March 1934 • •
• • "Lemme see this Mae West first. Then I tell you!" • •
• • Jacob I. Lieberman, age 89, sat down in the theater, took one look at the huge figures on the screen, fumbled for his hat and cane and exclaimed: "I'm going out! People are climbing on the walls." Asked for his opinion of Greta Garbo, he said: "I want to see this Mae West first. Then I tell you."
• • Source:  The San Bernardino Daily Sun; published on Sunday, 11 March 1934.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • This month may also mark the beginning of Mae West's slide down from her current peak of popularity — unless she does something different. In "I'm No Angel," she repeats the formula that brought her such immense original success. 
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Men, make every woman love you — — but don't love every woman. Pet them, like a tabby cat. They love it."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Lancaster, PA newspaper mentioned Mae West.
• • “Divas and Dames: Kiss the Heels Goodbye’’ • •
• • Musical revue for adult audiences featuring marionettes and impressions of stars by Robert Brock, including Mae West, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Bette Midler and Carol Channing. Show continues through 7 March 2020. Sat. 7 p.m. $30. Lancaster Marionette Theatre on 126 N. Water St. Phone: 717-394-8398. …
• • Source: Lancaster Online; published on Thursday, 20 February 2020
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,428th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml  
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • showing off her assets in 1932 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Prompted Controversy

The films of MAE WEST are being shown on college campuses. A showing at Indiana University inspired this fascinating article by Katherine Johnson, a PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture. This is Part 5 of 6 segments.
• • Mae West: More Than Meets the Eye • •
• • Mae West shaped film history • •
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: Mae West may not have starred in as many films as a lot of her contemporaries, but her career was one that has shaped film history. Many remember her in 1936’s Klondike Annie, 1940’s My Little Chickadee, and 1970’s Myra Breckinridge.
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: At five feet tall, the bawdy woman was certainly more than just a risqué actress. She not only starred in several classic pre-Code and early Code films, but the films in which she acted also often pushed against societal mores. 

In 1932 Mae wore her diamond necklace, stolen a year later

• • Katherine Johnson wrote: Even more significant is that fact that many of these films that prompted controversy were written by West herself. Whether writing additional dialogue, as she did for Night After Night and others, or adapting her own plays for film (She Done Him Wrong, for instance), West had a good amount of creative control during the majority of her career, even while struggling against Hollywood’s Production Code.
• • Mae West’s impact has lasted far beyond her career • • …
• • To be concluded on the next post.
• • Source: Article by Katherine Johnson for Indiana University Cinema… A Place for Film™; posted on Wednesday, 26 September 2018.
• • On Wednesday, 10 March 1926 in Variety • •
• • A news item noted that a new play by "Jane Mast" (Mae West) called "Sex" was coming to Broadway. This announcement ran in Variety's issue dated for 10 March 1926.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Why, Mae West was asked, has she chosen to return to the strain of movie work? "I owe it to my fans," she said. "I get hundreds and hundreds of letters from people begging me to make another movie. It's not hard work. In fact, I'm enjoying it."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Women can make men do anything they wish them to do, if they're clever, and they needn't be gold-diggers, either."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article in a Florida newspaper mentioned Mae West.
• • Marty Fugate wrote: “Salvador Dali: Gardens of the Mind” blossomed at Selby Botanical Gardens. ...
• • Marty Fugate wrote: From here, the path takes you deeper into Dali’s fevered mind.
• • Marty Fugate wrote: Large-scale recreations evoke basic elements of his symbolic vocabulary.
• • Marty Fugate wrote: Eggs. Eyeballs. Butterflies. Spirals. Crutches. Boats. Pianos. Mae West. Dali’s mustache. …
• • Source: Herald Tribune; published on Saturday, 29 February 2020
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,427th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml  
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • wearing her favorite diamond necklace in 1932 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Evident Entendres

The films of MAE WEST are being shown on college campuses. A showing at Indiana University inspired this fascinating article by Katherine Johnson, a PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture. This is Part 4 of 6 segments.
• • Mae West: More Than Meets the Eye • •
• • Mae West’s sexuality • •
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: The innuendo evident in films like “She Done Him Wrong” became even more subdued, but certainly did not disappear. Rather, Mae West’s sexuality, still often written by West herself, was expressed through double entendres and language that could arguably be understood in numerous ways.

