Mae West: Triple Endowed

On Monday, 29 June 1970, MAE WEST got a headline in Earl Wilson's syndicated column. This is Part 1 of 2 installments.
• • "Mae West Makes a Comeback" • •
• • Earl Wilson wrote:  New York —— I was one of Mae West's escorts at the riotous window-busting "Myra Breckenridge" premiere when she made the greatest comeback in history and won't forget when about ten of us peered out of her limousine as we passed a Metropole "topless" sign on 7th Avenue.
• • Earl Wilson wrote:  A fiendish idea came to me. Could I quote her this way?  EARL: "Mae. we now have topless shows here."  MAE: "Earl, don't talk shop."
• • Earl Wilson wrote:  "No," Mae West smiled, lounging back in the limousine in off-white silk gabardine, white maribou stole, flashing diamonds and rubies. The soon to be 78-year-old sex queen declared she didn't want her comeback to be compared to topless dancers. She recalled that she told me years ago that her sexuality was due to the fact that her grandmother was "triple-endowed."
• • Earl Wilson wrote:  "Yes, three," Mae nodded. She claims she has a double thyroid. A doctor discovered it, examining her chest. Which explained how she can go sleepl­ess through Welcome-Home mobs like this while grown men scream, "I touched her. I  — touched Mae West! I touched her!"    . . .
• • This was part 1. Part 2 (the conclusion) will be posted tomorrow.
• • Source: Item in Earl Wilson's syndicated column; published on Monday, 29 June 1970.
• • On Friday, 23 June 1922 in Variety • •
• • Mae West and Harry Richman performed together in Manhattan during June 1922, billing their act "Bits of Musical Comedy — — Mae West assisted by Harry Richman," and most of the material was written by The Firefly of Broadway herself.
• • In their edition dated for Friday, 23 June 1922, Variety's review appeared, praising the partnership because it offered ideal opposites. Referring to Mae, Variety (often reluctant to pay Mae a compliment) was enthusiastic for once: "She rises to heights undreamed of for her and reveals unsuspected depths as a delineator of character songs, a dramatic reader of ability, and a girl with a flair for farce that will some day land her on the legitimate Olympus."
• • On Tuesday, 23 June 1970 • •

• • "Myra Breckinridge" had its red-carpet, star-studded premiere in New York at the Criterion Theatre (1514 Broadway) on Tuesday, 23 June 1970. The movie went into general release in the USA one day later.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West, who encouraged Craig Russell, has not talked to him for awhile.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:   "You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough."  
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A columnist mentioned Mae West.
• • Mike Connolly wrote: Mae West read in the papers: "Mayan calendars are more accurate." Asks Mae, "All I want to know is. will it make me younger or older?”
• • Source: Item from Desert Sun; published on Tuesday, 21 June 1960
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 11th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eleven years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,400 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started eleven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3470th 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 • • in 1970 • •
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Mae West: Charel de Thomee

On Tuesday, 7 October 1969, MAE WEST visited an old friend in Palm Springs, Charel de Thomee.  It is possible that Mr. de Thomee sent for Mae because he was in poor health. Six months later, in early April 1970, he died.
• • Charel de Thomee [21 September 1893 — April 1970] • •

• • Shar Gergely wrote:  A recent visitor to Palm Springs was none other than Mae West. She accepted the invitation of her old friend, retired concert pianist Charel de Thomee to come  up and see him sometime.  Mae was in Hollywood, shooting a new film ["Myra Breckenridge"] in which she takes a small but important part.  Charel reported that they had a great time reminiscing about the “good old days” of show biz.
• • Source:  Sundial columnist for The Desert Sun; published on Tuesday, 7 October 1969.
• • On another post, we will discuss his life story. According to a newspaper article printed in January 1930, this was known about him:   Charel de Thomee, international male soprano, who is heard every Sunday afternoon on WMCA, had studied to be a pianist, but found that his unique voice would bring him greater fame. He had also been a feature artist over WABC (KNX) Columbia Broadcasting System. 
• • Here's an announcement about the "graveside services" held in Palm Springs. Notice his name is slightly different here in the 1970 news clip.
• • DeThomee — — Graveside services for Charel DeThomee, 76, of 1074 Tamarisk Road will be held Friday at 11 AM.  Burial will be in Desert Memorial Park with Palm Springs Mortuary in charge. Mr. DeThomee was a native of Paris, France and had lived in Palm Springs for 34 years.  He had lived in California for a total of 37 years.  He was employed as a pianist at the Chi Chi Restaurant.
• • Source: The Desert Sun;  published on Wednesday, 8 April 1970.
• • On Friday, 7 October 1932 • •
• • On Friday, 7 October 1932, The N. Y. Times reported the dramatic changes in Mae West's career. Though the critical reception of "Night after Night" was lukewarm, Mae West was a whole sultry sideshow unto herself, preventing the reviewers from dozing off when she was onscreen.  Paramount signed Mae to a generous contract on October 6th.
• • On Saturday, 7 October 1933 • •
• • Motion Picture Herald published a review of "I'm No Angel" in their issue dated for Saturday, 7 October 1933.  The piece was signed by their staffwriter McCarthy.
• • On Saturday, 7 October 1933 • •
• • It was on Saturday, 7 October 1933 when Mae recorded "They Call Me Sister Honky Tonk" for the Brunswick label.  The song was written for the motion picture "I'm No Angel."
• • On Saturday, 7 October 1933 • •
• • Marie Beynon Ray wrote an article about Mae West's influence on fashions — — "Curves Ahead" — — for Colliers Magazine. It ran in the issue dated for 7 October 1933.  And a review of "I'm No Angel" appeared in Motion Picture Herald (page 38) in the issue dated for 7 October 1933.
• • On Monday, 7 October 1935 • •
• • "I saw both pictures myself and they are definitely wrong," wrote Joe Breen to Will Hays on Monday, 7 October 1935.  This was the reason he gave to Paramount when he denied permission to re-release two hits starring Mae West distributed in 1933 to a blitz of ticket sales.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • One of the last bits of Will Rogers' humor was found in his message to youth (quoted in 1935). It read: "Don't miss the next Mae West show."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:   "When you tell people a play is naughty, they rush to see it. I can't help that, can I?"
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Variety mentioned Mae West.
• • Variety ran with all sorts of coverage about "I'm No Angel" starring Mae West. For instance, their article "Downtown Frisco Will Milk Next Mae West Opus; Nabes Can Squawk" was published on page 11 in Variety.
• • Source: Review and article for Variety; published on Tuesday, 3 October 1933
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 11th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eleven years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,200 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3283rd 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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Mae Wes: Miel Saan

In 1970, MAE WEST worked with an international cast on "Myra Breckinridge."
• • Miel Saan [16 May 1938  — 20 December 2000] • •

• • Born on Monday, 16 May 1938, Miel Saan became an actress. The pretty brunette was 20 years old when she got her first Broadway break; she was cast as a replacement for Lily in the popular drama "The World of Suzie Wong" [14 October 1958 — 2 January 1960].
• • According to Bob Ellison, he once had to interview an aspiring Asian actress named Miel Saan. "Yep, that was her name. And she not so casually mentioned she’d been doing both Bob Evans and Steve McQueen."  Curious about this, Ellison asked Miel Saan: “Who’s better in the sack?” And, he recalled, without missing a beat, that she replied, “You kidding?! A guy with a bad back — or one who rides a Harley!” Did it help her career? Not too much, as it happened.
• • In 1960, she played Lola, a minor role, in TV's "Hawaiian Eye" on this episode: "Kakua Woman." Typecast in Oriental roles, she won the part of Look Gow in "Confessions of an Opium Eater" [1962]. Five years later, she was on TV again in "Felony Squad."
• • In 1970, Miel Saan had the good fortune to be cast in bit part in a Mae West movie, "Myra Breckinridge." The following year, she made her last screen appearance in "Smoke" [1971].
• • Miel Saan died in New York, NY on  Wednesday, 20 December 2000. She was 62.
• • On Monday, 23 December 1929 in Los Angeles • •
• • Mae West took her "Diamond Lil" cast to the West Coast where she hoped to meet with Hollywood producers who would help bring the popular stage play to the silver screen. After a booking in San Francisco, Mae moved to her final California destination: Los Angeles. An article about Mae was published in The L.A. Times on Monday, 23 December 1929.
• • On Tuesday, 23 December 1947 • •
• • On Tuesday, 23 December 1947, the Loew's State Theatre offered its last vaudeville show. Dave Apollon, who appeared in 1922 with Mae West in "Ginger Box Revue," closed with a performance on his mandolin.
• • On Sunday, 23 December 1984 • •
• • "West and Owney Had a Hot Romance" was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the bootlegger and Cotton Club owner Owney Madden, who was Mae's lover, written by film critic Kevin Thomas and printed in The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, 23 December 1984.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Q. Did Mae West really make all those wisecracks, spontaneously, over the telephone to the thirteen editors in the nation-wide interview, or did she have rehearsals?
• • A. She did not have rehearsals. Mae's wit, both off the screen and on, is, apparently, as endless and as spectacular as her wardrobe.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "My left leg is Christmas. My right leg is Easter. Why don't you come up and visit me between the holidays?"
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A South African paper mentioned Mae West.
• • Editors Ink: Dreaming of Mae West's men • •
• • George Herld Editor Ilse Schoonraad wrote: A well-run campaign may just coerce traditional males to treat their loved ones with kindness and respect without leaving them feeling emasculated.
• • Ilse Schoonraad  wrote:  Iconic Hollywood actress Mae West famously said: "Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can't figure out from what."    South African women have figured it out. Now we just need Mae West's men.
• • Source: Column in the George Herald; published on Thursday, 4 December 2014
• • 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 3076th 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 • • in 1970 • •
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