Mae West: Ira Hards

In 1928, MAE WEST approached Ira Hands to stage her latest play "Diamond Lil" at the Royale Theatre on Broadway.
• • Born on 24 June 1872 in Geneva, Illinois, Ira A. Hards aspired to be an actor. After a round of performances, touring in regional theatres, the personable 29-year-old made his Broadway debut in "Don Caesar's Return" [1901]. He began keeping company with Ina Hammer, who was also getting cast in mainstage productions in Times Square, and the theatre couple married. In between starring in an acclaimed silent film version of "King Lear" and on Broadway, busy Ina Hammer branched out as a stage director and soon took on another role: as a real-life mother with a sweet newborn daughter.
• • In September 1928, as things were winding down in Manhattan for the beauteous Bowery queen Diamond Lil, Ira Hands escorted his daughter Ina Isola Hards down the aisle when she wed Lieutenant Gordon Philip Saville of the Army Air Corps. Things were going well for the versatile theatre pro, who had developed new skills: directing, dialogue coaching, and producing.
• • Booth Tarkington [1869 — 1946] was especially indebted to Ira Hands for directing his Broadway plays "Magnolia" [1923] and "The Intimate Strangers" [1921]. After Mae's arrest in 1927, Booth Tarkington was commisioned to write an article — — and "When Is It Dirt?" [published in Collier's, The National Weekly, on 14 May 1927] discussed the issue of censorship and government intervention.
• • Ira Hards did well enough to maintain a residence in Manhattan and a country house in Connecticut. He found time to establish his own stock company at the Westchester Playhouse in Mount Kisco, New York, and devoted himself to a group called Young Actors' Development.
• • Among the many highlights of his busy three decades long career in the theatre world, Ira Hards directed and staged the original 1927 production of "Dracula" (starring Bela Lugosi) that ran for 261 performances at the Fulton Theatre on West 46th Street. Coincidentally, Hards's Stage Manager for "Dracula" was Carl Reed, who became Mae West's producer for the ill-fated Broadway run of "Pleasure Man" (1928) at the Biltmore Theatre.
• • When Ira Hards died in Norwalk, Connecticut in the month of May — — on 2 May 1938 — — The New York Times referred to the 65-year-old as a retired producer who presented many Broadway plays. His wife Ina passed away 15 years later in 1953.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1928 • •
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Mae West: Frankie Baker

MAE WEST was only six years old when the St Louis Post-Dispatch published their edition on 19 October 1899. This paper reported a local crime: beautiful Frankie Baker, a 27-year-old mulatto prostitute [residing at 212 Targee Street, St. Louis, Missouri], who kept an expensively decked-out 17-year-old mack, stabbed him on October 15th. A few days later, Frankie's cheating (and abusive) lover died. A blitz of headlines followed: "Woman Kills Colored Man in St. Louis."
• • The stabbing and the ensuing trial — — wherein Frankie Baker [1872-1952] was acquitted — — inspired the folksong "Frankie and Johnny."
• • In 1928-1929, Mae West sang "Frankie and Johnny" on Broadway in her show "Diamond Lil," giving the song a glamour glow, enhancing its prominence.
• • Actor John Huston, mesmerized by Mae's gutsy rendition, embarked on a cross-country trip, researching the folksong, and publishing several regional versions along with his new play "Frankie and Johnny" [N.Y.: Albert and Charles Boni, 1930].
• • The Boni brothers published John Huston's book on 1 January 1930. Originally dark-skinned, Frankie and Johnny became Caucasian in the hands of Miguel Covarrubias. In fact, Frankie bears a strong resemblance to. . . Diamond Lil!
• • However, the most famous and realistic illustration of Frankie's showdown with her John was painted by the Scotch-Irish artist Thomas Hart Benton [15 April 1889 - 19 January 1975] during the early 1930s — — and here it is — — a real beauty.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West 's song • • 1930 • •
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Mae West: 1908

MAE WEST, with the rough baritone voice she had as a child, was often cast as a male in stock productions. She played the leading role of Little Lord Fauntleroy several times in Brooklyn theatres.
• • The British-born playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett [24 November 1849 — 29 October 1924] is best known for her children's stories, especially The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and (of course) Little Lord Fauntleroy.
• • Born in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, in England, Frances emigrated to America (Knoxville, Tennessee) after her father died in 1865.
• • Following the death of her mother in 1872, Frances became the head of the household. Pressed with the demands of supporting herself and four younger siblings, she looked for income from writing assignments.
• • Serialized in St. Nicholas Magazine in 1885, Little Lord Fauntleroy is a sentimental children's narrative that became a huge hit for the publication. In 1886, this work was separately published as a novel. The book was a commercial success for its author, and its fanciful sketches by Reginald Birch set fashion trends.
• • The Fauntleroy suit — — described by Frances Hodgson Burnett and sweetly illustrated via Reginald Birch's detailed pen-and-ink drawings — — created a major fad in formal attire for American middle-class children:
• • • • "What the Earl saw was a graceful, childish figure in a black velvet suit, with a lace collar, and with lovelocks waving about the handsome, manly little face, whose eyes met his with a look of innocent good-fellowship." — — Little Lord Fauntleroy
• • Clothing that Frances Hodgson Burnett popularized had been modeled on the garments she sewed by hand for her two sons, Vivian and Lionel. Under the influence of Birch's illustrations for Little Lord Fauntleroy, many middle-class American parents began dressing their sons in velvet suits with lace collars and sashes and short knee-pants, and to have their boys' hair curled into long ringlets like Cedric — — a mode that was considered aristocratic.
• • In 1921 a silent movie version was released starring Mary Pickford as Little Lord Fauntleroy.
• • Here is 15-year-old Mae West, costumed for the part in a theatrical production, in 1908 — — ninety-nine years ago.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1908 • •
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Mae West.

Mae West: Von Tilzer

His life ended In January so it is time to reflect on American songwriter Harry Von Tilzer [8 July 1872 — 10 January 1946] who helped launch MAE WEST's career. One of his popular novelty songs — — "Mariutch Make-a the Hootch a-ma-Cooch in Coney Island" — — was performed by "Baby Mae" when her parents entered their daughter in amateur contests. Her performance of this Italian dialect number often won a prize.
• • Von Tilzer was born in Detroit under the name Harry Gummbinsky (which he shortened to Harry Gumm before later taking the "Von Tilzer" monicker under which he became famous). At age 14 he joined a traveling circus, where he took his new name. He began playing piano and calliope while creating new tunes and incidental music for shows. After writing many songs, performed by well-known vocalists, Harry Von Tilzer achieved wealth and fame.
• • Harry's niece Frances Gumm went on to fame as the renamed Judy Garland.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: Mae West • • song sheet • •
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Mae West.