Mae West: Bra Burners

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 6 of 7 excerpts.
• • Theater Review — — “When Mae West Met Diane Arbus” • •
• • Mae West has no qualms • •
• • Laura Cappelle wrote: Where “Arbus and West” is most potent is in its exploration of relationships between women, and the generation gap between its heroines’ strands of feminism. Mae West has no qualms about being America’s “wet dream,” as she puts it, and works to maintain an illusion of youth, while Arbus is interested in the cracks underneath that veneer, as always with her subjects.
• • Laura Cappelle wrote: The photographer came of age with the women’s liberation movement, to which West refers derisively as “the bra burners.” Before Arbus arrives, West and her protective dresser, Ruby (played by the outstanding Jennifer Vuletic), refer to her as a man, because it doesn’t even occur to them that a photographer might be a woman.
• • Laura Cappelle wrote: Their attitudes to sex crystallize the tension between them, well rendered by Ms. Jurisic and Ms. Glenn.
• • “You invented sex!” • • . . . 
• • Laura Cappelle’s review will be concluded on the next post with Part 7.
• • Source: N.Y. Times, stage review; published on Thursday, 21 March 2019.
• • On Monday, 9 July 1951 • •
• • "Mae West Has Other Things To Do" • •
• • New York, Sunday — "Mae West would like to accept an Australian offer, but commitments will prevent her from going," wrote the Australian Associated Press.
• • 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 • •
• • Mae West has returned.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I'm a single gal with a single track mind, and it doesn't run to matrimony."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A syndicated gossip column written by Earl Wilson in NYC mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae West Gives Earl a Necktie for Birthday" • •
• • Earl Wilson wrote: New York, June 9 — I'm the blissful owner of a birthday tie given to me by Mae West. A friend pointed out to me to me that it's Mae Westian in design. The figures on it are fig leaves, the friend said.
• • "You know," I commented to Mae, "I wouldn't know a fig leaf if I saw one."
• • "You mean," said Mae, "you wouldn't know one if you saw it on a necktie." ...
• • Source: Syndicated column rpt in Miami News; published on Thursday, 9 June 1949
• • 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 4252nd 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   
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • by artist Edward Burra in 1935 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC  Mae West