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MAE WEST was a notable presence at "Hollywood Glamour: Fashion and Jewelry from the Silver Screen," a colorful exhibition that was on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston until 8 March 2015. After previewing this expensive display, Janet Zapata wrote an article for Antiques Magazine. This section of her feature focused on Mae West and her brand of style and chic.
• • "The democratization of glamour" • •
• • Jewelry historian Janet Zapata wrote: The actress who epitomized, or possibly caricatured, extravagance was Mae West. Her line "Without diamonds, honey, I'd feel undressed" encapsulates the importance of jewelry to her and to the film business of the period. If Dietrich radiated a sexy toughness, West was all diamond-encrusted excess, a conscious vulgarity that was meant to make her larger than life, though she was only five feet tall. All swagger and suggestiveness, in one publicity shot she wears multiple bracelets on each arm, a ring with a large cabochon gemstone on one hand, a diamond on the other, earrings, and multiple brooches pinned to her décolleté. ... The two-part diamond bracelet joined by two trefoil connectors in Figure 8 may be one of the bracelets she is wearing in the studio photograph.
• • Gemstones set into ample geometrically designed mountings • •
• • Janet Zapata continued: Suites of jewelry radiating a pronounced glamour of excess were popular. West's aquamarine and diamond set . . . consists of a bracelet, brooch, and ring in the art moderne style of the late 1930s and early 1940s, which was characterized by large gemstones set into ample geometrically designed mountings. . . .
• • Source: Excerpt from "The democratization of glamour" written by Janet Zapata for Antiques; published in September 2014. The magazine article shows several superb pieces of jewelry personally owned by Mae West. Outstanding.
• • On Saturday, 8 May 1926 • •
• • Unflattering comments about Mae West's play "Sex" (the phrase "street sweepings" was in the description) were printed in The New Yorker, their issue dated for Saturday, 8 May 1926. Aww. Somebody was not swayed by all that free beer Mae was pouring backstage. Tsk tsk.
• • On Tuesday, 8 May 1934 • •
• • Tuesday, 8 May 1934 Mae West recorded the ending of "My Old Flame." This collaboration between New York City lyricist Sam Coslow and composer Arthur Johnson was created for the motion picture "Belle of the Nineties." Backed by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, Mae archived her performance in the recording studio. The Duke himself was on the piano.
• • On Saturday, 8 May 1937 • •
• • "Buxom Mae West Gives Trial Deposition" • •
• • An article by an Associated Press reporter that was published on Saturday, 8 May 1937 (in numerous newspapers) provided a Technicolor glimpse of the drama surrounding Mae West's "forgotten" 1911 trip to the altar.
• • On Wednesday, 8 May 1940 • •
• • An article about Mae West called "A Little Warm for Wax" was reprinted in Goulburn Evening Post [Australia] and published on Wednesday, 8 May 1940.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Owen Moore is back from New York to play with Mae West in her first Paramount starring vehicle, "Ruby Red." He is abandoning a personal appearance tour which started in Hollywood last April and which has taken him through the South and East.
• • Other cast assignments add Noah Beery, David Landau, and Dewey Robinson to this story of the rowdy nineties on the Bowery.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "If we can send a man to the moon, why don’t we send all of 'em?"
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Niagara Falls Gazette quoted Mae West.
• • There are no missing husbands in her life, she says, because "no guy ever led me to the altar." And that, said the buxom Mae decisively, goes for the startling discovery of a marriage license issued to a Mae West and a Frank Wallace in Milwaukee op April 11, 1911.
• • "Me a Milwaukee bride?" said Mae. "No — it must have been two other people." . . .
• • Source: Article in The Niagara Falls Gazette; published on Thursday, 25 April 1935
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •
• • Thank
you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this
past decade. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a
milestone recently when we completed 3,100 blog posts. Wow!
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3174th 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 West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • with Owen Moore in 1932 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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Oscar Levant's scatological comments and controversial wisecracks about MAE WEST's sex life got his talk show cancelled for good in 1960. Unrestrained witticisms had gotten him in trouble before on the air, therefore, the network decided to add a safety net by taping the syndicated "Oscar Levant Show," to enable the engineers to weed out the outrageous. Probably aware that his shocking off-the-cuff opinions were the very reason viewers tuned in from 1958 — 1960 to his 10 PM program, Oscar continued to riff on Mae's enema habits or speculate on her lovers and her bi-racial open-door policy.
