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One actor worked with Texas Guinan and also in two motion pictures starring MAE WEST.
• • Born in Dobbs Ferry, New York on 16 June 1888, William B. Davidson launched his cinema career playing handsome leading men in silent films with Vitagraph in 1914 when he was 26.
• • Among his credits is "Queen of the Night Clubs" [1929]; in his role as the Assistant District Attorney he was soundly lectured by the night club czarina Texas Guinan.
• • Nearly six-foot-two and with a strapping build, he was quite memorable as Ernest Brown in "I'm No Angel" [1933], also billed as the sap.
• • Regularly cast as a man of authority in character roles, Davidson portrayed the sheriff in "My Little Chickadee," which co-starred Mae West and W.C. Fields.
• • William B. Davidson died in Santa Monica, California during the month of September — — on 28 September 1947 — — after surgery. He was 59 years old.
• • On 28 September 1974 • •
• • The colorful Mae West room in Dalí Theatre and Museum opened on 28 September 1974. The Mae West Lips Sofa made its first appearance in 1937.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said this: "Give a man a free hand and he'll run it all over you."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article in The Guardian mentioned a visit to Mae West in Hollywood.
• • "There's nothing better in life than diamonds . . ."
• • Charlotte Chandler wrote about her interview with Mae West in Ravenswood Apts, Los Angeles, California, for London's newspaper The Guardian.
• • Charlotte Chandler told it like this: Mae West held out her hand to me. As I took it, I scratched my palm on one of her diamond rings. All of her fingers were covered with diamonds. These, she explained, were just her "daytime diamonds." Holding out her hands, she said, "They're all real. They were given to me by admirers." Her gaze settled on my unadorned hands. "Oh, you poor kid! You don't have any!" For a moment she regarded me with pity. Then she brightened. "But you have some at home?" I shook my head. She studied me, then said encouragingly, "You could, honey. But you've gotta try, and you've gotta know how to try. Knowing what you want is the first step toward getting it. There's nothing better in life than diamonds."
• • Charlotte Chandler continued: Mae West had been giving no interviews at all. She already knew all the people she wanted to know, especially in light of the hours she felt compelled to spend on hair, makeup and dress before she could see anyone. ...
• • Source: Article: "Mae West" written by Charlotte Chandler for The Guardian [U.K.]; posted on Friday, 21 September 2007
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2067th 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 William B. Davidson, 1933 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
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Mae West.
MAE WEST charmed The New York Times film critic Mordaunt Hall. Well satisfied by the motion picture "I'm No Angel," Hall haled it and his readers heeded. 
• • Here's what Hall wrote after the advance screening in 1933:
• • Arrayed in a variety of costumes which set off her sinuous form, Mae West is appearing at the Paramount in her latest screen vehicle, "I'm No Angel," a title which, as might be surmised, fits the leading character. Here Miss West, who wrote the story herself from "suggestions contributed" by Lowell Brentano, is beheld as a circus beauty named Tira, who wins applause and admiration by risking her blond head in a lion's mouth twice daily.
• • It is a rapid-fire entertainment, with shameless but thoroughly contagious humor, and one in which Tira is always the mistress of the situation, whether it be in the cage with wild beasts, in her boudoir with admirers, or in a court of law.
• • Tira is ever ready with a flip double entendre, and she permits no skeleton to be found behind her cupboard doors. She has an emphatic personality, which proves a magnet for even socialites with millions. She receives costly presents, including diamond necklaces, but she is hardly a gold-digger. She refrains from posing, preferring to keep her natural slangy speech in her journey through the story from a tent to a penthouse.
• • She admits that she has thrown discretion to the winds and she sometimes finds herself in an awkward predicament, but through a wily lawyer she succeeds in proving that she is guiltless. The feeble parts of this picture are those in which a criminal known as Slick is introduced. The less one sees of him the better one feels, for the production is interesting only as long as it proceeds on its merry route.
• • The glimpses of Tira making her impressive entry to the circus arena and then proceeding to the big cage with the roaring lions are depicted shrewdly. Tira does not actually stick her whole head in the lion's mouth, but contents herself by putting her face between the beast's jaws, which is quite enough. Even this is set forth with a certain degree of fun, and one feels that Tira probably has a pistol ready for an emergency and that other circus employee are ready to shoot in the event that the beast starts to close its mouth. But one is apt to wonder whether they could possibly be quick enough. Society among the spectators is thrilled, all except one snobbish girl, who is furious because her fiancé is very enthusiastic over the performer's courage — — and her beauty.
