Mae West: Sleep with Mae

Known locally as the "MAE WEST house" thanks to its protruding porches, this charmer is situated in Cape May, New Jersey where Victorian era residences have been preserved in all their grand-scale glory.

• • Constructed circa 1922, the Kate McCreary House (1005 Beach Avenue) can be viewed in Cape May's extensive historic district.

• • Sleep in the Mae West Suite • • 

• • The Brooklyn bombshell inspired several hotelkeepers to offer a "Mae West Room." You can find one at the Inn at Long Lake in Maine or at the El Rancho Hotel and Motel in New Mexico.  Supposedly the movie queen spent the night at Colorado's Baldpate Inn, where their "Mae West Room" features a red claw-foot tub and awesome valley views.  In Arizona, the Cottonwood Hotel designated # 4 as the "Mae West Suite," furnished with a claw foot tub, separate sitting area, and queen-sized bed; the Hotel San Carlos created a generous, glitzy "Mae West Suite," which duplicates the movie queen's bed, here bedecked with a red brocade crown and overhang.  And in California, Palm Springs Gay Resort Hotel has named each unit for an iconic movie star including Mae West.

• • Salvador Dalí [11 May 1904 — 23 January 1989] • • 

• • Dali's fascination with Mae West was a long one.

• • Salvador Dalí was a Catalan-Spanish artist who became one of the most important painters of the 20th century. A gouache now in Chicago illustrates his original plan executed during the early 1930s for a "paranoiac-critical room" based on the features of Mae's face. When the Dalí Museum in Figueras was being constructed during the early 1970s, his Mae West Room was finally built to his specifications.

• • Genesis of the Mae West Lips Sofa (1937): Dalí had first painted The Face of Mae West (Usable as a Surrealist Apartment) in 1934. Later on, Edward James, a rich British patron of the Surrealists in the 1930s, commissioned this companion piece from Dalí. The Mae West sofa is the same color as the "shocking pink" lipstick shade inspired by the actress, and developed by the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.

• • On Saturday, 11 May 1935 • •

• • Movie critic Andre Sennwald offered his review of "Goin' to Town," starring Mae West, to the readers of The New York Times on page 21 on Saturday, 11 May 1935.

• • On Friday, 10 May 1935, this new motion picture opened in Mae's hometown at the New York Paramount.

• • On Friday, 11 May 2012 • •

• • Word comes today from Dallas, Texas that Frausun (a funky electronic musician from The Lone Star State) has just released his 11th studio album “FagGuts.” His latest compilation covers themes of war, faith, and sexuality with songs such as “A (Girl) Who Takes Her Time” — — a favorite Mae West cover.

• • In Her Own Words • •

• • Mae West said: "I was told I could pay the fine and get out of going to jail, but I made up my own mind. I decided it would be more interesting to go to prison."

• • Quote, Unquote • •

• • An article on an annual festival in Alabama mentioned Mae West.

• • Dothan, Alabama native Johnny Mack Brown [1904 — 1974] was 23 in 1927 when he was cast in his first motion picture. Seven years later, the handsome six-foot-one actor played the role of Brooks Claybourne in "Belle of the Nineties" [1934].

• • Alabama reporter Peggy Ussery notes: In all, Brown appeared in more than 165 B-Western movie and TV productions and starred with Hollywood legends like Mae West, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Mary Pickford, John Wayne, and Tex Ritter. ...

• • Source: Article: "Annual festival seeks to keep memory of cowboy movie hero alive" written by Peggy Ussery for Dothan Eagle; posted on 11 May 2011

• • Quote, Unquote • •

• • An article on a museum exhibit mentioned Mae West and introduced the piece with a large Mae West photo under the title.

• • Lori Ettlinger Gross writes: The new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute, “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity,” examines the evolution of style in this country and the appreciation of the breeze-easy female. Replacing the cosseted woman with a spirited American paradigm trumpeted more than the exchange of a corset for a shift dress, however. It sparked an upheaval in social etiquette: Women of independent means began buying their own jewelry. Fashion may have rattled the cage for change, yet it was gems and precious metals that broke the chains of Europe.

• • Lori Ettlinger Gross continues: The years covered by the exhibition, 1890 to 1940, were arguably the most innovative in jewelry design. Venerable houses and ambitious designers vied for the necks of socialites and celebrities. Success and the wealth that follows create their own self-determination. Take Mae West, for example, who bought a casket’s worth of Beaux-Art jewels and transformed herself into Diamond Lil. ...