• • One individual claimed to recall a few of Oscar's offensive one-liners: "Now that Marilyn Monroe has converted to Judaism, Arthur Miller can eat her!"; "Zsa Zsa Gabor is busy again, doing social work among the rich!"; and "Mae West, of course, is a pro's pro. Mae would never give it away!" — — and one final crack about Mae's bed partners got the TV executives to pull the plug.
• • Born into a musical and Orthodox Jewish Russian family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the month of December — — on 27 December 1906 — — Oscar Levant moved to New York with his mother, Annie, in 1922 after the death of his father, Max. Oscar Levant gained fame as an American pianist, composer, author, humorist, and actor. He was equally known for his mordant character, off-color observations, and unpredictable digs on the air as for his music. Frequently institutionalized by his wife June, Levant had the knack of making an audience laugh and feel very uncomfortable at the same time.
• • A fatal heart attack stilled the voice of Oscar Levant. He died in Beverly Hills, California on 14 August 1972, and was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. He was 65.
• • In December, Let's Remember Louis Bromfield [1896 — 1956] • • 
• • Born Lewis Brumfield in Ohio in the month of December — — on 27 December 1896 — — the 6' 2" inch journalist won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel Early Autumn [1926], and then turned to writing fulltime. His short story "Single Night" (set in Larry Fay's Napoleon Club) became the backbone of the Paramount film "Night After Night" [released on 30 October 1932]. Two months after the film was distributed to moviehouses across the country, bootlegger Larry Fay met a spectacularly crimson-soaked death inside the Napoleon Club, 33 West 56th Street, on 1 January 1933.
• • Author and farmer Louis Bromfield had a more serene death, at age 60, on 18 March 1956.• • In December, Let's Remember Sam Coslow [1902 — 1982] • •
• • Born in Mae's hometown, New York City, Sam Coslow was born in December — — on 27 December 1902. He attended Erasmus Hall High School and he was still in his teens when he began writing songs. For instance, "My Old Flame" was written in 1934, with Arthur Johnston, for the Mae West film "Belle of the Nineties." His music made it into many Hollywood movies.
• • The composer died in New York, NY on 2 April 1982.
• • In December, Let's Remember Marlene Dietrich [1901 — 1992] • •
• • When Mae West was starring in "My Little Chickadee," a comedy set in the old West, Universal Pictures was also producing a Western-themed musical comedy "Destry Rides Again" [which debuted in New York on 30 November 1939]. Though the title would seem to be weighted in the direction of two actors — — James Stewart in the title role as Tom Destry, Jr. and Charles Winninger as his deputy Washington Dimsdale — — Dietrich owns the movie. This vehicle became a career reviving performance for the fishnet stockinged bar singer Frenchie, sexy and memorable despite wearing a truly hideous wig.
• • Born in Germany in the month of December — — on 27 December 1901 — — Marlene Dietrich was an actress and a singer who knew Mae West when they were both stars at Paramount Pictures.
• • The screen queens were photographed on the set of "My Little Chickadee" in 1939. Dietrich was posing in her Frenchie costume and Mae was made up as Flower Belle Lee.
• • Marlene Dietrich died in Paris of natural causes on 6 May 1992.
• • On 27 December 2002 in Chicago Tribune • •
• • Chicago Tribune readers spotted "The Party Continues" written by Nancy Maes as they ploughed through the newspaper on 27 December 2002.
• • Nancy Maes wrote: The theme of the next round classic Hollywood films in the Lunchtime Matinee series is "The Party Continues." It includes "Top Hat," (1935) starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (Monday); "Holiday" (1938) with Katharine Hepburn (the name as published has been corrected in this text), Thursday; and "My Little Chickadee," (1940) featuring Mae West and W.C. Fields. The series complements the "Matinee Idols and Movie Queens," exhibition at the Chicago Tourism Center. Lunchtime Matinee, all films at noon, Chicago Tourism Center, 72 E. Randolph St., free.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "You're never too old to become younger."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article on John Kobal and "Made in Hollywood" mentioned Mae West.
• • Philippa Hawker wrote: While John Kobal was an avid collector, he was scrupulous about standards: he had a critical eye, Crocker says, and the images he amassed were of the best quality. The collection soon became an important resource and archive for historians, scholars and filmmakers. Andy Warhol — — always an ardent admirer of the old Hollywood — — was among those who drew on Kobal's images.
