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On 26 February 1949, Mae West broke her ankle, endng an engagement at the Coronet Theatre [230 West 49th Street, a Broadway playhouse later renamed for Eugene O'Neill].
• • The revival of "Diamond Lil" had begun on 5 February. • • Mae sued Manhattan's Chatham Hotel over a "defective" bathtub that caused her fall. The actress requested compensation of $250,000. Naturally, the cancellation of a show in any legitimate theatre - - where each actor has a union contract - - is a big expense, not to mention the box-office losses. • • Unlike Americans, Italians would never say to an actor "break a leg." The Italian expression is "take the wolf" - - tengo il lupo.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • to come • •
NYC
Mae West.
On 19 February 1927 Mae West went to a party at Texas Guinan's latest speakeasy for visitor Aimee Semple McPherson [1890-1944].• • The night club queen had had an unusally busy day - - having just been released from jail after being held for nine hours - - but she was her usual vivacious self when she introduced the nation's most famous evangelist to her revellers.• • Right before showing up at the speak, Aimee had just told an S.R.O. crowd at the Glad Tidings Tabernacle (West 33rd Street) that she was in the city to purge it of sin, support Prohibition, prevent the teaching of evolution, promote prayer and Bible reading, and speak out against "dirt" plays.• • It's assumed that Mae West applauded politely when all the attendees were encouraged to "give this little gal a big hand" by Guinan.
• • However, on 15 February 1927 there had been a hearing against "Sex" in the Magistrate's Court, closely followed by The New York Times and other newspapers. Uh-oh! Mae watched the storm clouds gather over her Broadway career.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • to come • •
NYC
Mae West.
MAE WEST earned a lot of money and, no doubt, paid a lot of taxes. If you are taking advantage of the long President's Birthday holiday to get started on your IRS forms, be inspired by the actress's quotes about "portable property."• • There are no withholding taxes on the wages of sin.• • Don't come crawlin' to a man for love - - he likes to get a run for his money.• • No gold-digging for me... I take diamonds! We may be off the gold standard someday.• • Opportunity knocks for every man, but you have to give a woman a ring.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • to come • •
NYC
Mae West.
MAE WEST fused herself to the persona of "Diamond Lil" like no other character she had ever played. 
• • In the month of February, a Broadway revival of "Diamond Lil" opened at the Coronet Theatre [5 February 1949 —
26 February 1949]. This hugely successful revival was interrupted, alas, after a few weeks. Mae West broke her ankle on February 26, causing performances to halt.
• • This is the reaction of The New York Times's drama critic. His column [below] was published on 7 February 1949.• • • • Mae West Back in Town as 'Diamond Lil' • • • •
• • Gallantly supported by four or five handsome, muscular leading men, Mae West has brought "Diamond Lil" back to New York, where it began its renowned career twenty-one years ago. She wriggled through it at the Coronet on Saturday evening, attired in some of the gaudiest finery of the century — —
the femme fatale of the Bowery, bowling her leading men over one by one with her classical impersonation of a story-book strumpet.
• • When Miss West restored her study of society to America last November, a bus-load of the Broadway nightwatch rolled out to Montclair, New Jersey to pay their respects to her artistry. It must be confessed that "Diamond Lil" is a tough play to see twice in one season. Any fairly observant theatre-goer can penetrate its subtleties with a single visit. It does not take long to understand what Miss West has in mind.
• • But she is a fabulous performer and her saloon singer is an incredible creation — —
a triumph of nostalgic vulgarity. She is always in motion. The snaky walk, the torso wriggle, the stealthy eyes, the frozen smile, the flat, condescending voice, the queenly gestures — —
these are studies in slow motion, and they have to be seen to be believed. Lazy, confident of her charms, Diamond Lil does not move fast, but she never stands still; and Miss West paces her performance accordingly.
