NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Mae West

Mae West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter, and sex symbol. Mae West was an American actress a WWII life preserver was nicknamed for her, see Mae West (life preserver) a Twinkie-like round dessert cake with cream filling named for her, see Mae West (food) This is a disambiguation page â€” a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 512 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (588 Ã— 688 pixels, file size: 207 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Woodhaven Boulevard, Main Road, Large abundance of trees Woodhaven once known as Woodville, is home to a wealthy mix of middle to upper-class residents, mostly a middle-income neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... Screenwriters, scenarists, or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Marilyn Monroe, one of the most iconic and famous female sex symbols of all time. ...

Famous for her bawdy double entendres, West made a name for herself in vaudeville and on the stage in New York before moving to Hollywood to become a comedian, actress and writer in the motion picture industry. A double entendre is a figure of speech similar to the pun, in which a spoken phrase can be understood in either of two ways. ... This article is about the musical variety theatre. ... Serge Sudeikins poster for the Bat Theatre (1922). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... ... This article is about motion pictures. ...

One of the most controversial stars of her day, West encountered many problems including censorship. A movie star or film star is a celebrity who is a person known for his or her roles in motion pictures. ... For other uses, see Censor. ...

When her cinematic career ended, she continued to perform on stage, in Las Vegas, in the United Kingdom, on radio and television, and recorded Rock and Roll albums. For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

Biography

Early life

Born Mary Jane West in Woodhaven, a middle class section of Queens, New York City, her childhood was moved on to various parts of Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn. She was the daughter of John Patrick West (Nov 1865–1935) and Matilda "Tillie" Delker-Doelger (Dec 1870–10 Oct 1944). Her sister and brother were Mildred Katherine "Beverly" West (Dec 1898–1982) and John Edwin West (Feb 1900–1964). For other uses, see Queens (disambiguation) and Queen. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint, Bed-Stuy, and Bushwick. ... Landmark 19th-century rowhouses on tree-lined Kent Street in Greenpoint Historic District. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ...

Her father was a prizefighter known as "Battlin' Jack West" who later worked as a police officer. He was later a detective who ran his own agency. Her mother was a former corset and fashion model. For other senses of these words, see boxing (disambiguation) or boxer (disambiguation). ... Police officers in South Australia A police officer (or policeman/policewoman) is a warranted worker of a police force. ... A private investigator, private detective, PI, or private eye, is a person who undertakes investigations, usually for a private citizen or some other entity not involved with a government or police organization. ... A luxury hourglass corset from 1878. ... For other uses, see Fashion (disambiguation). ... A model is a person who poses or displays for purposes of art, fashion, or other products and advertising. ...

The family was Protestant, despite her Jewish mother,^[1] who was a Bavarian German immigrant. Her Roman Catholic paternal grandmother, who was Irish, as well as other relations who were Roman Catholic, and the woman who helped deliver her, all made their disapproval of her career obvious. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... Catholic Church redirects here. ...

Career

Mae West was only 5 years old when she started appearing in amateur shows and many times she won prizes for her performances. West began performing professionally in vaudeville in 1905 at the age of twelve. She performed at that time under the name The Baby Vamp, after trying out various personas as a Sis Hopkins and blackface coon shouter unsuccessfully. In 1913, the slinky, dark-haired Mae was performing a lascivious "shimmy" dance and was photographed for a song-sheet for the song "Everybody Shimmies Now." She was encouraged as a performer by her mother, who, according to West, always thought that whatever her daughter did was fantastic. This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... Sheet music to Coon Coon Coon, which bills itself as The Most Successful Song Hit of 1901. ... A shimmy is a dance in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated back and forth. ...

Her famous walk was said to have originated in her early years as a stage actress after she saw female impersonator Bert Savoy perform. West had special eight-inch platforms attached to her shoes to increase her height and enhance her stage presence.

