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An article and slideshow on the superb fashion sense of 1930s films mentioned MAE WEST — — and showed photos of the platform shoes Mae wore in her nightclub act during the 1950s.
• • Susan Stamberg wrote: Mae West, the Marilyn Monroe of the 1930s, is represented by a surprisingly modest high-necked purple gown by designer Elsa Schiaparelli. It shrouds two of her best features. There is, however, a pretty vampish flowering vine that snakes up her body from hem to neck.
• • A feat of foot engineering • •
• • Susan Stamberg explained: Mae West was petite, between 4 feet 11 inches and 5 feet 2 inches tall. On screen, however, she looked larger than life, and this exhibition shows why: She wore shoes that made her 8 1/2 inches taller. A feat of foot engineering, each shoe has two layers: white platform shoes with ankle straps bolted on top of a pair of wooden silver pumps. "Under a long dress you wouldn't notice that these shoes were being worn," says co-curator Emily Stoehrer. "These silver toes would just peep out thru the hem of the dress." West is said to have worn them all the time — — on screen and off.
• • Susan Stamberg continued: Her jewelry was also larger than life: a ring, pin and bracelet made of massive aquamarines and diamonds. "And she of course would have worn them all together and likely with other jewels as well," Stoehrer says. Stars used their own jewelry in films — — it showed off their wealth and power . . . .
• • Source: Article "Gold-Plated Gowns and 8-inch Pumps: The Stuff That Made Starlets Shimmer" written by Susan Stamberg for NPR: published on Friday, 28 November 2014.
• • On Tuesday, 5 December 1933 • •
• • On Tuesday, 5 December 1933, the night Prohibition was repealed, while Mae was being photographed in a Hollywood speakeasy with Gary Cooper, her sister was performing in Chicago, Illinois. Beverly had bookings for her popular "Mae West Act" in the heartland during most of the winter of 1933.
• • According to a newspaper reporter: Beverly West, actress Mae West’s little sister, recalled that an usher on the house staff of a theatrical production that she was starring in ran to the stage and handed her a drink. She said, “I downed it before you could bat an eye. After all, I learned everything I know from my sister!”
• • Source: Article: “Borough Thirsty — — Ready to Celebrate Repeal Tonight on Wave of Liquor” printed by The Long Island Star-Journal; published on Tuesday, 5 December 1933.
• • On Tuesday, 5 December 1933 in The L.A. Times • •
• • The Mae West robbery led to a trial and this was covered by numerous newspapers. The L.A. Times printed some of Mae's remarks in their edition dated for Tuesday, 5 December 1933. On the witness stand, Mae had said: "I have known Voiler for a number of years. He has now turned out to be a snake in the grass."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Miss West said she was doing imitations at church socials when she was two years old.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "It's harder to write for the screen because of the censors. I have to ask the censors whether I could even sit on the arm of a man's chair."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Film Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • Mae West in "Appearance" • •
• • "Personal Appearance," a Broadway stage hit recently purchased for the screen by Emanuel Cohen, will be a Mae West vehicle for Paramount release.
• • Source: Item in Film Daily; published on Tuesday, 19 May 1936
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •
• • Thank
you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this
past decade. Yesterday we entertained 1,430 visitors.
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3061st 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:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • platform shoes from 1953 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
"MAE WEST Still Knows it All" was a delightful bit written by O.H. Brandon. Let's turn back the clock to Friday, 25 March 1955, and spy on the diamond draped diva and her dancing men who were booked at Casino Royale in Washington at the time.
• • "She Stripped Sex of its Secrecy and Reduced It to a Joke" • •
• • O.H. Brandon wrote: Since I belong to a generation which learned the essence of the meaning of Mae West via those bulging inflated life jackets they used to hang around our necks . . . I decided to go to Washington's Casino Royale where the authentic goddess of a past generation is now making a dramatic comeback.
• • "Goodness," said somebody to Mae as we sat down, "what a beautiful diamond necklace you have on!" . . .
• • "Goodness," replied Mae West, in her famous nasal whine, "had nothing to do with it." . . .
• • O.H. Brandon continued: Mae never tries, never strives. With every word, every move she indicates that she knows she has it all. ... [N.B.: A delicious excerpt of a very sweet article written long ago.]
• • Source: "Mae West Still Knows it All" rpt in The Singapore Free Press; published on Friday, 25 March 1955.
• • On Tuesday, 25 March 1924 in Texas • •
• • On Tuesday, 25 March 1924 Mae West appeared on a vaudeville program at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas.
