Mae West: Spends Her Money

Depending on the person who wielded the pen, the fan magazine Picture Play could worship MAE WEST in fragrant ink or scold her. A year before publishing Dorothy Herzog’s skeptical sourness [May 1934], the zine printed a much more enthusiastic feature by Ben Maddox [April 1933] emphasizing Mae’s work ethic and down-to-earth side. This is Part 9 of 16 segments.
• • “Mae West: Don't Call Her Lady” • •  
• • Mae West: Claims she earned $5,000 a week in 1932 • •

• • Ben Maddox wrote: "I got $5,000 a week for 'Night After Night.' I have a four-year contract with Paramount for two pictures a year at an increased rate. No, it doesn't seem an awful lot of money to me. When I produced my own stage plays," added Mae, "my percentage was often about $10,000."
• • Ben Maddox wrote: "What do you do with all your money?" I demanded.
• • Ben Maddox wrote: "Well, I save quite a bit. I've a place on Long Island to keep up. And I spend it" — she paused and finished vaguely — "for things. Oh, yes, I had to spend a lot on trials. Sixty thousand for one and forty for another."
• • Mae West: Hot-Cha shows • • …  
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Picture Play; published in the issue dated for April 1933.
• • On Tuesday, 24 March 1970 in Look Magazine • •
• • "Raquel Welch, Mae West Talk about Men, Morals, and Myra Breckinridge," on page 45 in Look Magazine's weekly issue dated for Tuesday, 24 March 1970.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Hollywood columnist Walter Winchell wrote: Orchids and a bonus to the P.R. mind who thought up this amusing manner of getting the Mae West banned title into print: "It Ain't No Sin," it says, to see Mae West in "Belle of the Nineties."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "A lotta issue over a little tissue."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A newspaper mentioned World War II pin-up favorites such as Mae West.
• • "Mae West and Betty Grable — — Choice for Jap Pin-ups" • •
• • The United Press wrote: Movie actresses Betty Grable and Mae West rank high on the enemy's preferred list of Western beauty.
• • On Peleliu, it was curvacious Miss Grable who adorned most Japanese barracks. A photograph of the French screen beauty, Danielle Darrieux was found hanging over the bar in the Japanese officers' club. It was inscribed: "To part in World War II.  It is the caterpillar track war machine — — the tank. My Friends in Japan."
• • On another Pacific island, a reporter spotted a prominent photograph of sultry Mae West, wrapped up in a fur and lying on a silky throw and signed "come up and see me if you are ever in beautiful California." ...
• • Source: U.P. article rpt in The Neosho Daily News (Neosho, Missouri); published on Saturday, 24 March 1945
• • 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 17th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past seventeen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,900 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seventeen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,957th 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 1932 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Makes Folks Talk

Depending on the person who wielded the pen, the fan magazine Picture Play could worship MAE WEST in fragrant ink or scold her. A year before publishing Dorothy Herzog’s skeptical sourness [May 1934], the zine printed a much more enthusiastic feature by Ben Maddox [April 1933] emphasizing Mae’s work ethic and down-to-earth side. This is Part 8 of 16 segments.
• • “Mae West: Don't Call Her Lady” • •  
• • Mae West: Interesting and frank • •
• • Ben Maddox wrote: She admits immediately that making folks talk about her is a business proposition.
• • Ben Maddox wrote: Personally, Mae West lives a quiet life.
• • Ben Maddox wrote: It keeps her on the go manufacturing new tricks to attract attention to her public personality.
• • Mae West: Salary? • •
• • Ben Maddox wrote: "Is it true you are making $3,500 a week?"  I asked her.  

• • Ben Maddox wrote: Such a salary is rare nowadays.
• • Ben Maddox wrote: "Why, I'm getting much more than that!" she replied in an astonished yet languorous voice.  
• • Mae West: Earned $5,000 a week in 1932 • • … 
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Picture Play; published in the issue dated for April 1933.
• • On Friday, 23 March 1934 • •
• • French magazine Hebdo (No. 50), released on a Friday, 23 March 1934, flashed a beautiful Mae West cover. At the time, Jean Esters was the Editor-in-Chief and Hebdo was being published by Baudiniere, Paris.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • A fan mag once reported that Jim Timony, Mae West’s manager, had a cork leg and so Jim spent the next six months showing his bare leg to Hollywood, to prove that such was not the case.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Here are the things I never can resist: tall, dark handsome men, diamonds, writing stories in bed, reading, calling policemen by their Christian names, and food, more food!"
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on witty sayings regarding sex mentioned Mae West.
• • The Daily Mail explained: Of course, sex has always been rich territory for artists, writers and commentators. Here, Liz Rowlinson selects some of the wittiest quotations...
• • Liz Rowlinson: "I know nothing about sex because I was always married." — — Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress.
• • Liz Rowlinson: "Sex is emotion in motion." — — Mae West, actress.  …
• • Source: The Daily Mail [U.K.]; published on Friday, 23 March 2007
• • 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 17th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past seventeen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,900 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seventeen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,956th 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 • • salaries reported in 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Went to Extremes