• • There is an attitude of sublime fatalism about the whole business. Miss West extends her hand to be kissed with royal assurance. Even in the clinches she is monumentally disinterested, and she concludes her love scenes with a devastating wise-crack before they are started. Although Miss West is the goddess of sex, it might reasonably be argued that she scrupulously keeps sex out of her acting by invariably withdrawing from anything but the briefest encounters. "Diamond Lil" is a play about the world of sex, but there is very little sex in it.
• • Like an old dime novel, it is full of crime, drink and iniquity. After beating about the bush for two sluggish acts, it settles down hospitably into an old-fashioned vaudeville show in the last act; and Miss West, billowy and swaying at the piano, sings a few sinful ballads in a small voice but with plenty of style. It is performing in the grand manner.
• • After thoughtfully studying her performance twice in a little over two months, this reviewer is still puzzled over one thing. Is Miss West serious or is she kidding? Not that it matters. She is obviously a good trouper, which is probably the reason she has been able to hold this ramshackle melodrama together for twenty-one years.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • "Diamond Lil" • • April 1928 • •
NYC
Mae West.
MAE WEST has been enlisted to help raise funds in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening 17 February 2007.• • For one night only, Greensburg's Palace Theatre will return to the colorful days of the flappers, the Charleston, MAE WEST, and silent film notables like Rudolph Valentino and Greta Garbo. "Hollywood Party at the Palace," a fundraiser for the Westmoreland Cultural Trust this Saturday, toasts the 80th anniversary of the Palace Theatre [near Pittsburgh] and pays tribute to the "Roaring '20s." • • Opened in 1926, as the Manos Theatre, the Palace was built in a Neo-Renaissance style, complete with marble imported from Greece for the lobby walls, murals in the main auditorium, decorative plasterwork, and elegant crystal chandeliers. Mae West movies were a great favorite here during the Depression.• • After a long life as a movie house, the Manos was reopened in 1991 as the Palace Theatre Center for the Performing Arts and has been in the midst of a three phase restoration project which will bring the theater back to its original beauty.• • The Palace is noteworthy for its gorgeous lightbulb-lit marquee with a sunrise motif, and the theater's name in blazing neon underneath.• • Margaret Colosimo, co-chairwoman of the event taking place at the Palace with Pamela DeMezza, says the party is "a takeoff on Oscars night, with all the ballyhoo, lights, photographers, and the red carpet. When guests enter, they are the stars."This is the second year for the Hollywood party fundraiser. Last year's event raised more than $30,000 for the Trust, according to Colosimo.• • Tony Marino, artistic director, and Christine Rizk, executive director and producer of Stage Right professional theater company in Greensburg, have coordinated the local talent to fill the roles of MAE WEST, W.C.Fields, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, and other performers who were seen onscreen in early films shown at the Manos Theatre, the movie house that opened in September 1926 at the site of the current Palace Theatre.• • Continuous entertainment will take place in various areas of the theater, starting with the grand stairway. "The whole evening is a great chance to get dressed up and have a good time," Marino says. Guests are encouraged to interact with the Hollywood characters and, if they choose, to come dressed in period-style clothing. The event is "black-tie optional," he says. Colosimo says last year's Hollywood party attracted 220 guests; the committee predicts that as many as 300 will attend on Saturday. • • The Palace Theatre, 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg - - event info: 724-836-1123• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • to come • •
NYC
Mae West.
It's time for the big O. MAE WEST never took Oscar to bed - - that cold gold-plated statuette - - but there are a lot of people heading to "Oscar country" in time for the 79th Annual Academy Awards. And the Los Angeles tour guides are ready.
• • If you're en route to California, you can come up and see Mae and her friends on a junket called "Dearly Departed." A Director of Undertakings, who has researched “a scary amount of knowledge about all things Hollywood” [according to a recent independent Viator user review], ushers travelers through decades of death, murder, and fun during this excursion. Prices for the Dearly Departed Tour start at $35.00. Scenes frequented by the famous and infamous are explored, as well as the "final scene" for many an actor including MAE WEST, Frank Sinatra, River Phoenix, Bela Lugosi, etc. • • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • to come • •
NYC
Mae West.