• • Source: Article: "The Bling Factor | ‘American Woman’ at the Met" written by Lori Ettlinger Gross for The N.Y. Times; posted on 11 May 2010

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2297th 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 House" • • Cape May • •
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Mae West: Mae West y Yo

A quirky new novel published in Spain focuses on the healing powers of MAE WEST.
• • Written in Spanish by 63-year-old Eduardo Mendicutti, "Mae West and Me" [“Mae West y Yo"] was published in Madrid in September.
• • Reviewing the book in English, critic Catherine Mansfield had this to say about the plot: Felipe Bonasera is an openly gay retired diplomat in his early 60s who has decided to spend the month of July alone at his family’s summer home after being diagnosed with an unidentified life-threatening illness. As an amateur ventriloquist, Felipe is used to entertaining his friends with performances using puppets of golden age Hollywood film stars: Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlene Dietrich. Despite having left his puppets back in Madrid, the voice of Mae West travels with him; Felipe has named the initially unidentified cancerous part of his body — — at the end of the novel we learn that it is his prostate — — after the famously sharp-tongued actress, who keeps him company with her witty and often obscene comments on life during his self-imposed exile. ...
• • Catherine Mansfield continued: The novel is divided between two first-person narrators: Felipe and ‘Mae West’ — — Felipe’s prostate personified as the Hollywood star. The chapters alternate between these two narratives, with a new chapter for each day spent at Villa Horacia. In the sections narrated by ‘Mae West,' the narrative voice mimics the quick-fire, gossipy wit of the real-life actress in a very conversational style. She scatters her observations with anecdotes about other stars of her time such as Grace Kelly, Rita Hayward, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, and Cary Grant. ‘Mae West’ compares everything that Felipe experiences with plots of films or the experiences of golden age actresses, and constantly interrupts Felipe’s part of the narrative with witty, wry, and sometimes obscene comments. The sections narrated by Felipe tend to be more reflective, with his mind regularly returning to his anxiety about his illness, which he tries to forget by becoming involved in village life and spying on his neighbours.
• • Catherine Mansfield added her own opinion of the narrative: The relationship between Felipe and ‘Mae West’ — — his glamorous imaginary friend — — is interesting. Instead of hating and fearing his cancerous prostate, Felipe gives it a name and an imaginary life of its own, and a strange friendship develops between them. By giving his prostrate a name and a personality, Felipe is no longer suffering alone. Whenever he gets frightened or morbid, ‘Mae West’ snaps him out of it with a witty comment, transporting him to a glamorous fantasy world of film stars and intrigue. It is a strangely affectionate relationship, with ‘Mae West’ calling Felipe ‘my man.’
• • Author Eduardo Mendicutti was born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz) in 1948. In 1972 he moved to Madrid, where he obtained a journalism degree, and where he makes his home.
• • "Mae West y Yo" was published by Tusquets [September 2011]; the Spanish language paperback is 264 pages. Perhaps a very nice bi-lingual person will translate it and bring this novel to the USA for an American audience. We wish the author mucho éxito — — much success.
• • In November, Let's Remember Robert Homnas [1877 — 1947] • •
• • Mae West starred in "She Done Him Wrong," and Robert Homans was seen as Doheney.
• • Born in Malden, Massachusetts in the month of November — — on 8 November 1877 — — Robert Edward Homans was raised by sensible native New Englanders but somehow the crazy acting bug bit. He and his wife and young daughter spent time in New York City before heading to the West Coast. Cast in a silent film in 1917, the five-foot-eleven performer decided to pursue a screen career. Between 1923 — 1946 he racked up 385 featured appearances. His height and very serious look made him a natural for bit parts of uniformed men such as a fire chief, doormen, sailors, policemen, detectives, and assorted judges and lawmen. A useful skill was his ability to affect an Irish brogue and he was busy working on one picture or another until he was 69 years old.
• • Robert Edward Homans died of a heart attack on 28 July 1947 — — at the Motion Picture Country House in Los Angeles where he had been residing. He is buried next to his beloved wife in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
• • On 8 November 1933 • •
• • Published in NYC in The Nation [edition of 8 November 1933] was an article discussing the motion picture "She Done Him Wrong" starring the Brooklyn bombshell. William Troy wrote the lengthy piece: "Mae West and the Classic Tradition."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I heard the applause — — applause just for me, and I knew they really liked me, and I knew then there wasn’t any other place I ever wanted to be.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about Ho Chi Minh [1890 — 1969] mentioned Mae West.
• • Petri Liukkonen writes: Ho Chi Minh was born on Nguyen Sinh Cung in the village of Kimlien, Annam . . . . It is believed, that he lived in Harlem for a while. The American actress Mae West has told in an interview, that she met "Ho... Ho... Ho something" at the Carlton Hotel. "There was this waiter, cook, I don't know what he was. I know he had the slinkies eyes though. We met in the corridor. We — — well..." ...
• • Source: Article: "Ho Chi Minh" written by Petri Liukkonen for Amazon.com; posted in 2008
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2108th 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 • • circa 1943 • •
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Mae West: Rumba Number

