Mae West: Aloof Arbus

Like MAE WEST, Diane Arbus was a native New Yorker. A stage play, inspired by their Los Angeles meeting and photo session, was widely reviewed. To commemorate Arbus’s untimely death, age 48, in the month of July, let’s ponder some of those critiques.
• • Let’s hear from The N.Y. Times critic first. This is Part 4 of 7 excerpts.
• • Theater Review — — “When Mae West Met Diane Arbus” • •
• • crude verve • •
• • Laura Cappelle wrote: That could easily make “Arbus and West” feel costumey, but Ms. Jurisic achieves a mix of crude verve and counter-intuitive innocence (a trait Arbus noted in the real-life West) that make her performance irresistible.
• • Laura Cappelle wrote: Diane Arbus comes across less clearly. She is a more aloof character: Her raw, intimate portraits of others often did the talking for her. “Arbus and West” strives to paint a nuanced picture. Her privileged background is mentioned, as are her difficult relationships with her family and her husband.
• • Diane Arbus’s mental health issues • • . . . 
• • Laura Cappelle’s review will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: N.Y. Times, stage review; published on Thursday, 21 March 2019.
• • On Monday, 5 July 1937 • •
• • Mae West's Latest Burlesque of Herself • •
• • The Argus (Australia) wrote: Regarded merely as a gorgeous burlesque of herself, Mae West's performance in Paramount's "Go West Young Man" is precisely what would be expected of her, a caricature of a voluptuous Hollywood star with a reputation and a "public" to be considered.
• • Source: Article: "Mae West's Latest Burlesque of Herself" in The Argus (on page 7); published on Monday, 5 July 1937.
• • July 2004: Mae West Blog launches • •

• • What are we up to, writing about the Brooklyn-born bombshell for fifteen years now?
• • We’re here to keep Mae mavens up to date, correct errors, celebrate each revival of a play she wrote, post the latest Westian stage and book reviews. And answer our fan mail!
• • The light’s still on. Come up and see Mae every day.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Six hundred people refused to vacate the Egyptian Theater during a fire — — because Mae West was on the screen. Just didn’t notice the slight additional heat, eh?
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I always say keep a diary and someday it’ll keep you.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Photoplay Magazine mentioned Mae West.
• • But we can repeat one thing Mae West said — between scenes of new picture "Go West, Young Man."
• • We asked her if Mae thought Hollywood's movie stars should keep diaries. "Yes — if they keep them in code." …
• • Source: Photoplay;  published in the issue dated for November 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 4,200 blog posts. Wow!  

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4250th 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 1934 • •
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