• • Katherine Johnson wrote: Ambiguity made for plausible deniability on Mae West’s part (it was a tactic that many filmmakers used during the period) — she could always argue that she never meant things to be taken sexually if she did not explicitly say it was so, although most knew exactly what she meant. Despite Hollywood’s more intense focus on good, clean storytelling, an emphasis on sexuality and the desire to push boundaries was still a part of West’s style.
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: In fact, she reportedly pushed back against the Code by increasing her use of ambiguity and sexual innuendo.
• • Mae West shaped film history • • . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Article by Katherine Johnson for Indiana University Cinema… A Place for Film™; posted on Wednesday, 26 September 2018.
• • On Monday, 9 March 1936 • •
• • It was inside their weekly issue dated for Monday, 9 March 1936 that readers could read a review of "Klondike Annie" printed in Time Magazine.
• • On Tuesday, 9 March 2004 • •
• • Starring Mae West, "Myra Breckinridge" [20th Century Fox, 1970] was issued as a DVD Release on Tuesday, 9 March 2004.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Regarding Mae West's "She Done Him Wrong," Will Hays emphasized: "I cannot too strongly urge you to proceed in the strict enforcement of the Code."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "All that a girl needs is brains."
• • Mae West said: "Sure I like diamonds. Who doesn't? I play with 'em like a kid with a set of bricks."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article in the Manila Standard mentioned Mae West.
• • "Singles" • •
• • Karenina Yaptinchay wrote: If I may quote Mae West’s famous line – "I am single because I was born that way." She cannot be more right. We were all born single and if we are destined to find a partner, we later evolve into one-half of a couple. ...
• • Source: Manila Standard; published on Thursday, 8 March 2001
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,426th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml  
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Sexually-Laced

The films of MAE WEST are being shown on college campuses. A showing at Indiana University inspired this fascinating article by Katherine Johnson, a PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture. This is Part 3 of 6 segments.
• • Mae West: More Than Meets the Eye • •
• • establishing Mae West’s film image • •
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: “She Done Him Wrong” and “I’m No Angel,” Mae West’s other film released in 1933, both proved successful, and established West’s film image. However, they also became a part of a larger controversy over self-censorship of industry content. About halfway through the 1930s, and as a result of films like West’s, the Motion Picture Production Code forced a change in West’s style.

• • Katherine Johnson wrote: Although it was released in 1930, the American motion picture industry began to strictly enforce the Code in 1934 due to outcry against sexual and moral “depravity” by religious and community groups.
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: Mae West could no longer perform her sexually-laced comedy with such a heavy hand.
• • Mae West’s sexuality • • . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Article by Katherine Johnson for Indiana University Cinema… A Place for Film™; posted on Wednesday, 26 September 2018.
• • On Friday, 6 March 1934 • •
• • "Mae West Becomes a Lady" • •
• • On Friday, 6 March 1934 the West Australian wrote: A Mae West picture, and the first of a 'Father Brown' series, form the main portion of today's new programme at the Grand Theatre. Mae West is cast as a Western cattle rancher who inherits a small fortune when her partner-to-be in matrimony dies suddenly. She decides to become a lady, hence the title "Now I'm a Lady."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West will star in "Queen of Sheba" as her next production, which William LeBaron will handle. Paramount will use the David Boehm story, "For My Country," for the title, purchasing the property through the William Morris office yesterday.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “No, you needn't be beautiful; you just make the men think you are beautiful, and that's not hard. In the first place, you have to know all about yourself; your good points, and your not-so-good ones."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The United Press discussed the divorce between Paramount Pictures and Mae West.
• • "Studio Fed Up with Mae West and Ends Contract" • •
• • "Blonde Signs with Cohen on Salary, Percentage Basis" • •
• • Hollywood, March 6 — [U.P.] — Blonde Mae West, the screen's leading siren, was through today at the studio which took her from stage to film stardom as Paramount Pictures disclosed the actress had been released from her contract. The studio notified Miss West that it considered her contract terminated and indicated it was "fed up on Miss West's temperament."
• • The actress had claimed the studio failed to live up to the terms of her contract by spending too much time on her last starring vehicle, "Klondike Annie."  . . .
• • Source: United Press rpt in The Ogden Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah); published on Friday, 6 March 1936 
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,425th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml  
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • with Cary Grant in 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Moral Corruption

The films of MAE WEST are being shown on college campuses. A showing at Indiana University inspired this fascinating article by Katherine Johnson, a PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture. This is Part 2 of 6 segments.
• • Mae West: More Than Meets the Eye • •
• • Mae was thought to be morally corrupting influence • • 
• • Katherine Johnson wrote:  On April 19, 1927, Mae West was sentenced to ten days in jail for being a morally corrupting influence on American youth. This scandal jump-started West’s popular culture image as a star with a penchant for scandalous sexuality and a sharp, yet provocative comedic style.