MAE WEST had a thing for swing, a groove for the blues, and a passion for Latin. No wonder the Rumba King appeared in two of her motion pictures (albeit briefly).
• • Talented and versatile, Xavier Cugat died in Barcelona of heart failure during the month of October — — on 27 October 1990 — — after 90 years of hard work, many successes, and five marriages.
• • Born in Spain in 1900 and raised in Cuba, the musically gifted hispanic relocated to Los Angeles, where he toiled as a cartoonist for The Los Angeles Times by day while he struggled to put together a band after hours. After paying his dues with gigs at smaller clubs, in 1928 he got a big break with a booking at the high-flying Coconut Grove nightspot. Even more fortunately, his style of music found fans and propelled him forward. The composer and bandleader appeared in several notable MGM musicals during the 1940s.
• • In "Go West Young Man" [1936] Cugat played the role of the Orchestra Leader in 'Drifting Lady' — — how many remembered that?
• • In "The Heat's On" [1943] he portrayed himself again, that is, an Orchestra Leader.
• • Like Mae West, Xavier Cugat has a presence on the Walk of Fame.
• • On 27 October 2009 in The New York Observer • •
• • "Mae West Wrote Plays; Pity We Can Only Read Them" was the title of an intriguing book review written by Rick Whitaker, which was published on 27 October 1997 in the peach-colored newspaper The New York Observer. The title under discussion was this: "Three Plays by Mae West: 'Sex,' 'The Drag' and 'The Pleasure Man'," edited by Lillian Schlissel [Routledge, 246 pages]. A good book to own.
• • On 27 October 2009 in Canyon News • •
• • Many moons ago, Michael St. John interviewed Mae West. On 27 October 2009 he decided to share an intimate peak with the Hollywood legend with readers of Canyon News. Here is an excerpt from his article: "My Time with Mae West."
• • Tune in on Michael St. John writing about his time in Hollywood and his visit to her apartment: In my book "Hollywood Through the Back Door," I included something of my experience with Ms. West. . . . When Mae West finally made her grand entrance, she was dressed completely in white, looking amazingly youthful and unbelievably stunning. “Well, Michael,” she purred, “you made it — — hope I didn’t keep ya’ waitin’ long.”
• • Michael St. John continues: Hearing that familiar speech pattern and rhythm gave me chills of excitement. All the characters I had seen her portray on the screen suddenly came to mind. Somehow, she picked up that I was one of those worshipping fans, and quickly tried to put me at ease.
• • “Relax, sweetie,” Mae West insisted, “there’s no rush. Anything good, I mean really good, takes time. If you know what I mean.”
• • Mae: "After I leave the bathroom, you can go in and fry an egg!" • •
• • Michael St. John reveals: Mae had me totally under her spell, so much so, I had difficulty posing my first question. As I was about to ask about the time she spent in jail for lewd conduct in New York City, she asked me how old did I think she looked. Oh, no — — why in hell did she have to ask a question like that! After all, I knew she was in her 80s — — what was I suppose to say? I don’t know how I managed, but I indicated that she looked like a woman in her 40s. Well, she was horrified! She made it very clear that most people believe she still looks at least 25. My god, the woman is crazy, I thought. She looks fantastic, but 25! When I asked Mae how she managed to look so young, she said with great pride: “I take an enema every single day of my life — — after I leave the bathroom, you can go in and fry an egg.”
• • Michael St. John recalls: Quite early in the interview, I learned that Mae enjoyed talking about sex. She claimed that Cary Grant was a beautiful looking man, but was nothing to brag about in bed. “He was like a nice piece of jewelry.” She offered this comparison: “It’s nice to have around your neck for an occasion, but I wouldn’t want to make it a habit.” When she mentioned Anthony Quinn, for some reason, she wouldn’t reveal too many details, except that the actor gave her a night she would never forget. ...
• • There's more to this candid interview and it seems that Michael St. John has a good memory.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West wrote these lines for her character Lady Lou: "You know, it was a toss up whether I go in for diamonds or sing in the choir. The choir lost." [From "She Done Him Wrong" by Mae West]
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about a politician Down Under was cheeky enough to mention Mae West.
• • Writing from Perth, Australia, Tony Wright begins his Op-Ed like this: Kevin Rudd, having talked himself to a rasp but certainly not a standstill, batted his eyes and requested his audience forgive him his husky ''Mae West voice.'' Mae West! The juxtaposition of the luminous and pneumatic Hollywood siren West with Kevin Rudd initially seemed about as fitting as inserting human rights and the Commonwealth in the same discourse, though Rudd, naturally, managed it. He opened yesterday's pre-Commonwealth Heads of Government talkfest by attending a press conference . . . .
• • Source: Op-Ed: "Husky-voiced Rudd does a Mae West" written by Tony Wright for The Sydney Morning Herald; posted on: 27 October 2011
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2096th 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 • • 1936 • •
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Mae West: Kooky Criswell

