Mae West: Pavonine Touch

When Helen Lawrenson came up to see MAE WEST, Esquire's first female journalist was closing in on her sixtieth birthday and the Brooklyn bombshell was 73. A color photo by Diane Arbus flashed across the double-page-spread, hunched under half the title as if warding off a punch in the nose.

• • Enjoy her seldom seen interview. This is Part 16 of 46 parts.
• • "Mirror, Mirror, on the Ceiling: How'm I Doin’?" • •
• • Not bad, Mae, for a woman of seventy-three • •
• • Mae West: Elks amateur talent contest • •
• • Helen Lawrenson wrote: According to the book, Mae made her theatrical debut at the age of seven, when she won a gold medal for singing Movin' Day at an Elks amateur talent Sunday show in the Royal Theatre on Fulton Street in Brooklyn.
• • Helen Lawrenson wrote: She was introduced as Baby Mae and wore a pink and green satin dress with gold spangles, pink kid slippers and pink stockings, and a large white lace picture hat with pink flowers and pink satin ribbons, thereby setting a pattern for the pavonine touch in costume she was to exhibit for the rest of her life.
• • Helen Lawrenson wrote: Stunningly self-confident from the start, Baby Mae had discovered her métier.  
• • Mae West: Child parts • • . . .
• • Helen Lawrenson's interview will be continued on the next post.
• • Source: Esquire; published on Saturday, 1 July 1967.
• • On 2 November 1969 in The N.Y. Times • •
• • A lengthy article appeared in the Sunday magazine section of The N.Y. Times on 2 November 1969: "76 — — and Still Diamond Lil" written by Steven V. Roberts and punctuated with several photos of the Brooklyn Bombshell at various career points. The first portrait showed Mae costumed by Edith Head for her role as Leticia Van Allen.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • A daughter of an eminent Broadway producer, who waged a battle against censorship, was featured in one motion picture with Mae West.
• • In "Go West, Young Man" [released on 18 November 1936], Alice Brady played the role of Mrs. Struthers.
• • Born in Manhattan in the eleventh month — — on 2 November 1892 (just nine months before Mae), Alice Brady's life was cut short by cancer and she died in 1939 — — at 46 years old.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "There are women who keep right on thinking they can be something special to a man — — and they are."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about famous residents of Brooklyn mentioned Mae West.
• • David S Potts lists these people: A roll-call of Brooklynite luminaries will include actresses Mae West, Lauren Bacall and Rita Hayworth, actors Mickey Rooney, Eli Wallach, Adam Sandler and John Kallen (Cagney and Lacey); writers Norman Mailer, Mickey Spillane and Arthur Miller; comedians Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Mel Brooks, Eddie Murphy, Phil Silvers and Joan Rivers. ...
• • Source: Yahoo News; posted on Wednesday, 2 November 2011
• • 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 16th 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 4,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,594th 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  
• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • journalist Helen Lawrenson in 1969 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest