Mae West: Ken and Then

Ken Hughes, who once worked with MAE WEST, was born in January.
• • Then 56 years old when he was at the helm of "Sextette" in 1978, based on Mae West's play ["Sextet"], the British director had many career highs and low-points.
• • "Sextette" was the middle-aged director's first American film — — as well as Mae West's final screen appearance. Ah, yes, the evolving of "Sextet," a comedy for the stage, into a motion picture project. Not unlike reading the work of a very clever Marxist, the script's logic is impeccable, even when the premise — — that an actress in her 80s can portray a 26-year-old sexpot — — is wrong.
• • Vincent Canby, then the film critic of The New York Times, pursed his lips and gave the project a sound spanking. Canby wrote: The story, based on a play written some years ago by Miss West, is about a world-famous movie star and her attempts to consummate her sixth marriage to Sir Michael Barrington (Timothy Dalton) despite repeated interruptions by former husbands, lovers, dress designers, secret agents, publicity people and delegates attending an international peace conference just upstairs. It's a plot that Miss West has often favored, and it freely reprises a lot of lines from earlier pictures. The movie was directed by Ken Hughes ("The Small World of Sammy Lee," "Cromwell," and so on), a fellow you might think had better things to do than to prop up the Tower of Pisa. In addition to Mr. Dalton, "Sextette" features a number of other people who, in happier circumstances, are decent actors. These include Tony Curtis, George Hamilton, Ringo Starr, and the incomparable Dom DeLuise. There are some original songs and some old ones, a couple of which sound as if they'd been lip-synched by Miss West to old recordings . . . [N.Y. Times 8 June 1979].
• • In January — — on 19 January 1922 — — Kenneth Graham Hughes was born in Liverpool, England.
• • The Hollywood director developed Alzheimer's disease and died on 28 April 2001 in Los Angeles.
• • Regis Retires • •
• • Speaking of "Sextette," cast member Regis Philbin just announced his retirement. We wish the durable TV host and familiar face all the best. Regis Francis Xavier Philbin was born on 25 August 1931 in New York City. He was 47 years old when he did a cameo in "Sextette" playing himself.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • none • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC
Mae West.

Mae West: Regis Philbin

How many remember when Regis came up to see Mae West in "Sextette"?
• • Native New Yorker Regis Philbin was born in August — — on 25 August 1931. As with Mae West, Regis claims Irish descent on his father's side.
• • From 1975 to 1983, he co-hosted "A.M. Los Angeles," a local morning talk show in California on KABC-TV with female co-hosts. Supposedly, Philbin's participation boosted the ratings and it became a top-shelf show.
• • While he was based on the West Coast, he had a cameo, playing himself in Mae West's last film when he was 47 years old. "Sextette," a 1978 Crown International comedy/ musical motion picture starring Mae West, also looped in walk-on bits featuring Hollywood gossip-vixen Rona Barrett and Mae's former lover George Raft playing themselves.
• • Regis Philbin moved to New York City to do a locally-produced morning talk show, which became nationally syndicated in September 1988 as "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee." He has an apartment on West 67th Street not far from his show's TV studios.
• • Celebrating his 76th birthday this month, Regis Philbin — — TV-talk show host, game-show host, singer, author, and TV personality — — is still going strong on the small screen.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • none • •
NYC
Mae West.