Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Mae West: Public Reaction

In September 1934, MAE WEST was interviewed by Leicester Wagner [19 July 1904 — 22 November 1965], a United Press Staff Correspondent for a lengthy 8-installment interview. This week we will reprint Part 7, a portion at a time because there is a lot to type. This section is aa.
• • "Me and My Past" by Mae West (as told to Leicester Wagner) • •
• • My mail — — not male — — amazes me. They tell me the daily volume which flows into Paramount and to my apartment is the largest ever received by any star in Hollywood.
• • I enjoy mail, as it not only is pleasant to know so many people think enough of me to write, but it gives me a true cross-section of the public reaction to me and my pictures.
• • Someone passed the story around that a lot of my mail could be censored. Fact is — — it may be surprising to find that it is just the reverse.
• • All the stars get a certain amount of mail which is, at least, risque. But evidently people don't take me that way.
• • Most of mine has a laugh in it, those writing to me evidently take me at my screen word that I enjoy a laugh — — even on paper.
• • From 8 to 80 • •
• • It comes from men, women and children. Position, social standing or wealth — — this seems to make no difference and it certainly doesn't to me.
• • I evidently appeal to 'em from 8 to 80, and, perhaps strangely, my mail is divided about 50-50 between the sexes. Letters come to me from all over the world — — from Alaska to Little America, from Britain to China.
• • Many of the men who write want to marry me. Others — — doctors, farmers, lawyers, merchants, ministers, cab drivers, mill workers, retired capitalists, right down through every strata of society — — just want to tell me they get a kick out of my pictures. 
• • Appeals for Money • •
• • Many appeals for money are made to me  . . .
• • This has been Part 7 of "Me and My Past."  Section bb appears tomorrow on Wednesday.
• • This syndicated serial from United Press was rpt in The Indianapolis Star; published on Friday, 7 September 1934.
• • On Sunday, 13 September 1953 • •
• • Walter Ames wrote the amusing article "Who's Marilyn Monroe, Queen Mae West Asks" for The Los Angeles Times.  His piece ran on the front page — — of the weekend edition dated for Sunday, 13 September 1953.
• • On Saturday, 13 September 1969 • •
• • Michael Sarne was writing a lot to Mae West during the autumn of 1969 as he developed the cinema version of "Myra Breckinridge." In a letter dated for Saturday, 13 September 1969, he asked Mae to hurry up and get her comments on the revised screenplay to him as soon as possible.
• • Dear Mae, As you know, our script has been going through a lot of changes ... • •
• • He promised he was giving more thought to other ways to involve her character Leticia Van Allen in the central plot. Mae West, of course, got top billing.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Robert Y. Dudley had the privilege of working with Mae West in "Goin' to Town."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "My play 'Sex' was no more obscene than 'Hamlet' and was really something like 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Dickens."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A weekly mentioned Mae West.
• • TV Guide wrote: Hollywood — 13 September 1958.  Mae West, now 66, will soon star a five-a-week, late-night, quarter-hour show locally, then has plans for a film series, "Klondike Lou."  ...
• • Source: Item: "TV News Shorts" written by staff for TV Guide; published on Saturday, 13 September 1958 
• • 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 3529th 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/
________

Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml   

• • Photo:
• • Mae West • in 1933

• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
  Mae West
 

No comments:

Post a Comment