Eventually, she began writing her own risqué plays using the pen name "Jane Mast." Her first starring role on Broadway was in a play she titled Sex, which she also wrote, produced and directed. Though critics hated the show, ticket sales were good. The notorious production did not go over well with city officials and the theater was raided with West arrested along with the cast. For other uses, see Play (disambiguation). ... A pen name or nom de plume is a pseudonym adopted by an author. ... Note on spelling: While most Americans use er (as per American spelling conventions), the majority of venues, performers and trade groups for live theatre use re. ... Sex is a 1926 play, written by, and starring, Mae West. ...

She was prosecuted on morals charges and, on April 19, 1927, was sentenced to 10 days in jail for public obscenity. While incarcerated on Roosevelt Island, she was allowed to wear her silk underpants instead of the scratchy prison issue and the warden reportedly took her to dinner every night. She served eight days with two days off for good behavior. Media attention to the case enhanced her career. is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... General public redirects here. ... Obscenity in Latin obscenus, meaning foul, repulsive, detestable, (possibly derived from ob caenum, literally from filth). The term is most often used in a legal context to describe expressions (words, images, actions) that offend the prevalent sexual morality of the time. ... Main Street on Roosevelt Island Roosevelt Island, formerly known as Welfare Island, and before that Blackwells Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. ...

Her next play, The Drag, was about homosexuality and alluded to the work of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs. It was a box office success but it played in New Jersey because it was banned from Broadway. West regarded talking about sex as a basic human rights issue and was also an early advocate of gay and trans gender rights. She famously told policemen who were raiding a gay bar, "Don't you know you're hitting a woman in a man's body?", a daring statement at a time when homosexuality was not accepted. During her entire lifetime she surrounded herself with gay men and stood up for gay rights at any and every opportunity. Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... -1... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For the LGBT rights article for a particular country, see LGBT rights by country. ... Cover of French homophile literary journal Arcadie, 1975 The word homophile is an alternative to the word homosexual, preferred by some because it emphasizes love (-phile from Greek Ï†Î¹Î»Î¯Î±) over sex. ...

She continued to write plays including The Wicked Age, Pleasure Man and The Constant Sinner. Her productions were plagued by controversy and other problems. The controversy ensured that Mae stayed in the news and most of the time resulted in packed performances.

Her 1928 play, Diamond Lil, about a racy, easygoing lady of the 1890s, became a Broadway hit. This show enjoyed an enduring popularity and West would successfully revive it many times throughout the course of her career. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2486x1402, 431 KB) (This summary was created using Commons SumItUp) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Mae West ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2486x1402, 431 KB) (This summary was created using Commons SumItUp) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Mae West ... Diamond Lil is a 1928 play by sultry American actress and playwright Mae West. ...

Motion pictures

In 1932, West was offered a motion picture contract by Paramount. She signed and went to Hollywood to appear in Night After Night starring George Raft. Upon her arrival, she moved into an apartment in the Ravenswood at 570 North Rossmore Avenue, not far from the studio on Melrose. She maintained a residence at the Ravenswood, her preferred abode, for the rest of her life, although she also owned a beach house and a ranch in the San Fernando Valley. This article is about motion pictures. ... A contract is a legally binding exchange of promises or agreement between parties that the law will enforce. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Hollywood redirects here. ... Night after Night with Allan Havey was a highly unorthodox late night talk show from 1989 to 1992 on Comedy Central (which merged with Ha! to become Comedy Central), featuring the stream of consciousness cleverness of host Allan Havey, and other departures from the already cookie-cutter late-night talk... Raft in They Drive by Night George Raft (September 26, 1895 - November 24, 1980) was an American film actor most closely identified with his portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. ... A movie studio is a controlled environment for the making of a film. ... San Fernando Valley from its southwestern edge. ...

At first, she did not like her small role in Night After Night, but was appeased when she was allowed to rewrite her scenes. In West's first scene, a hat check girl exclaimed, "Goodness, what lovely diamonds." West replied, "Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie." Image File history File links Mae_West_Signature. ... Image File history File links Mae_West_Signature. ...