Instead of hiring an actress to play MAE WEST - - for a free staged reading of a new Mae West musical "It's Not What I Say..." - - the York Theatre engaged impressionist Holly Faris. • • For over 20 years, this mature impersonator has been doing her send-ups of Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner, Cher, and Joan Rivers. Faris does her diva impersonations at parties, corporate events, and a gambling casino in New Jersey, and also runs a celebrity look-alike company.• • You can see the Mae-themed musical on Tuesday 20 February 2007 at 7:30 PM.• • Presented at the York Theatre [located in the Citicorp building at Lexington Avenue and 54th Street], this production will be directed by Andy Sandberg. The show's book, music, and lyrics are by Daniel Lanning. • • For reservations, contact Jeff Landsman at 212-935-5824, ext. 24.• • Feedback on this musical is appreciated.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • to come • •
NYC
Mae West.
MAE WEST memorabilia is mushrooming on Ebay, which is dandy - - except for the oily scam artists who purport to be selling do-dads and costume jewelry once owned by the actress. Fans who want to get a gander at the real thing, supposedly, can come up and see Mae's more precious pieces on display in San Francisco.
• • Where these items are coming from is unclear, however, since Butterfield's Auctioneers (who liquated Mae's belongings after the death of her companion Paul Novak) said that the entertainer did not own jewelry with famous labels on them. Mae West did wear gems by Harry Winston when she appeared on Broadway as "Diamond Lil" - - but these sparklers were on loan.
• • Anyway here's where to find Mae West by the bay beginning today.
• • On 10 February there will be an opening of a new exhibition of French jewelry at the French-style Legion of Honor museum overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. The show features a century of desirable adornments, from Art Nouveau to Art Deco to contemporary, made by brand-name jewelers such as Cartier, Lalique, Boucheron, Van Cleef, JAR, Lorenz Baumer, etc.
• • Ogle the Taj Mahal diamond necklace, a gift from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor for her 40th birthday, made by Cartier about 1972 with a 17th-century Mughal stone the size of a walnut. There is Marjorie Merriweather Post's platinum, sapphire, and diamond necklace from 1936-37 that can be worn as two bracelets. There are pieces once owned by Mae West and publisher Katharine Graham.
• • On view 10 February through 10 June 2007 is "Masterpieces of French Jewelry'' at the Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, San Francisco. Info: 415-863-3330.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • some of her diamonds • •
NYC
Mae West.
A faded New England theatre where MAE WEST played is trying to stage its own comeback.• • Built in 1890, the Academy of Music was deeded to the city of Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1893 by Edward H.R. Lyman. Thinking ahead, the conditions of the deed require that the city make good the theater's debts and allow Northampton to reap its annual profits. • • Some of the most popular performers of their eras performed live on the academy's stage, including Mae West, Lillian Gish, and Boris Karloff. • • In January 2007, the academy stopped showing movies. It was determined that the 800-seat theater was losing money at most screenings. However, a new plan is that it will continue to host performances - - such as this month's Four Sundays in February series - - and it seems to remain a viable venue for ballet, concerts, and other live shows.• • The Academy of Music is forming an alliance with WGBY, the public television channel for Western Massachusetts, with an eye toward helping the theater overcome its financial woes. Mae West would agree that keeping a 19th century playhouse alive is a reason for applause.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • to come • •
NYC
Mae West.
A funky little web site called "Not Starring" has a very brief entry for MAE WEST. They list three roles turned down by the actress.
• • Roles turned down by Mae West: Belle of New York.• • Mae West was the first casting choice for the part of Mrs Phineas Hill, but her asking price was too high. Actress who got the part: Marjorie Main. This musical [1hr 22min] starred Fred Astaire and opened on 1 January 1952.
• • Another role turned down by Mae West was Roustabout.
• • Elvis Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had hoped to land West for the role of Maggie Morgan. Though interested at first, Mae West did not like the script or the terms of her contract. Actress who got the part: Barbara Stanwyck. This picture was released on 20 October 1964.
