Monday, July 26, 2021

Mae West: Diminutive Doer

MAE WEST is back onscreen. This assessment of her first starrer, by Dennis Seuling, is Part 10 of 13 segments.
• • Audio Commentary #1 (continued) • •
• • Dennis Seuling wrote: In her films, West’s character was always in control. She was born in 1893 into the milieu depicted in the film. Diminutive of stature, West was always super-confident, building and polishing “her brand.” She Done Him Wrong is the closest viewers will get to the real, unfiltered Mae West [sic].
• • Dennis Seuling wrote: As David Del Valle pointed out, though crippled by censorship, Mae West was still able to get away with a lot. Her Diamond Lil character is a composite of Diamond Jim Brady and Lillian Russell [sic].
• • Dennis Seuling wrote:Mae West handpicked the cast and worked well with director Lowell Sherman, who understood this was West’s project more than the studio’s.
• • Dennis Seuling wrote:She never had a Svengali to guide her career [sic]; she was always the boss, calling the shots.  
• • Note: Jim Timony guided Mae's career.
• • Audio Commentary #2 • •  . . .
• • Dennis Seuling's review continues on the next post.
• • Source: The Digital Bits; published on Friday, 28 May 2021.  
• • On Wednesday, 26 July 1950 • •
• • On Wednesday, 26 July 1950 Guido Deiro, age 63, died after a long illness. He was Mae West's secret Italian husband.
• • July 2004: Mae West Blog launches • •

• • What are we up to, writing about the Brooklyn-born bombshell for 17 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 told me she had friends, long dead, who come to visit her right in her bedroom. She said, "I believe there is a hereafter."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I'd rather be looked over than overlooked."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about "Sextette" (the 1961 stage play) mentioned Mae West.
• • After her leading man Alan Marshal died in Chicago, Mae tried to replace him with Tom Conway, who was no longer working regularly. He auditioned but then he declined.
• • "Sextette" moved to Detroit first, had an engagement in Ohio, then was staged in Miami Beach. After that Mae closed this stage play.
• • Usually unkind, Variety wrote: "The Edgewater was unable to sell a single theatre party for the show, and it goes down as the silo's biggest box office flop to date."    ...
• • Source: Variety; published on Wednesday, 19 July 1961

• • 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 17th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past seventeen 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 4,785th 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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• • Be sure to bookmark or follow The Mae West Blog
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • book cover in 1933
• •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest

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