She brought her Diamond Lil character, now renamed Lady Lou, to the screen in She Done Him Wrong (1933). The film is also notable for one of Cary Grant's first major roles, which boosted his career. West had spotted Grant at the studio and insisted that he be cast as the male lead. The movie was a huge financial success, and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Fans went wild over Mae West because she was something that was unheard of and dramatically different from anything presented before. She Done Him Wrong is a Pre-Code 1933 Paramount Pictures comedy/romance motion picture starring Mae West and Cary Grant. ... This article is about the British actor. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... // The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Academy Awards, awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which are voted on by others within the industry. ...

Her next release, I'm No Angel, paired her with Grant again. "I'm No Angel" was nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Picture." It was a tremendous financial blockbuster and, along with She Done Him Wrong, saved Paramount from bankruptcy. Mae West was the largest box office draw in the United States at the time. However, the frank sexuality and seamy settings of her films aroused the wrath of moralists. On July 1, 1934, the censorship of the Production Code began to be seriously and meticulously enforced, and her scripts began to be heavily edited. Her tactical response was to increase the number of double entendres in her films, expecting the censors to delete the obvious lines and overlook the subtle ones. The fans cheered her on and supported her completely. Original promotional poster. ... The Production Code (also known as the Hays Code) was a set of industry guidelines governing the production of American motion pictures. ... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ...

West's next movie was Belle of the Nineties (1934). It was originally titled It Ain't No Sin, but the title was changed due to the censor's objection. Other tentative working titles included That St. Louis Woman, Belle of St. Louis and Belle of New Orleans. Her next film, Goin' To Town (1935) delighted her fans and this film remains a favorite for many. The film revealed the hypocrisy of the priviliged rich class and Mae's fans were delighted with the finished product. It was another big financial hit for West. The movie was full of suggestive one-liners and delighted audiences everywhere it was showed. Belle of the Nineties was Mae Wests fourth motion picture. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Mae's next film was "Klondike Annie" which was very controversial. Many critics have called this film Mae' screen masterpiece. It concerned religion and hypocrisy and created a storm of controversy. It was another finacial success but Mae was hurt deeply by the attacks on the film because she wrote the film from her heart and tried to show that she had deep religious beliefs.

West's next film was "Go West Young Man." In it she played opposite Randolph Scott. In this film she adapted for the screen Lawrence Riley's Broadway hit Personal Appearance. The film, directed by Henry Hathaway, was one of the rare times when West starred in a role not originally conceived for her. This was another financial success for West. After this film West starred in "Everyday's a Holiday" for Paramount before their association came to an end. Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 â€“ March 2, 1987) was an American motion picture actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. ... Lawrence Riley (1896-1974) was a successful American playwright and screenwriter. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... Personal Appearance (1934) is a stage comedy by the American playwright and screenwriter Lawrence Riley (1896â€“1974), which was a Broadway smash and the basis for the classic Mae West film Go West, Young Man. ... Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. ...

Two years later, she starred opposite W.C. Fields in My Little Chickadee (1940) at Universal. West and Fields, who were both accustomed to working with supporting players and not as co-stars, did not get along and she would not tolerate his drinking. According to legend, the only way Fields and West could be in the same scene was to film them separately and then splice the film together. My Little Chickadee was a huge box office success and outgrossed all other W.C. Fields movies. Universal was delighted with its success and offered West two more movies to star with Fields, but she refused, citing the difficulty of working with Fields. W. C. Fields (January 29, 1880 â€“ December 25, 1946) was an American juggler, comedian, and actor. ... My Little Chickadee is a 1940 Universal comedy/western motion picture starring Mae West and W.C. Fields, with Joseph Calleia, Dick Foran, Ruth Donnelly, Margaret Hamilton, Donald Meek, Willard Robertson, George Moran, William B. Davidson, and Addison Richards. ... This article is about the American media conglomerate. ...

