Friday, January 12, 2018

Mae West: Did Not Conceal

It was on Wednesday, 21 February 1940 when MAE WEST received generous, supportive coverage by a United Press columnist. Alas, once again the author of “Diamond Lil” was in court. Here’s the third of 3 segments.
• • “They Done Her Wrong” • • 
• • By Frederick C. Othman in Hollywood (U.P.) • •
• • A dozen silver foxes made her cape • •
• • Frederick C. Othman wrote: Trial of this lawsuit, which has been dragging along for years, found Miss West at a new peak in her career, and in fine fettle for arguing money-matters.
• • She rolled to court in a bullet-proof limousine the size of a freight car, but shinier, and went upstairs with a body guard, a chauffeur in a mauve uniform, and her manager James Timony, and a puff of that very exotic stuff in her wake.
• • Movie Star Attends Court in Style • •
• • Clad in a dress which covered her curves, but did not conceal them, and a cape which indicated a dozen silver foxes had made the supreme sacrifice, she smiled briefly at the judge, scowled at Linder's lawyers, and testified concerning the fear of Paramount anent sex. If the picture producers hadn't been so all-fired timid, she might have received more than $25,000 for the play. But timid they were, and even at that she had to split the $25,000 a dozen ways. She took $3,000, Linder got $2,000 and the other $20,000 went to assorted but unnamed Interest holders. The Little Chickadee said she received in addition $35,000 for acting and flouncing her bustle in the picture. She was allowed to keep all that.
• • This has been Part 3 of three parts. We hope you loved each segment.
• • Source: United Press column; published and syndicated on Wednesday, 21 February 1940.
• • Texas Guinan [1884 — 1933] • •
• • Born in Waco, Texas during the month of January — — on 12 January 1884 — — Mary Louise Cecilia "Texas" Guinan played a gun-slinger and rode bareback in silent films, took New York by storm in 1906, and earned a salary of $700,000 as a speakeasy hostess. The versatile stage star led a noisy and joyful life at full speed until 5 November 1933. One month later, Prohibition was repealed.
• • A good friend to Mae West who invested in her Broadway shows, Texas also held seances with her. We fondly remember the one and only Queen of the Night Clubs on her birthday.
• • On Saturday, 12 January 1929 • •
• • "Diamond Lil" was staged at the Royale Theatre in New York City on 9 April 1928 and closed on Saturday night, 12 January 1929 after 323 performances.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Earl Blackwell called Mae West’s fashion sense “High Camp exploding in a Bon Bon Factory!”
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Good women are no fun. The only good woman I can recall in history is Betsy Ross. And all she ever made was a flag."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A book mentioned Mae West.
• • Thomas Benton wrote:  Although topped by the 61 percent who knew that Mae West said, "Come up and see me some time," Patrick ["Give me liberty . . ."] Henry fared better than Lincoln, Wilson, and the two Roosevelts in the public's identification of famous quotations from our American history.  . . .
• • Source: Excerpt from “American Rhetoric: Context and Criticism” by Thomas W. Benson; published in 1989 
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 13th anniversary • •  
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past thirteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,800 blog posts. Wow!  
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started thirteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3874th 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.xml   

• • Photo:
• • Mae West • in April 1930

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

No comments:

Post a Comment