Mae West: Electrified Doors

In September 1934, a news report stated that MAE WEST had her car doors wired for electricity to ward off autograph hunters and thieves. Let's hear more of this.
• • United Press correspondent Leicester Wagner wrote:  The autograph hound is Hollywood's chief pest.  This type can be found at every public function where film people congregate.  You will find a bunch of boys and girls, and even middle-aged women, standing with pad and pencil in hand. Up drives an automobile.
• • Leicester Wagner  continued: In the vehicle may be Mae West or Marlene Dietrich. Your youngsters are clinging to the doors before the car has stopped. It will take Mae or Marlene five or ten minutes to sign the outstretched books.
• • "Have Cars Wired" • •
• • Leicester Wagner noted:  Mae West has been bothered so often that she finally had the car doors wired for electricity. Those who try to clamber aboard are rudely reminded that electricity gives an uneasy jolt. Katharine Hepburn also has wired her car.
• • Leicester Wagner added: There's no such thing as a valuable movie signature. They're given too freely. Garbo's is the most difficult to obtain. Hepburn and Alison Skipworth run at the sight of the autograph hound. May Wong signs hers in both English and Chinese.   Mae, if cornered, usually signs it "come up and see me, etc."
• • Source:  United Press column rpt in The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky); published on Monday, 10 September 1934.
• • On Tuesday, 12 September 1933 • •
• • Paramount Pictures pumped out the promotional copy for Mae West's "She Done Him Wrong" during 1933.  "Not Once But Again and Again" read one ad headline printed in Variety's issue dated for Tuesday, 12 September 1933.  "Yes, they kinda went for me," Mae tells her audience in another advertisement.
• • On Monday, 12 September 1938 • •
• • Mindful of movie-goers' budgets, The Danville Bee alerted film fans that there would be a "New Deal Show" on Thursday night so they could enjoy "Every Day's a Holiday" starring Mae West and featuring Edmund Lowe, Charles Butterworth, Walter Catlett, Lloyd Nolan.  A notice was posted in The Danville Bee (on page 14) on Monday, 12 September 1938.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Letters come to Mae West from all over the world.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "Many appeals for money are made to me, as is the case with the rest of the movie stars. Every one of these letters gives me a jolt, for I well know there is too much suffering and not enough jobs."
• • Quote, Unquote • •

• • A self-published book mentioned movie star Mae West.
• • Referring to Paramount Pictures's cost to make a motion picture and the return on their investment, John Howard Reid  wrote:  With a domestic rentals gross of $2.3 million, "I'm No Angel" was number 3 at the USA/ Canadian box-office for 1933. Nice going on a negative cost of only $200,000!  . . .
• • Source:  from one page in "Your Colossal Main Feature Plus Full Support Program" a book written written by John Howard Reid  [Lulu.com, 2005]
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 12th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past twelve years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started twelve years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3528th 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 • •
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