• • Philippa Hawker continued: John Kobal's interest was first in the photographs, then in the photographers themselves. He was on the set of "Myra Breckenridge," the notorious 1970 vehicle for an older Mae West. A photographer named George Hurrell, who first worked for MGM in 1930, was on set to take pictures of Mae West. Kobal was amazed to discover that the man whose images he admired was there, in front of him, still at work. ...
• • "Made in Hollywood" is at the Bendigo Art Gallery (Australia) from 3 December 2011 to 12 February 2012 . . .
• • Source: Article: "Made in Hollywood" written by Philippa Hawker for the Sydney Morning Herald; posted on 19 November 2011
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2158th 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 West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1932 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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Mae West.
One songwriter provided MAE WEST with jazzy cinema numbers — — and several are still memorable. Though he worked in California for years, Sam Coslow died in New York City, his hometown, in the month of April.
• • Preparing for the release of her latest movie "Every Day's a Holiday" in 1937, Mae was busy rehearsing and taping Sam Coslow's number "Mademoiselle Fifi." The song was recorded during October 1937 with "Chorus and Paramount Studio." Wielding the baton was LeRoy Prinz.
• • A native New Yorker like Mae, Sam Coslow [7 December 1902 — 2 April 1982] — — was educated at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn — — and became an Oscar-winning producer and songwriter. In 1928 he formed the music publishing company Spier and Coslow in The Big Apple, where he often wrote show tunes.
• • He wrote several songs for Mae West's motion pictures. These include "My Old Flame," "Troubled Waters," and "When a St. Louis Woman Comes Down to New Orleans" for "Belle of the Nineties"; "Now I'm a Lady" for "Goin' to Town"; and "Mademoiselle Fifi" for "Every Day's a Holiday."
• • Backed by Duke Ellington's orchestra, Mae sang "My Old Flame" wearing this superb costume in 1934. Paramount Pictures certainly knew how to create a stylish background for their most important actresses.• • 2 April 1934 • •
• • After the menace of her jewel heist, Mae ordered a bullet-proof car. Her friend Texas Guinan, however, had been riding around in armored vehicles for years. On 2 April 1934, the heirs of the speakeasy queen had sold one of her armored limousines and it was placed on a boat, where it would sail to Liverpool to its new owner. During the 1920s, the padlock princess had purchased this sleek specially built automobile from the King of Belgium.• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo might have fit Mae West's description of tall, dark, and handsome. Born in 1986 in Kentucky, the lean NBA player was on the mind of sportswriter (and Mae West fan) William Russo. Come along for the laugh.
• • Clever William Russo whipped up this cheeky column: We wondered what kind of performance would be elicited from Rajon Rondo if his coach were the dynamic Mae West of the bawdy double-entendre, forerunner of the triple double-entendre.
• • We are reminded of the great advice from sex goddess Mae West, whose words can be adapted to today’s basketball in the NBA.
• • Mae once said, “It’s not the men in my life, but the life in my men.” That got her team going....
• • Miss West might well tell young Rondo after one of his stellar performances, “Come up and see me some time, Big Boy.”
• • We wish we could hear Mae comment: “Is that a triple double? Or are you just glad to see me?”
• • Mae would warn Rajon Rondo: “When point guards go wrong, the media go right after them.”
• • You can hear her now: “He who hesitates to pass is a damn fool.”
• • She would tell her eager acolyte: “Avoid the temptation to shoot unless you can’t resist it any longer.” ...
• • Source: April Fool's Day Humor Column: "Doc Rivers Takes Coaching Lessons from Mae West and Rajon Rondo Delivers" written by William Russo for The Bleacher Report; posted on 1 April 2011
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 1887th 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 West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • singing "My Old Flame" in 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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Mae West.
One songwriter provided MAE WEST with jazzy cinema numbers — — and several are still memorable. 
Though he worked in California for years, Sam Coslow died in New York City, his hometown, in the month of April.• • Preparing for the release of her latest movie "Every Day's a Holiday" in 1937, Mae was busy rehearsing and taping Sam Coslow's number "Mademoiselle Fifi." The song was recorded during October 1937 with "Chorus and Paramount Studio." Wielding the baton was LeRoy Prinz. • • A native New Yorker like Mae, Sam Coslow [7 December 1902 — 2 April 1982] — — was educated at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn — — and became an Oscar-winning producer and songwriter. In 1928 he formed the music publishing company Spier and Coslow in The Big Apple, where he often wrote show tunes.
