Thursday, September 22, 2016

Mae West: Creamed Chicken

In September 1933, MAE WEST sat down for a series of interviews with syndicated columnist Willis Thornton.
• • "Go West Young Woman, Go West" • •
• • Editor's Note: This is the first of three installments on Mae West, the  buxom actress who is restoring curves to to feminine favor.
• • Written by Willis Thornton, NEA Services Writer • •
• • Who could begrudge her vindication at the hands of the highest fashion authorities of Paris and America?
• • One  thing in justice ought to be made clear at the outset. Mae West  is none of your "big-horse women of the spear-carrying era. She's no frail flower, but she's really rather small. Buxom, yes, but under average height, and she says 119 is her best fighting weight.
• • She is a natural blond, and has a most amazing pair of true violet eyes, slightly slanted. Her skin is soft and fair, nostrils wide and eager, and her mouth is just a little voluptuous, and very insolent.
• • When she's going to appear in such role as the "Diamond Lil" that made, her famous, Mae admits she "fattens up" for the part — — eats creamed chicken on buttered toast, and lobster Newburg, and chocolate cream cake.  Just at the time when hopeful debutante slouchers were starving off that last couple of pounds, Mae West was eating creamed chicken on buttered toast to build up the figure that was to launch a thousand hips.
• • How It Is Accomplished • •
• • But there is hope even for those who have been denying themselves creamed chicken. Mae tells the trick: "Indent the waist, see? That accentuates the arcs. What can be accomplished by the feminine figure,  once it is nipped here and there, and allowed free rein elsewhere — — you'd be surprised!
• • Madame Binner, New York's famous corsetiere • •   . . .
• • This has been the third installment of Mae West's life story written by Willis Thornton. See Part D tomorrow.
• • "Go West Young Woman, Go West," a syndicated feature, appeared in various newspapers starting around  Sunday, 10 September 1933.  
• • On Friday, 22 September 1911 • •
• • On Friday, 22 September 1911, 18-year-old Mae West was in the spotlight. On that date, "A La Broadway" had opened at the Folies-Bergere Theatre, New York, NY. This short-lived revue closed on 30 September 1911.
• • On Saturday, 22 September 1934 • •
• • In September 1934, Mae was involved in promoting her fourth feature for Paramount Pictures: "Belle of the Nineties." This motion picture was released on September 21st. The title of the movie review published in The New York Times on Saturday, 22 September 1934 was "Mae West and Her Gaudy Retinue in 'Belle of the Nineties'." Here is the first sentence — — "Of course, Miss West is her own plot," wrote Times critic Andre Sennwald.
• • On Tuesday, 22 September 1992 • •
• • An article "Way Out West" was published (on page 57) in The Advocate (issue dated for 22 September 1992).  Journalist R.L. Pela wrote about Mae West's career.  
• • "Sex" by Mae West returns to NYC Sept 29th — Oct 2nd, 2016 • •

• • To kick off the 2016/2017 Residency with FRIGID @Horse Trade in NYC's East Village, The Dirty Blondes will present a staged reading of Mae West's play "Sex."
• • "Sex," about a sharp-witted prostitute looking for true love, was initially shut down in 1927 during its Broadway run, and its writer and lead actress Mae West was jailed for "lewdness and corrupting the youth."
• • Each evening will feature a talk back with a special guest to explore just how extreme the play was for its time, and how it's still relevant today.
• • On Friday, 30 September 2016, the guest speaker will be journalist and dramatist LindaAnn Loschiavo, whose stage play "Courting Mae West" focuses on the "Sex" trial as well as the legal ordeal surrounding Mae's second gay play "Pleasure Man" (1928), which brought her back to court numerous times between 1928 and 1930. 
• •
Link: http://www.thedirtyblondes.org/sex-by-mae-west.html

• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • Universal catches Mae West on a delayed rebound from Paramount, teaming her with W.C. Fields for a hefty package of lusty humor. Picture marks return of Mae West to the screen after two years absence.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:   "And then, when the company had left, I'd imitate 'em, saying everything they'd said in the same voice.  I could imitate anybody."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A news item by Kevin Thomas revealed the private life of Mae West.
• • Mae West was the genuine article — — even if not all her diamonds were real. Such were my thoughts as Joe Gold and I, both longtime friends of Mae's, went over the jewelry and memorabilia that her longtime companion Charles Krauser had stored after her death in 1980 at 87.  ...
• • Source: News Item: "Up for Bid: All That Glittered on Mae West" written by Kevin Thomas, Times Staff Writer for The L.A. Times; posted on Friday, 22 September 2000
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 12th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past twelve years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,500 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started twelve years ago in July 2004.
You are reading the 3536th 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 • in 1928

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