Mae's next film was "The Heats On" from Columbia pictures. Mae hated the film but she did it anyway to keep the producer from bankruptcy. The film initially did not work so well, but it has also became a cult favorite. Mae's performance in it did attract some good reviews one of which said she was still "the freshest thing on the screen." In this film, Mae appeared at her thinnest. She looked astonishingly youthful and the film has become a late night favorite. The Disney Channel even had a special concerning Mae West on their channel and showed many scenes from this film. This film was a forerunner of what would happen in her movies from the 1970's (Myra Breckinridge and Sextette) in which West would emerge as a actress that triumphed with personality over art.

Quips

The famous Mae West quip "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?", often varied to "Is that a banana in your pocket . . .", is accurately attributed to her. She made this remark in February 1936, at the train station in Los Angeles upon her return from Chicago, when a Los Angeles police officer was assigned to escort her home.^[2] She first delivered the line on film in My Little Chickadee, and again to George Hamilton in her last movie, Sextette. It is one of the most quoted lines in movie history. Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ...

Radio

On December 12, 1937, West appeared in two separate sketches on ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's radio show that surprised both the listening audience and NBC executives. She appeared as herself, flirting excitedly with Charlie McCarthy, Bergen's dummy, utilizing her usual brand of sexy wit and risqué sexual references. Her line, "Charles, I remember our date and have the splinters to prove it" drove the NBC censors and the FCC into panic.^{[citation needed]} is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Batman villain, see Ventriloquist (comics). ... Sam Bermans caricature of Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen for 1947 NBC promotion book Edgar John Bergen (February 16, 1903 â€“ September 30, 1978) was an American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist. ... Radio broadcasts have been a popular entertainment since the 1910s, though popularity has declined a little in some countries since television became widespread. ... This article is about the television network. ...

Even more outrageous was a sketch earlier in the show, written by Arch Oboler, that starred West and Don Ameche as Adam and Eve in the Garden Of Eden. She told Ameche in the show to "get me a big one...I feel like doing a big apple!" The conversation between the two was considered so risqué, bordering on blasphemous, she was banned from being featured, or even mentioned, on the NBC network. She did not perform again on radio until 1949. Arch Oboler was a writer, producer, director active in both radio and television. ... Not to be confused with former NBA player John Amaechi. ... Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... For other uses, see Garden of Eden (disambiguation). ...

Marriage and divorce

West was married on April 11, 1911, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Frank Wallace, a fellow vaudevillian whom she first met in 1909. She was 17, he was 21. In 1935, Wallace showed up in Hollywood with a marriage certificate seeking a share of "their" community property. An affidavit was also uncovered that West gave in 1927, during the Sex trial, in which she had declared herself married. is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other places with the same name, see Milwaukee (disambiguation). ... Community property is a marital property regime that originated in civil law jurisdictions, and is now also found in some common law jurisdictions. ...

West at first denied ever marrying Wallace. She finally admitted in July 1937, in reply to a legal interrogatory, that they had been married. Even though the marriage was a reality, she never lived with Wallace as man and wife. She insisted they have separate bedrooms and she soon sent him away in a show of his own in order to get rid of him. She obtained a legal divorce on July 21, 1942, during which Wallace withdrew his request for separate maintenance, and West testified that she and Wallace had lived together for only "several weeks." The final divorce decree was granted on May 7, 1943. is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Middle years

West appeared in her last movie during the studio age with The Heat's On (1943) for Columbia. She remained active during the ensuing years. Among her stage performances was the title role in Catherine Was Great (1944) on Broadway, in which she spoofed the story of Catherine the Great of Russia, surrounding herself with an "imperial guard" of muscular young actors, all over six feet tall. The play was produced by Mike Todd and went on a long national tour in 1945. Catherine the Great redirects here. ... Michael Todd (real name Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen) (June 22, 1907 or 19091 - March 22, 1958) was an American film producer who is best known for his production of Around the World in Eighty Days 1956, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. ...

