Mae West: Sump'in Silly

In 1942, when MAE WEST was feeling her Hollywood halo slipping, she decided to reinvent herself. The place to tell the entertainment world her intentions was the famous "Harrison in Hollywood" column, started by Paul Harrison, and now penned by Erskine Johnson [14 December 1910 — 14 June  1984]. This popular feature was syndicated by N.E.A. (Newspaper Enterprise Association). This is Part 1 of 5.
• • Erskine Johnson wrote: Mae West, the gal who parlayed a sex drama, a free-wheeling walk, and an invitation to "come up and see me some time" into a million bucks, wants to forget the whole thing. Everything, that is, except the million-dollar bank account, and maybe just a little bit of Sex.
• • Erskine Johnson wrote: But no more hip swinging, no more invitations to “come up,” and no more Diamond Lil characters.
• • Erskine Johnson wrote: Mae West told me, "I've led the way ever since I started in show business. The others always followed me. They have run this Diamond Lil sump'in silly. I'll never go hack to it. I'm going to do the leading again. And I'm the gal who can do it."
• • Mae West: Two nude statues • • . . .    
• • To be continued until the fifth segment.
• • Source: Harrison in Hollywood column written by Erskine Johnson, Syndicated Columnist;  published on Thursday, 5 November 1942.
• • On Friday, 30 April 1926 • •
• • Mae's hometown paper, New York Daily Mirror, printed a diatribe about her Broadway play "Sex" on Friday, 30 April 1926 under the headline "SEX: an Offensive Play. Monstrosity Plucked From Garbage Can, Destined to Sewer."
• • Clearly all riled up, the New York based critic explained: "This production is not for the police. It comes rather in the province of our Health Department. It is a sore spot in the midst of our fair city that needs disinfecting."  . . .
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • What'll the club-women do about this lady who wrote and acted in the decade's naughtiest plays? When her jewels were stolen the other week Mae West said it could never have happened in N'Yawk. Mae knows all the boys there!
• • Strangely enough, Mae seems old-fashioned in today's Hollywood. It's glamour, not sex, that's the rage at the moment.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "As to the hippies, we've always had 'em. We used to call them hoboes.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The United Press mentioned Mae West.
• • "Frank Wallace Tells of Mae West Marriage" • •

• • New York, April 24 [United Press] — Frank Wallace, a bald, middle-aged “hoofer,” admitted today that he was the original husband of Mae West. He married her in Milwaukee back in 1911.
• • “Mae wasn’t a blonde in those days,” he said. “The Mae I married in Milwaukee was a classy brunette, and as for those curves, she was more on the lean style.” ...
• • Note: In 1911, variety artists Mae and Frank were touring together on the Columbia burlesque circuit in a show, "A Florida Enchantment." The New York Clipper wrote: "Mae West and Fred Wallace [sic] sang several coon songs, with Miss West making several changes down to full tights, with good effect. ..."
• • Source: Page 1 Item by United Press (syndicated); published on Wednesday, 24 April 1935
• • 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 4,700 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fifteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4,724th 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 • • Frank Wallace in 1935 • •
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