• • Later there comes the time when Tira puts her fair head into a court of law as the plaintiff in a breach-of-promise case. She sues Jack Clayton, whom she really loves, for $1,000,000, and it is not Tira's artful counsel who wins the case, but the circus queen herself. She cross-examines the defendant's witnesses and turns their testimony in her own favor, the unusual proceeding being countenanced by a judge whose sympathy Tira wins with the utmost ease.
• • Miss West plays her part with the same brightness and naturalness that attended her second film role. There is no lack of spontaneity in her actions nor in the utterance of her lines. She is a remarkable wit — — after her fashion. Cary Grant is pleasing as Jack Clayton and Walter Walker is excellent as the considerate old judge. Gregory Ratoff does well as Tira's lawyer. Wesley Ruggles has directed the film with his usual intelligence.
— — Source: — —
• • Byline: Mordaunt Hall
• • Published by: The New York Times
• • Published on: 13 October 1933
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • Cast for "I'm No Angel" • • • •
• • Tira . . . Mae West
• • Jack Clayton . . . Cary Grant
• • Bill Barton . . . Edward Arnold
• • Slick . . . Ralf Harolde
• • Barker . . . Russel Hopton
• • Alicia Hatton . . . Gertrude Michael
• • Kirk . . . Kent Taylor
• • Thelma . . . Dorothy Peterson
• • Benny Pinkowitz . . . Gregory Ratoff
• • Beulah . . . Gertrude Howard
• • The Chump . . . William B. Davidson
• • Bob, the Attorney . . . Irving Pichel• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • On Friday February 6th, a sparkling new print of "I'm No Angel" will open the 1930s series "Breadlines and Champagne," which will run from Friday February 6th through March 5, 2009 at the Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street, New York, NY 10014. Info and screentimes are available by phoning 212-727-8110 — — or by visiting www.filmforum.org online.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1933 • •
NYC
Mae West.
New Yorkers in the know are getting in the mood to spend February 6th with MAE WEST. 
• • If you have seen "I'm No Angel" before, then you might remember the title song, which Mae warbles in her inimitable cheeky way.
• • Harvey Brooks wrote the music for the theme song and the lyrics were written by Gladys DuBois and Ben Ellison.
• • Born in Philadelphia in the month of February — — 15 February 1899 — — Harvey Brooks also wrote the music for several other Mae West numbers. Composer Harvey Brooks died in Los Angeles on 17 June 1968.
• • Here are the lyrics so you can sing along with Mae on Friday.
• • • • "I'm No Angel" • • • •Aw, come on, let me cling on to ya like a vine
Make that lowdown music trickle off your spine
Baby, I can warm ya with this love of mine
I'm no angel
Aw, let me feel your fingers runnin' through my hair
I can give you kisses till you walk on air
Love me, honey, love me till I just don't care
I'm no angel
I'll take your blues, stomp down your troubles
Rock you with a steady roll
Here's your good nation, drink my affection
You're my new ace in the hole
Aw, let me have ya now before the night is gone
Come on, flank this joint, so we can carry on
I can make it heaven where the shades are drawn
I'm no angel
(— Instrumental Break —)
Come on, honey, thrill me like a midnight breeze
Don't care how you do it, babe, just so you please
Take my kisses till your weary heart's at ease
I'm no angel
Let me feel your fingers runnin' through my hair
I can give you kisses till you walk on air
Love me, honey, love me till I just don't care
I'm no angel
Oh, I'll take your blues, stomp down your troubles
Rock you with a steady roll
Here's your innovation, drink my affection
You're my new ace in the hole
Aw, let me have ya now before the night is gone
Come on, flank this joint, so we can carry on
I can make it heaven where the shades are drawn
I'm no angel
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • Cast for "I'm No Angel" • • • •
• • Tira . . . Mae West
• • Jack Clayton . . . Cary Grant
• • Bill Barton . . . Edward Arnold
• • Slick . . . Ralf Harolde
• • Barker . . . Russel Hopton
• • Alicia Hatton . . . Gertrude Michael
• • Kirk . . . Kent Taylor
• • Thelma . . . Dorothy Peterson
• • Benny Pinkowitz . . . Gregory Ratoff
• • Beulah . . . Gertrude Howard
• • The Chump . . . William B. Davidson
• • Bob, the Attorney . . . Irving Pichel• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • "I'm No Angel" is being shown as part of the 1930s series "Breadlines and Champagne," which will run from Friday February 6th through March 5 at the Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street, New York, NY 10014. Info and screentimes are available by phoning 212-727-8110 — — or by visiting www.filmforum.org online.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
________
Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1933 • •
NYC
Mae West.
One actor worked with Texas Guinan and also in two motion pictures starring MAE WEST.