She also starred in her own Las Vegas stage show, singing while surrounded by bodybuilders. Many celebrities attended West's show, including Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Louis Armstrong, Liberace, and Jayne Mansfield (who met, and later married, one of West's muscle men, Mickey Hargitay, after which he was dismissed). For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 - June 22, 1969) was an Academy Award-nominated American film actress and singer, best known for her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). ... Ethel Merman (January 16, 1908 â€“ February 15, 1984) was a Tony Award winning star of stage and film musicals, well known for her powerful voice and vocal range. ... Louis[1] Armstrong[2] (4 August 1901[3] â€“ July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo[4] and Pops, was an American jazz musician. ... Wladziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 â€“ February 4, 1987), better known by only his last name Liberace (pronounced [ËŒlÉªbÉ™ËˆrÉ‘ËtÊƒi]), was an American entertainer. ... Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933â€”29 June 1967) was an American actress working both on Broadway and in Hollywood. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

When Billy Wilder offered West the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, she refused and pronounced herself offended at being asked to play a "has-been," similar to the responses he received from Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, and Pola Negri. Ultimately the more amenable Gloria Swanson was cast in the role. Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 â€“ March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-born, Jewish-American journalist, screenwriter, film director, and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Sunset Boulevard (1950 film). ... It has been suggested that Norma Desmond be merged into this article or section. ... Mary Pickford (April 8, 1892 â€“ May 29, 1979) was an Oscar-winning Canadian motion picture star and co-founder of United Artists in 1919. ... Greta redirects here. ... Pola Negri Pola Negri [1] (December 31, 1894 - August 1, 1987) was a Polish film actress who achieved notoriety as a femme fatale in silent films between 1910s and 1930s. ... Gloria Swanson (March 27, 1899 - April 4, 1983), was an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning American Hollywood actress. ...

In 1958, West appeared at the Academy Awards and performed the song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Rock Hudson. Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ...

Her autobiography, titled Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It, was published by Prentice-Hall in 1959, and was published again in an updated version in the 1970's. It was again a financial success. Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ...

Later career

West also made some rare appearances on television, including The Red Skelton Show in 1960. She did a comedy sketch with Skelton regarding her recently published autobiography. Viewers reported astonishment at her youthful appearance and energy. In 1964, she guest starred as herself on the popular sitcom Mister Ed. The episode's ratings were well above usual for the series. The Red Skelton Show was a staple of American television for almost two decades, from the early 1950s through the early 1970s. ... This article is about a genre of comedy. ... Mister Ed is an American television situation comedy that first aired as a syndicated program on January 5, 1961 to July 2, 1961 and then on CBS from October 1, 1961 to February 6, 1966. ...

In order to keep her appeal fresh with younger generations, she recorded two Rock and Roll albums, Way Out West and Wild Christmas in the late 1960s. The single "Treat Him Right," from Way Out West, made the album a financial success. She also recorded a number of parody songs including "Santa, Come Up and See Me Sometime," on the album Wild Christmas. Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

After a 26-year absence from motion pictures, she appeared in the role as Leticia Van Allen in Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge (1970) with John Huston, Raquel Welch, Rex Reed, Farrah Fawcett, and Tom Selleck in a small part. This movie failed at the box office, despite the popularity of both Vidal's original satirical novel and the presence of Raquel Welch in the title role. Vidal and co-star Rex Reed publically disavowed the film and the director, Michael Sarne. The devastating critical responses damaged Sarne's then-hot career.^{[citation needed]} Some regard the film as a camp classic, however, due to its sex change theme. It has had multiple releases on DVD and VHS. The film has also been released several times to theatres and has found a cult following. The film was recently released on DVD with a new ending clarifying the sex change issue in the film. Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) (pronounced and , ) is an American author of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and the scion of a prominent political family. ... Myra Breckinridge was filmed in 1970 by Michael Sarne, with Raquel Welch in the title role. ... John Marcellus Huston (August 5, 1906 â€“ August 28, 1987) was an American film director and actor. ... Jo Raquel Tejada (born September 5, 1940), best known by her stage name Raquel Welch, is an American actress who reached fame during the 1960s. ... Rex Taylor Reed (born October 2, 1938 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American movie critic and was co-host of the syndicated television show At the Movies. ... Ferrah Leni Fawcett (born February 2, 1947) is an American actress. ... Thomas William Selleck (born January 29, 1945 in Detroit, Michigan) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning American actor, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his starring role on the long-running television show Magnum P.I.. He is recognizable by his 6 ft 4 (193 cm) height... Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ... For specialized articles on surgical procedures, see Sex reassignment surgery male-to-female and Sex reassignment surgery female-to-male. ...