MAE WEST appeared in a successful long-running engagement on Broadway in "Sometime," a musical comedy.
• • It was on Saturday, 4 October 1918 that "Sometime," the "musical comedy of commerce" designed to showcase the talents of laughmeister Ed Wynn, had opened at the Shubert Theatre (establishing a nice healthy wartime run that continued for eight months at the Shubert brothers' flagship: 225 West 44th Street, New York, NY).
• • At 25 years old, Mae West was still much more accustomed to appearing in vaudeville than in the legit. In "Sometime," it was Mae's character Mayme Dean who appeared onstage first. At that point in her career, Mae had often been cast as an Irish maid — — although Mayme Dean is a frisky flapper who cannot land a man.
• • In October, Let's Remember Criswell • •
• • Born in Princeton, Indiana on 18 August 1907, Jeron Criswell King wrote several books of (erroneous) predictions, including 1968's "Criswell Predicts: From Now to the Year 2000." In it, he offered very strange predictions about Mae West. For instance, he foretold her rise to President of the United States, whereupon she, Criswell, and George Liberace (the brother of showman Liberace) would take a rocket to the moon. According to Criswell, he and Mae West were "great friends" and he claimed that she would lavish him with home-cooked food she had delivered to the studio that he shared with Maila Nurmi ("Vampira").
• • Mae, who used Criswell as her personal psychic, sang a song called "Criswell Predicts" on the album "The Fabulous Mae West" [1955].
• • Criswell died of cardiac arrest in Burbank, California in the month of October — — on 4 October 1982. He was 75 years old..
• • On Monday, 4 October 2010 • •
• • In Granada, Spain on Monday, 4 October 2010, it was the fifth anniversary of the Mae West nightclub there, a popular hotspot. The venue planned for a lavish celebration "at a truly gigantic level," according to their announcement last year.
• • The Mae West Blog featured the Mae West nightclub when it first opened its doors. Happy Sixth Anniversary to Spain's Mae West Club.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I’ve been things and seen places.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An essay about women's sexuality mentioned Mae West.
• • Linda Jaivin writes: The two concepts, the alleged virtue of women and their lack thereof are intimately related. Ever since Eve copped the rap for getting her and Addie thrown out of Paradise, women have been forced to protest 'I'm not Eve! I'm not Eve! I'm a good girl.' The ladies doth protest too much, methinks. Give me Mae West any day. She's no lady, and I much prefer her attitude: 'A hard man is good to find.' 'I was Snow White ... but I drifted.' . . .
• • Source: Essay: "Women Love Sex” written by Linda Jaivin for Random House; posted in 1997
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2073rd 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 • • Shubert Theatre in 1913 • •
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Mae West: Luis Alberni

A Broadway actor from Spain was cast in a motion picture with MAE WEST.
• • Born in Barcelona in the month of October — — on 4 October 1886 — — Luis Alberni had majored in dramatic acting at the University of Madrid. In 1914, he relocated to the USA to further his career and was cast in a silent movie the following year. His debonair looks and talent attracted attention and he was cast in a number of Broadway productions from 1915 — 1928. In the original production of "What Price Glory?" [1924 — 1925] he played Monsieur Pete De La Cognac.
• • In "Goin' to Town" [released in May 1935 by Paramount Pictures and directed by Alexander Hall] the five-foot-seven Spaniard had a small role as Signor Vitola.
• • Luis Alberni died on 23 December 1962 in Hollywood, California. A heart attack ended his life at the age of 76. His remains are interred at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • with Grant Withers in 1935 • •
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Mae West: Granada

MAE WEST "The Baby Vamp" is a new hot spot in Granada, Spain.  
• • Located on Centro Comercial Neptuno, the club has two rooms besides their Mae West "The Baby Vamp" Coffee Theatre, where stand-up comics entertain in an American-style playhouse; bar-flies can bend an elbow in Molly Malone's Sport Tavern or tango over to the Bribon de la Havana, where folks can groove to "ritmos latinos" and enjoy the Cuban atmosphere. 
• • The colorful web site (focused on Mae's reputation, biography, and witticisms) is engaging.
 • • Come up and see them – – and it helps if you read Spanish – – www.MaeWestGranada.com 
• • Traes una pistola en el bolsillo o solo estas feliz de verme?
• • http://maewest.blogspot.com/2007/05/mae-west-granada.html

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • logo for the Granada club • •
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