• • "Me and My Past" by Mae West • •
• • As Told to Leicester Wagner United Press Staff Correspondent • •
• • Landed as a Star • •
• • When I landed as a star that burst into box-office fireworks over the heads of Hollywood's darlings, some of them evidently didn't like it. I expected that. But frankly I didn't expect the dumb result — — dumb on Hollywood's part. When they recovered from "She Done Him Wrong," the "wise guys" started yelling "accident!" Yes, they did. "It's a freak hit and it will never happen again in a million years!" they chorused. Then out came "I'm No Angel" to do three times the record-setting business of my first one.
• • They Can't Be Wrong • •
• • But there are die-hards who still are singing blues for me, and now I have "The Belle of the Nineties" to show 'em that 120,000,000 people can't be wrong let alone wronged. Which, as you can imagine, doesn't agree with the digestions of some of the others in the profession.
• • Dumbest Kind of Figuring • • . . .
• • This has been excerpt bbb. Tomorrow's post will be ccc — — the continuation of Chapter #1.
• • NOTE: This is the 1st chapter of Mae West's life story as told to Leicester Wagner, United Press. This syndicated series was reprinted in American newspapers during September 1934.
• • Saturday, 25 October 1930 • •
• • In their issue dated for Saturday, 25 October 1930, Publishers Weekly announced the clever contest Mae West's publisher Macauley came up with to draw more attention to her novel titled "Babe Gordon."
• • Asking a reader to rename it, Macauley offered a prize of $100. The winning title was "The Constant Sinner."
• • On Tuesday, 25 October 1932 • •
• • Variety reviewed "Night After Night," the motion picture debut of Mae West. A display advertisement for the film was printed in Variety's issue dated for Tuesday, 25 October 1932.
• • On Wednesday, 25 October 1933 • •
• • Under the headline "Chicago Likes Her" was a smiling portrait of Mae West by George Hurrell with an announcement that "I'm No Angel" was in movie-houses in The Windy City during that week. The Chicago Herald and Examiner ran the coverage on Wednesday, 25 October 1933.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West was perhaps the only truly autonomous female star of the screen in the 1930s and 1940s. (Or maybe of any decade.)
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Oh, those law suits cost a lot."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Mae West said: "Of course, I was simply dressing in a way that would flatter my own rounded figure, and naturally I chose the gowns that would show me off to the best advantage. I guess some of the big fashion designers over in Paris, France figured that women would look a whole lot better in clothes which would reveal their natural figures." . . .
• • Photo: A Mae West costume used in a circus scene for "I'm No Angel" in 1993.
• • Source: Item in The Corsair (California); published on Wednesday, 25 October 1933
• • 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 3559th 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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NYC Mae West
Mae was brave, strong, smart, wise, beautiful, and independent. She's a lot like the three women who raised me (mom, aunt, grandmother). Great read. Looking forward to the new excerpt! ♥.
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