This film generated a storm of publicity for West and she became a pop diva of the 70's. Her astonishing performance was documented in many fan magazines of the 1970's and boosted West's career considerably. Magazines of the 70's are full of praise for her performance in the film and West gained many new young fans because of this. It was suddenly the "in thing" to invite Mae West to a party and again, as in the past her fans cheered he on.

To promote the film, West made many personal appearances to enthusiastic audiences. In New York, fans were held back by a large number of policemen, including those on horseback, who were there to control the crowd. One fan was led away by police who proclaimed, "I touched Mae West...I touched Mae West!" College students held up signs saying "Mae West Fan Club." Raquel Welch, the lead player in the film, was hardly noticed in the frenzy over Mae at the premiere. Fans of Janet Jackson, at Much Music in Toronto The word fan refers to someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking of a person, group of persons, work of art, idea, or trend. ...

West recorded another album in the 1970s on MGM Records titled Great Balls of Fire, which covered songs by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones, among others, and her autobiography, Goodness Had Nothing To Do With It, was updated in a new version and republished. MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio in 1946. ... Elvis redirects here. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ...

In 1976, she appeared on the The Dick Cavett Show and gave an exclusive interview about her life and career along with insights into her proclivity toward vulgar humor and her battle with censorship. Her appearance on the Dick Cavett special generated great excitement and led to her next movie Sextette. Dick Cavett said Mae was so fantastic that she only had to extend her hand, "to give you a jolt that could be felt in the floorboards. She is the eighth wonder of the world!" This was a statement that Rona Barrett also attributed to Miss West in her widely popular magazines in the 1970s. Other magazines of the 70's followed suit and West found herself wildly popular, especially witht the younger generation. The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of many talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on several television networks, including: ABC daytime (March 4, 1968â€“January 24, 1969) (originally titled This Morning) ABC prime time (May 26â€“September 19, 1969) ABC late night (December 29, 1969â€“January 1, 1975...

At age 85, she returned to the screen for a final time as Marlo Manners in Sextette (1978) with an all-star cast including a cameo by George Raft which provided a touching tribute to both their long careers. Sextette premiered in Los Angeles and San Franciso (Mae attended both to packed houses) and the film did quite well initially in its limited engagement. The movie truthfully was not marketed well and attendance fell off considerably. Reviews were mixed and some were excoriating. Some latter day critics have still remained brutal, but many have called for a re-evaluation of the film citing "unfairness" in the reviews. Sextette is a 1978 Crown International comedy/musical motion picture starring Mae West. ... A cameo role or cameo appearance (often shortened to just cameo) is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television. ... Raft in They Drive by Night George Raft (September 26, 1895 - November 24, 1980) was an American film actor most closely identified with his portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. ...

Warner Brothers considered releasing the film but finally declined and then Crown International, a small, but ambitious company finally picked it up for general release in the US, but it attracted few paying viewers. New World Pictures released the film internationally, and the film did fairly well on the international market. In publicity releases, co-star Ringo Starr said that "Mae is so fan-bloody-tastic that she just wipes us out," referring to the rest of the actors in the movie. TV Guide magazine quoted Tony Curtis as saying that "Mae never missed a beat."