Depending on the person who wielded the pen, the fan magazine Picture Play could worship MAE WEST in fragrant ink or scold her. A year before publishing Dorothy Herzog’s skeptical sourness [May 1934], the zine printed a much more enthusiastic feature by Ben Maddox [April 1933] emphasizing Mae’s work ethic and down-to-earth side. This is Part 7 of 16 segments.
• • “Mae West: Don't Call Her Lady” • •  
• • Mae West: Her stage shows went to extremes • •
• • Ben Maddox wrote: She told me the police had given her a million-dollar publicity campaign free by their habit of disapproving of the extremes to which her florid shows went.  
• • Ben Maddox wrote: Every raid, closing, or censoring garnered headlines.

• • Ben Maddox wrote: I found her relaxing in her Paramount dressing room between scenes one noon hour.  
• • Ben Maddox wrote: Marlene Dietrich and Maurice Chevalier were coming in to hear her croon a new blues number, but she let them wait while she expounded her theories to me.
• • Ben Maddox wrote: Minus the platinum wig and theatrical gestures, Mae West is an interestingly frank woman.  
• • Mae West: Interesting and frank • • …  
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Picture Play; published in the issue dated for April 1933.
• • On Saturday, 22 March 1930 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • On 22 March 1930, the headline in The N.Y. Times read like this: MAE WEST COUNSEL ASSAILES CAPT. COY; Police Officer Admits Relying More on Sergeant's Notes Than Own in Testimony. Says Two Made 'Synopsis' Too Dark in Theatre to Write Clearly, He Asserts — — Reveals He Acted 28 Years Ago.
• • Captain James J. Coy of Inspector Mulrooney's staff, who appeared Thursday in General Sessions, told Judge Amadeo Bertini and a jury why he had raided Mae West's play "Pleasure Man" in October 1928.
• • Broadcast on Sunday, 22 March 1964 • •
• • "Mae West Meets Mister Ed" is the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of "Mister Ed," and the ninety-ninth episode overall. Director was Arthur Lubin. Airdate was 22 March 1964.
• • Guest Stars: Mae West (Herself), Nick Stewart (Charles), Mae West (Herself), Jacques Shelton (1st Groom), Roger Torrey (2nd Groom).
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Here are two stars we would like to see teamed up — — Mae West and James Cagney. There's dynamite in that idea!
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "Don't diet! Curves may be dangerous on the highways, ladies, but they never hurt a woman.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A London newspaper discussed Diane Arbus and Mae West.
• • Sir: While I was art editor of Show Magazine in New York during the 1960s, I commissioned the great Diane Arbus to photograph the (by then) forgotten Mae West (Books, 16 March) at home in Los Angeles.
• • The results revealed that Miss West had a fearsome fetish for symmetry — matching grubby white grand pianos bearing vast identical plaster statues of her naked self, duplicate papier-maiché urns of dusty mock camellias, place settings mirrored either side of the plates, etc. 
• • Mae also slept between two (real) apes called Toughie and Pretty-boy.
• • As Cecil Beaton once said about Josephine Baker, if that is not camp, I don't know what is! ...
• • Written by: Nicholas Haslam, 12 Holbein Place, London SW1
• • Source: Letter to the Editor, The Spectator [U.K.]; published on Saturday, 23 March 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 17th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past seventeen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,900 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seventeen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,955th 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 • • by her studio bungalow in 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Witty Repartee

Depending on the person who wielded the pen, the fan magazine Picture Play could worship MAE WEST in fragrant ink or scold her. A year before publishing Dorothy Herzog’s skeptical sourness [May 1934], the zine printed a much more enthusiastic feature by Ben Maddox [April 1933] emphasizing Mae’s work ethic and down-to-earth side. This is Part 6 of 16 segments.
• • “Mae West: Don't Call Her Lady” • •  
• • Mae West: Her crowning attribute • •
• • Ben Maddox wrote: A sense of humor is her crowning attribute.