• • Hard to believe but Sunset Boulevard was originally written as a comedy for Mae West, however, she objected to being casr as a faded film star and turned it down. Actress who got the part: Gloria Swanson. Released on 4 August 1950, the one hour and 50 minute classic was a cinematic triumph for Swanson.
• • This text was expanded from bare-bones bits on - www.notstarring.com/ - NotStarring.com.• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • to come • •
NYC
Mae West.
In the last years of her life, when MAE WEST had an accident and was admitted to a hospital, her companion told the press that the actress had such an exciting dream about sexy Burt Reynolds that she had tumbled out of bed. In reality, the sad situation was that Mae had had a small stroke that caused her fall.
• • Born in 1936, the one-time Cosmopolitan Magazine pin-up turns 71 on February 11th.
• • Since 1988 Burt has had a little museum to call his own in Jupiter, Florida.
• • The Burt Reynolds & Friends Museum calls itself the largest celebrity museum in the Sunshine State.
• • Burt's living mausoleum - - in a former bank off the Intracoastal Waterway in Jupiter, about an hour north of Fort Lauderdale - - may have been a side trip for any roadsters en route to Super Bowl XLI. Not only is Burt a film star, he was once a sports figure.
• • Burt played football for the Florida State Seminoles. He starred in the classic 1970s football films "The Longest Yard" and "Semi-Tough." He was also famously featured in "Deliverance," shot in the Okefenokee Swamp on the border between Georgia and Florida.
• • The museum contains pictures of MAE WEST, Bette Davis, and Dinah Shore.
• • In the "Striptease" section of the museum, his co-star Demi Moore writes, "Burt, whatever it takes I'm going to get you!"
• • A 1983 autographed picture from Frank Sinatra says, "Dear Burt, why don't you cheer up and have a good time?"
• • If you are getting away from the winter chill in New York or the New England area, you can visit Burt Reynolds and Mae West in Jupiter.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1925 • •
NYC
Mae West.
Comedy mirrors the culture and recent articles have analyzed the styles of comedians versus comediennes such as MAE WEST.• • A recent Vanity Fair piece by controversial columnist Christopher Hitchens declared "Women Aren't Funny," for instance. American funnyman Drew Carey gave his view that men do not want women to be funny. " Comedy is about aggression and confrontation and power," said the stand-up comic. "As a culture we just don't allow women to do that stuff."• • Certain roles in comedy and farce have long been acceptable for women, for example, the sexy vamp (think Mae West) or the ditzy klutz (such as Carole Lombard or Lucille Ball or Debra Messing). "These roles aren't threatening to men," says actress Jennifer Coolidge who has made a career of crafting cunning but klutzy air-heads. Coolidge continued, "These figures play into men's stereotypes of women as sexpots or dunces."• • Cultural bias aside, all women can benefit from laughter, thought Mae West, who wisely said, "She who laughs lasts."• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Song sheet: • • Mae West • • 1912 • •
NYC
Mae West.
As a child, MAE WEST played the role of "little Mary" in the stage version of Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. In real life, her father's bar-hopping had always concerned Mae. By the time she was in her teens, Beverly (Mae's sister) had also turned to drink.• • Saloon scholar Beverly attracted the press's attention at the premiere of Mae's play "The Drag" by cavorting up and down Poli's lobby in boozy abandon. After the show, when they returned to their rooms at the Arcade Hotel, Beverly and Edward Elsner continued celebrating.• • At 5 o'clock in the morning on Tuesday February 1st, Mae West was arrested along with her sister and the director Edward Elsner. The charge was "disorderly conduct" and it was widely reported in many tabloids on February 2nd, 1927. What a nightmare.
• • This turmoil was the start of Mae's most notorious headlines in the newspapers.
• • Russian-born Sergei Treshatny, the husband of Beverly West, began divorce proceedings due to this arrest. How unseemly it was, felt the wronged spouse, that his 26-year-old wife was found drunk by the police - - in the hotel suite of a married man. • • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West
• • Illustration: Ten Nights in a Bar-Room • • artist unknown • • circa 1903 • •
NYC
Mae West.