Although the movie was blistered by some critics and avoided by the public, After Dark magazine awarded West the "Star of the World" award for her performance in what became her final screen appearance. Sextette has become a cult classic and has done well on cable movie channels as well as VHS and DVD releases. In fact, Time magazine proclaimed Sextette an "instant classic, sure to be loved by her many fans." This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Allegedly, fans crawled up telephone poles in order to get a better view of the star at the premiere. Many drag queens also came to the premiere dressed as Mae West. West even had to be escorted out of the theatre at the premiere because of the pandemoniom of the fans.

Final years

Near the end of her life, she was known for maintaining a surprisingly youthful appearance. She stated in her autobiography that she spent two hours every day massaging cold cream into her breasts to keep them youthful. West continued to surround herself with virile men for the rest of her life, employing companions, bodyguards and chauffeurs. Ponds Cream is a brand of beauty and healthcare products that is produced by the multinational company Unilever. ...

In the 1970s she was the only star in Hollywood who would allow reporters to search through her hair for signs of cosmetic surgery. They found no signs of this and this forever put to rest rumors of wigs and plastic surgery.^{[citation needed]} May Mann, a popular author and magazine writer at the time, published stories telling of how she checked Mae's hair and teeth and had to admit that they were real. James Bacon, the writer and author, reported how astonished he was at her incredible skin and stamina. These were only two reporters of very many of the time that reported their absolute astonishment at her amazing preservation. Even a writer from the notorious magazines Whisper and Confidential reported astonishment on meeting Mae West at a Hollywood event, and printed in the magazines, "I had to fight my way to her because of people swarming around her like bees. I could not believe how young she looked." This was a theme that was repeated time and time again in fan magazines from the 1970's.

After making Sextette, West did some radio commercials for Poland Springs Drinking Water saying she had been drinking Poland Springs water for 20 years, "...ever since I was six!"

Miss West continued seeing personally to her fan mail and actually corresponded with many of her fans. She listed her phone number in the Los Angeles directory and "Rona Barrett's Hollywood" magazine published her number so her fans could "call her up and see her sometime!"

In the late summer of 1980, she tripped on a rug after getting out of bed, falling and hitting her head. She had a concussion and stroke. Doctors were evenly divided on whether the concussion caused the stroke or she had a stroke which caused her to suffer the fall and concussion. She was rushed to the hospital and rallied. Later Mae would claim she "fell out of bed dreaming about Burt Reynolds." In November, she suffered yet another stroke. The prognosis was not good and she was sent home. She died at her apartment on North Rossmore Avenue in Hollywood at age 87. Many of her fans cried openly and one was quoted as saying, "if she died, it is the end of the world."^{[citation needed]}

Mae West is entombed with her family in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street in Hollywood. Cypress Hills Cemetery, the first nonsectarian cemetery corporation organized in the Brooklyn/Queens area of New York, is located at 833 Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. ... For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ... Buskers perform on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ... Hollywood redirects here. ...

Name applied

During WWII, Allied soldiers called their yellow inflatable, vest-like life preserver jackets "Mae Wests" because of the resemblance to her curvaceous torso. A "Mae West" is also a type of round parachute malfunction which contorts the shape of the canopy into the appearance of an extraordinarily large brassiere, presumably one suitable for a woman of Mae West's proportions.^[3] Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... VEST (Very Efficient Substitution Transposition) ciphers are a set of families of general-purpose hardware-dedicated ciphers that support single pass authenticated encryption and can operate as collision-resistant hash functions. ... A life preserver is a personal flotation device that can be deployed from a vessel or from land to provide an individual with a means of maintaining boyancy in water, thereby preventing drowning. ... The Mae West was a common nickname of a Type B-4 life preserver (inflatable lifejacket), used during World War II by the Allies. ... This article is about the device. ...

West is referenced in the title song of Cole Porter's Broadway musical Anything Goes. Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 â€“ October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... The Black Crook (1866), considered by some historians to be the first musical[1] Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... For other uses, see Anything Goes (disambiguation). ...