• • He wrote several songs for Mae West's motion pictures. These include "My Old Flame," "Troubled Waters," and "When a St. Louis Woman Comes Down to New Orleans" for "Belle of the Nineties"; "Now I'm a Lady" for "Goin' to Town"; and "Mademoiselle Fifi" for "Every Day's a Holiday."
• • Orchestra conductor LeRoy Prinz [1895 — 1983] first found work as a dance director on Broadway. Relocating to California, Prinz worked for Paramount Pictures (1933 — 1941) and Warner Brothers (1942 — 1957) among others.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/________
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West's song scribe • • Sam Coslow • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWestNYC
Mae West.
In September 1934, MAE WEST was involved in promoting her fourth feature for Paramount Pictures: "Belle of the Nineties." This motion picture was released on September 21st. And here is the review published in The New York Times on 22 September 1934. "Of course, Miss West is her own plot," wrote critic Andre Sennwald.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Mae West and Her Gaudy Retinue in "Belle of the Nineties"
• • By ANDRE SENNWALD
• • Although Mae West has graciously permitted the New York censors to make an honest woman of her in her new picture, she has not adopted the emblematic blue-nose. Back in the days when "Belle of the Nineties" — alias "Belle of New Orleans" and "It Ain't No Sin" — was locked in a death grip with the local censorship board, one of the major points of dissension was the shocking fade-out in which Miss West won her man without the assistance of a justice of the peace. In the new and approved version there is a wedding ceremony and Miss West is now safe for her large following to visit.
• • It is pretty futile to strive for an air of detachment toward Miss West and her new work. A continuously hilarious burlesque of the mustache cup, celluloid collar, and family entrance era of the naughty Nineties, it immediately takes its place among the best screen comedies of the year. Its incomparable star has been bolstered by a smart and funny script, an excellent physical production, and a generally buoyant comic spirit. There are gags for every taste and most of them are outrageously funny according to almost any standard of humor.
• • Arthur Johnston and Sam Coslow have provided four crimson chansons — "My Old Flame," "Troubled Waters," "My American Beauty," and "When a St. Louis Woman Comes Down to New Orleans" — which are quite perfect, and Miss West delivers them in her inimitable adenoidal contralto.
• • Amid the lithographic Police Gazette settings of the Sensation House in New Orleans, Ruby Carter (in Miss West's classic person) rules the sporting world with queenly insolence. As she herself sagely observes, "It is better to be looked over than to be overlooked" — — and her serpentine gowns, hayloft coiffure, and hour-glass figure insure her against neglect. Ruby's expressed preference is for two kinds of men — domestic and foreign — and the gentlemen moths, in their tight pants, bowler hats, and Ascot cravats, flock to the flame. Even the bartenders with their walrus mustaches and spit-curls silently yearn for her.
• • Of course, Miss West is her own plot, but there are a fixed prize-fight, some stolen jools, an envious siren, a fire, and a pair of rival claimants for her affections to add the necessary business. While Ruby's personal philosophy is, in her own words, to keep cool and collect, she has a healthy admiration for a good man, and the Tiger Kid fills the bill. Sinister interests conspire to separate them, and Ruby Carter is forced to fight for what she politely refers to as her honor against the evil and wax-mustached Ace Lamont, proprietor of the Sensation House. This last is of a vintage so objectionable as to cause the amiable Ruby to remark, "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."
• • Roger Pryor as the Tiger Kid, John Miljan as the contemptible Ace, and Katherine DeMille as the jealous mistress of Ace Lamont all contribute excellently to the comedy, while Duke Ellington's boys provide the sulphurous musical background for Miss West's songs. If the great lady's public expects a cool and reasoned appraisal of "Belle of the Nineties" this morning, it will have to be disappointed. Not being immune to the common human failing of magnifying the virtues of the past, this reporter will always consider "She Done Him Wrong" her greatest show. At any rate, her present masterpiece is superior on every count to "I'm No Angel." As for its morality, you have Miss West's own testimony, when she tells an overwrought admirer, "Remember, I'm a lady, you worm."
• • You will have to take her word for it.
• • BELLE OF THE NINETIES, adapted from a story by Mae West; music and lyrics by Arthur Johnston and Sam Coslow; directed by Leo McCarey; a Paramount production. At the Paramount.
• • Source: The New York Times
• • Critic: Andre Sennwald
• • Originally published on: 22 September 1934• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1934 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWestNYC
Mae West.