• • Ben Maddox wrote: Witty repartee is carefully figured out for her public appearances.
• • Ben Maddox wrote: And she delivers her smart cracks in an inimitable single-track voice which is devastatingly funny.
• • Ben Maddox wrote: Whether or not you saw her in "Diamond Lil" or the three other snappy plays which she wrote to exploit her unique stage self, you must have read with curiosity about her in the newspapers.  
• • Mae West: Her stage shows went to extremes • • …   
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Picture Play; published in the issue dated for April 1933.
• • On Sunday, 21 March 1982 • •
• • On Sunday, 21 March 1982, Miss West and her career were the subject of the annual testimonial dinner put on by the Friends of the Libraries at the USC campus in Los Angeles, wrote Jon Tuska in his book "The Complete Films of Mae West."
• • The event was organized by Stanley Musgrove, president of the group, and his co-author George Eells.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West's peignoir is in the permanent collection of the Frederick's of Hollywood Museum at 6608 Hollywood.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “No gold-digging for me. I take diamonds! We may be off the gold standard someday.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The New York Sun mentioned Mae West during their coverage of the "Pleasure Man" trial.
• • Mae's attorney Nathan Burkan was cross examining Lt James McCoy who was quick to reenact things he had seen onstage. Under questioning, McCoy admitted he had been an actor in years gone by and "in a circus for awhile, doing hard manual labor, putting up tents and things like that." …
• • [Note: No wonder the courtroom spectators felt as if they were watching an unruly three-ring spectacle at times.]
• • Source: The New York Sun; published on Friday, 21 March 1930
• • 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 17th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past seventeen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,900 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seventeen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,954th 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 • • a trade ad in 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

Mae West: Strictly Vital

Depending on the person who wielded the pen, the fan magazine Picture Play could worship MAE WEST in fragrant ink or scold her. A year before publishing Dorothy Herzog’s skeptical sourness [May 1934], the zine printed a much more enthusiastic feature by Ben Maddox [April 1933] emphasizing Mae’s work ethic and down-to-earth side. This is Part 5 of 16 segments.
• • “Mae West: Don't Call Her Lady” • •  
• • Mae West: Torrid talking pictures • •

• • Ben Maddox wrote: Underneath the platinum wig she dons for camera purposes is no baby face, but a challenging, openly alluring countenance.  
• • Ben Maddox wrote: Her eyes are not extraordinary, but they are emphatically come-hithery. There's a taunting curve to her lips.    
• • Ben Maddox wrote: She's got the most peculiar rhythm to her walk and a shape which is one of those good old-fashioned feminine figures.  
• • Ben Maddox wrote: Not strictly beautiful — strictly vital.
• • Mae West: Her crowning attribute • • …  
• • This will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Picture Play; published in the issue dated for April 1933.
• • On Wednesday, 18 March 1936 • •
• • Variety reviewed "Klondike Annie," calling the motion picture "chic" and starting the critique on the front page. But the man-on-the-aisle objected to several elements therein. "Miss West is handicapped by having to wear rather dowdy dresses in about half the footage. In other portions she struts fine feathers and wears a set of furs that will make the women gasp," he commented on page 17.
• • Variety Magazine's issue was dated for Wednesday, 18 March 1936.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West turned over her business affairs to the New York lawyer known as Big Jim; her savings and her activities had come to the point where they needed special management.
• • Jim Timony proved to be the sagacious manager Mae needed, and with his advice and grooming their associations became more and more profitable for both.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Do I love Jim Timony? Yes. We love each other like Potash loved Perlmutter or like Montgomery must love Ward. Like two old business cronies."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Connecticut newspaper mentioned Mae West.
• • “Sex” by Mae West • •
• • Is Mae West chastened by her recent visit to the police station? She is not! She says she is going to go right on talking out loud in the theater, giving the people what they want.
• • “Sure, I know what audiences like,” she says. “And when it comes to sex portrayals I know my onions. My play is true to life. And how can anybody suppress truth?”
• • Mae West added, “I believe that whatever is, is fit material for the theater.”  …
• • Manchester Evening News (Manchester, Conn.); published on Tuesday, 1 March 1927
• • 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 17th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past seventeen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,900 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seventeen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,953rd 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