In the PC game Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, in which the protagonist searches for an ancient sarcophagus which frequently switches hands, one character, a Nosferatu who was a movie star in life, remarks that the sarcophagus "gets around more than Mae West". Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a role-playing computer game played from the first-person shooter perspective and is developed by Troika Games using Valve Softwares Source engine. ...

A Mae West slot canyon is one that is too narrow at the bottom to traverse on foot. Instead, one uses chimneying techniques to negotiate above the floor.

"Not feeling the Mae West" is Cockney rhyming slang for "not feeling the best". Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ...

In nuclear physics, the graph of nuclear fission nuclide production versus atomic weight is called a Mae West diagram. The graph has two peaks, one near atomic weight 90 and the other near atomic weight 130, with a valley in between.

In Quebec, a May West (by Vachon) is a popular round dessert cake with cream filling and a thin shell of dark chocolate. This article is about the Canadian province. ... A May West is a round dessert cake with cream filling, similar to a Twinkie, except for its chocolate coating. ... Saputo Incorporated is a Canadian based dairy company. ...

On the Iowa Division of the Illinois Central Railroad, freight train number 78 was known as the Mae West, probably because it was usually a long, heavy, train that was a challenge to handle by the crew as well as by the dispatchers. It usually moved between Waterloo, Iowa, and Freeport, Illinois, between 1201 AM and 801 AM. Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States...

Trivia

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... This article is about the actress. ... Sgt. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... For other uses, see Sgt. ... Surrealism is an artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious. ... The Mae West Lips Sofa (1937) is a surrealist object by Salvador DalÃ. The wood and satin sofa was shaped after the lips of actress Mae West, who DalÃ apparently found fascinating. ... Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto DalÃ i DomÃ¨nech, 1st Marquis of PÃºbol (May 11, 1904 â€“ January 23, 1989), was a Spanish surrealist painter of Catalan descent born in Figueres, Catalonia (Spain). ... For other persons named Edward James, see Edward James (disambiguation). ... Seinfeld is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989 to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. ...

Filmography

Night after Night with Allan Havey was a highly unorthodox late night talk show from 1989 to 1992 on Comedy Central (which merged with Ha! to become Comedy Central), featuring the stream of consciousness cleverness of host Allan Havey, and other departures from the already cookie-cutter late-night talk... She Done Him Wrong is a Pre-Code 1933 Paramount Pictures comedy/romance motion picture starring Mae West and Cary Grant. ... Original promotional poster. ... Belle of the Nineties was Mae Wests fourth motion picture. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Klondike Annie is a 1936 black-and-white comedy film starring Mae West and Victor McLaglen. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... My Little Chickadee is a 1940 Universal comedy/western motion picture starring Mae West and W.C. Fields, with Joseph Calleia, Dick Foran, Ruth Donnelly, Margaret Hamilton, Donald Meek, Willard Robertson, George Moran, William B. Davidson, and Addison Richards. ... Myra Breckinridge was filmed in 1970 by Michael Sarne, with Raquel Welch in the title role. ... Sextette is a 1978 Crown International comedy/musical motion picture starring Mae West. ...

Stage work

Sex is a 1926 play, written by, and starring, Mae West. ... Diamond Lil is a 1928 play by sultry American actress and playwright Mae West. ... Come on Over can refer to: a 1976 album named Come on Over by Olivia Newton-John a 1990 album named Come on Over by Tyrone Davis a 1997 album named Come on Over by Shania Twain This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages...

Books By Mae West

Notes

External links

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since August 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since November 2007 | Articles with trivia sections from November 2007 | American film actors | American stage actors | American television actors | Burlesque performers | Erotic dancers | Vaudeville performers | American female singers | American screenwriters | American dramatists and playwrights | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Erasmus Hall High School alumni | People from Brooklyn | German-Americans | Irish-Americans | Irish-American musicians | American Jews | Deaths by stroke | 1893 births | 1980 deaths Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. ... Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDb) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. ...

Encyclopedia > Mae West

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