• • On Wednesday, 25 March 1959 in Variety • •
• • Variety seemed to delight in sending a critic out-of-town to see Mae West, even when she was billed at the Chi Chi in Palm Springs, and then cutting her down. Variety had some nice words for "the quartet in tails and top hats" that accompanied the Hollywood icon. However, Variety could not resist sniping, "She looks tired."
• • When Variety ran this coverage on Wednesday, 25 March 1959, Mae West was then 65 1/2 years old and still performing to huge crowds of older Mae-mavens and her new fans.
• • On Friday, 25 March 1977 • •
• • From Monday, 6 December 1976 until Friday, 25 March 1977 — — this was the shooting schedule in Hollywood for "Sextette," starring eighty-three-year-old movie star, Mae West in her final screen role [citation from the book "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who 1958 — 1978" written by Andrew Neill, Matthew Kent, Roger Daltrey, Chris Stamp].
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West will leave Hollywood for Alaska next month to get local color for her next
Paramount picture.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • To Harry Richman, Mae West said: "That lisp is distinctive. It could be the makin' of ya."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Variety mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae West, Author, Loses Her Pianist" • •
• • "Richman Going with Nora Bayes' Show" • •
• • With four weeks laid out for her act over the Keith time, starting last week at the Davis, Pittsburgh, Mae West was unable to start the engagement through Harry Rlchman, her pianist, suddenly accepting an engagement with Nora Bayes for Miss Bayes' new show.
• • Since Richman left her, Miss West has been looking for another ivory player and will take to the vaudeville route when securing one.
• • Meanwhile the comedienne, in collaboration, is writing a farce comedy she intends shall star herself, but be produced by managerial forces.
• • Source: "Vaudeville" in Variety; published on Friday, 8 September 1922
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2877th 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:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1953 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC Mae West
On 13 September 1953, this image of MAE WEST appeared in The Los Angeles Times.
• • On 13 September 1969 • •
• • Michael Sarne was writing a lot to Mae West during the autumn of 1969 as he developed the cinema version of "Myra Breckinridge." In a letter dated 13 September 1969, he asked Mae to hurry up and get her comments on the revised screenplay to him as soon as possible. He promised he was giving more thought to other ways to involve her character Leticia Van Allen in the central plot. Mae West, of course, got top billing.
• • Lasky's Lucky 13 • •
• • More than anything, vaudevillian Mae West wanted to be "in the legit" — — on The Gay White Way — — and Jesse Lasky gave her an opportunity.
• • In 1911, Jesse Lasky opened the "Folies-Bergere," a plush theatre restaurant on West 46th Street and he cast a pretty 18-year-old Mae to appear in the cabaret with a comedy duo, Cook and Lorenz. The extravaganza was produced by Ned Wayburn, Mae's dancing teacher and was called "A La Broadway."
• • Born in San Francisco, California in the month of September — — on 13 September 1880 — — Jesse Lasky went on to be the founder of the Jesse Lasky Feature Play Company, which later merged with Adolph Zukor's Famous Players to form the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, one of the major studios of the silent era.
• • Quite versatile, Jesse Lasky started out as a reporter and then made failed plans to join the Alaska Gold Rush. Also a talented musician, Lasky then tried his hand at being a bandleader in Hawaii. Upon his return to the United States, he and his sister Blanche teamed up to play the coronet in vaudeville; this led to his becoming a vaudeville promoter.
• • In 1913 he and his brother-in-law Samuel Goldfish (who later became Sam Goldwyn) formed the first studio with Goldfish functioning as president and Lasky as the vice-president. In 1914, their first film, The Squaw Man, became a great hit and an industry milestone in that it was the first epic western; its success also helped make Hollywood a center for filmmaking. Eventually his Famous Players-Lasky company merged and merged again until it became Paramount, another major studio in American cinema history.
• • Perhaps thirteen was his special number. Born on the 13th of September, Jesse Lasky died on 13 January 1958 at age 77.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said this to an Australian reporter: "I like my sexes stable."
• • Mae West wrote this: “The wages of sin are sables and a film contract.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Mae West was mentioned in connection with a new show on Al Jolson, with whom she performed.
• • Cynthia Citron writes: Al Jolson defends himself by rattling off some of the many other performers who worked in blackface, such as Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, George Jessel, Buster Keaton, and even the young Shirley Temple. He might also have mentioned Mae West, Gene Kelly, Will Rogers, the Marx Brothers, George Burns, among many others. ...
• • Source: Article: "Jolson sings again!" written by Cynthia Citron for Examiner.com; posted on 12 September 2011
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2052nd 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:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1953 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.