• • Katherine Johnson wrote: Her career in movies really only lasted through the 1930s—she has a handful of credits sprinkled throughout the 1940s, 1960s, and 1970s. Her first film, Night After Night, was released in 1932, and her second, She Done Him Wrong, in 1933. The latter was based on another Broadway play of West’s titled Diamond Lil.
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: It was released a year after Sex and, unlike the previous play, it fared well with critics.
• • establishing Mae West’s film image • • . . . 
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Article by Katherine Johnson for Indiana University Cinema… A Place for Film™; posted on Wednesday, 26 September 2018.
• • On Thursday, 5 March 1936 • •
• • The Associated Press broke the news first: “Mae West Quits Studio; She and Paramount Accuse Each Other of Breaking Contract.”
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Chester Beecroft of Famous Players bears the sorrowful distinction of having held an option on Mae West's picture services for three years and being unable to get his Florida backers to go through with the deal.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Beautiful but dumb girls have had their day. They're finished."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Hollywood Reporter mentioned Mae West.
• • "Beef Trust Chorus Wanted" • •
• • "It Ain’t No Sin" (Rehearsing); Cast: Mae West, George Raft, Duke Ellington and Orchestra.
• • They noted: Leo McCarey is searching for a Beef Trust chorus. Director wants a bulging line for the Mae West picture, "It Ain't No Sin." …
• • Source: The Hollywood Reporter; published on Monday, 5 March 1934
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,424th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • "Night After Night" in 1932 • •
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Mae West: Pushed Boundaries

The films of MAE WEST are being shown on college campuses. A showing at Indiana University inspired this fascinating article by Katherine Johnson, a PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture. This is Part 1 of 6 segments.
• • Mae West: More Than Meets the Eye • •
• • Katherine Johnson wrote: Mae West is often remembered as someone who pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in early Hollywood and American society at large. Not only was she an actress and singer, but she was also a comedian, playwright, and screenwriter. She began her entertainment career as a child and in vaudeville, but her first brush with notoriety, if not fame, came from her first major role on Broadway in 1926.

• • Katherine Johnson continued on: It was in a piece titled “Sex.” As the name suggests, it was a risqué stage play written, directed, and produced by Mae West herself. The play did not garner her much critical attention, but the spectacle that it created did.
• • Mae West was thought to be morally corrupting influence • • … 
• • Source: Article by Katherine Johnson for Indiana University Cinema… A Place for Film™; posted on Wednesday, 26 September 2018.
• • On Wednesday, 4 March 1936 • •
• • The flapdoodle over "Klondike Annie" was discussed in Variety's issue dated for 4 March 1936. Coverage appeared in Hollywood Citizen News on Wednesday, 4 March 1936 also.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • For a small country inn — — dating back to 1135 — — The Olde Bell in Berkshire, England has been a magnet for Hollywood’s brightest stars and curviest belles.
• • Thanks to its proximity to Pinewood Studios, movie stars’ names appear on the roster: Mae West,  Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn along with Liz Taylor and Richard Burton.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Beards can do one of two things for men. One type becomes very distinguished looking, and the other achieves a primitive, sexy look. Some women say they couldn't bear to kiss a man with whiskers. All I've got to say is, whiskers or not, he's a man, isn't he?"
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Elinor Glyn said a woman had to have "IT." Mae West begged to differ.
• • "Brains, Not 'IT,' Says Mae West of the Curves" • •
• • In another interview our Hollywood correspondent had a word with James Davies, Mae West's masseur. He was asked to tell how the star keeps those famous curves.
• • "James Davies Reveals His Masseur's Secret" • •
• • "When she first came to me," said Davies, "Miss West wanted to reduce. I told her she would be making a grave mistake, because she was perfect for the camera. Now that Miss West has revolutionised the styles from straight lines to wholesome, feminine curves, women can eat sensibly again. They need not diet to appear fashionable. I think, speaking from the standpoint of a physical culturist who has conditioned many of Hollywood's best-known actresses, that Miss West has done much good for the women of the world. She has, by her influence, done more for their good health than any other person." Davies added,  "Her measurements, in fact, are identical with those of the Venus de Milo," ...
• • Source: Australian Women's Weekly; published on Saturday, 3 March 1934
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,423rd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • "Sex" • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Idaho “Drag”

Boise State will present “The Drag” written by MAE WEST in Idaho during this month.
• • “The Drag: A Homosexual Comedy” by Mae West • •
• • “The Drag” by Mae West will feature Boise’s own Minerva Jayne as The Duchess and original devised work by Anne McDonald of Frankly Burlesque. Direction is by Darrin J. Pufall-Purdy.

• • Written in 1927 by Mae West, this controversial, gender bending comedy focuses on the cost of living a secret life. Socialite Rolly Kingsbury is trapped in a loveless marriage and living with a secret. Rolly’s father is a homophobic judge, his father-in-law, a therapist specializing in gay conversion. Colorful characters give audiences a glimpse of the underground world of 1920’s queer life, culminating in a lavish drag ball.
• • “The Drag” is supported in part by funding from the Boise State University School of the Arts and it is presented by special arrangement with the Mae Company, Robert A. Finkelstein, and the Motion Picture and Television Fund.
• • When: March 5-7, 12-14, and 19-21, 2020 at 7:30 pm; Matinee performances: March 8, 15, 22, 2020 at 2:00 pm
• • Where: Danny Peterson Theatre, Morrison Center Building, 2201 W Cesar Chavez Ln, Boise, ID 83725
• • Advanced tickets at Morrison Center for the Performing Arts Box Office, 208-426-1110.
• • On Friday, 3 March 1978 • •
• • A gala premiere of "Sextette" starring Mae West took place at the Pacific Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, California at 8:30 pm on Thursday, 2 March 1978.
• • On Friday, 3 March 1978 "Sextette" had its general release in the USA.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • The Hollywood Reporter announced that the opening week of "Klondike Annie" was record-breaking. "The Gold Rush Is On," the editors wrote.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “My plays for the stage are a work of art.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A wire service mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae's Initial Success in Films Brought Rapid Increase in Income" • •
• • Hollywood — —Mae's unprecedented success was one of the most surprising cyclones that ever struck Hollywood and the picture business.
• • In her first film endeavor, "Night After Night," Mae achieved rousing success in a meager part. Then Mae made “She Done Him Wrong.“  . . .   But “She Done Him Wrong” had not played more than two or three days before the studio executives discovered the gold mine they had stumbled upon in Mae West. Record box-office receipts begin to be recorded.  It was not until then that the picture concern gave Mae West any special attention. When, however, this special attention did begin, it came in an avalanche.  …
• • Source: Article in syndication rpt in Kingsport Times (Kingsport, Tenn); published on Wednesday, 28 February 1934 
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,422nd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • "The Drag" made headlines • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Blackface Number

It is well known that MAE WEST, in her younger days in vaude, performed in blackface, which was then a popular novelty. Al Jolson and many other Caucasian singers performed in blackface as well as light-skinned blacks such as Bert Williams, who enchanted Mae. Unsurprising, she studied her idol and mastered her own rendition of one of his numbers. Let’s learn more. 
• • This article was written in 1933 by George Lait, assigned by Central Press and The Evening Independent (Ohio) — — NEW YORK, Dec. 12. — — From my earliest childhood, it was my mother's approbation and applause I sought — — not the applause of an audience. She would sit out front and watch my performance, then come backstage and make suggestions — — never criticisms — — merely suggestions that my entrance might be improved this way or my exit bettered that way, that my inflection might be altered a little here and my intonation more comical.
• • When she was about 10 years old, little Mae West first introduced her own inimitable style of "coon-shouting," the slow cantankerous rendition, a recitation rather than a vocalization, of a song.
• • In Blackface • •

• • The Bert Williams number which she used in her act still is one of her favorites: "Why Don't You Get a Lady of Your Own? The swell coon laughing success” [NY: Jos. W. Stern, 1898].
• • She did this in blackface. Mae admits she was a "quick study." It took her only a few moments, even as a child, to grasp several pages of difficult dialogue.
• • So for several years Mae West, the "Bushwick Baby Blonde," remained in vaudeville, perfecting this turn. . . .
• • Source: The Evening Independent (Ohio); published on Tuesday, December 12, 1933.
• • On Sunday, 2 March 1913 in NYC • •
• • It was on Sunday, 2 March 1913 that Mae West began a one week booking at Hammerstein's Victoria in the theatre district on West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • The Swedes can't get the slant of America and England on Mae West in "She Done Him Wrong." Censorship board had to view picture twice before making up its mind. Now, while picture is doing well, critics and patrons don't care so much either for the subject matter of the film, or for the wiggles of Mae.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “People want dirt in plays, so I give ’em dirt. See?”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The New Yorker discussed the Mae West revival.
• • Claudia Roth Pierpont wrote: Marybeth Hamilton pinpoints West's startling transformation from frank man-hating to easy sexual mockery as occurring during rehearsals of "The Drag" (a homosexual comedy-drama which led to the outlawing of depictions of homosexuality on the New York stage) and its spinoff, "Pleasure Man."
• • Claudia Roth Pierpont wrote: West used the qualities men brought to playing women: detachment, control, laughter, impregnability. Most of her movies were set in the Gay Nineties; the period dress suggestively contained her full figure.  . . .
• • Source: The New Yorker;  published on Monday, 11 November 1996
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 15th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fifteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,421st blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml  
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • song sheet in 1898 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest