Thursday, December 13, 2012

Mae West: Radio Sacrilege

As the switchboard at NBC lit up, registering reactions to MAE WEST on "The Chase and Sanborn Show" on Sunday's program on 12 December 1937, and commentators were describing this "radio sacrilege," all was jolly well among the fans of the actress in Brisbane, Australia. At that time, "Go West Young Man" [1936] was showing Down Under.
• • Mae West as Star of Theatre • •
• • The Courier-Mail wrote: Mae West's latest film, now showing at the Majestic Theatre, is a story of broken romances. It also provides her with a more or less straight part to play as Mavis Arden, a theatre star under a five-year contract, which stipulates that she must not fall in love.
• • The Courier-Mail explained: Her Press agent and adviser (Warren William) has a full-time job to see that the clause of her contract is carried out, but he himself falls in love with her. Before this, however, he manages to break up her romances with Harrigan (Lyle Talbot), an old sweetheart of hers, and a local farmer (Randolph Scott). ...
• • Source: The Courier-Mail (Brisbane); published on Monday, 13 December 1937.
• • Raymond Hubbell [1 June 1879 — 13 December 1954] • •
• • Mae West was cast in "A Winsome Widow," a musical comedy farce that was produced on Broadway from 11 April 1912 — 7 September 1912. The music was by Raymond Hubbell.
• • Born in Urbana, Ohio on 1 June 1879, Raymond Hubbell attended local schools but earned serious musical training in Chicago. Like most young men at the time, he formed a dance band in Chicago. Ready for serious employment, he accepted a position as a staff arranger and pianist with the influential firm Charles K. Harris Publishers.
• • By 1902, the 23-year-old began composing for theatrical musicals in The Windy City. And, fortunately, his very first show then transferred to New York City.
• • In 1912 he was hired to do the score for "A Winsome Widow." Following up these successes, he would write for Bessie McCoy, Will Rogers, Julian Eltinge, Irene Dunne, Leon Errol, and others.
• • After he worked on "Three Cheers" in 1928, he returned to Miami, Florida. Raymond Hubbell died there in the month of December — — on Monday, 13 December 1954.
• • On Friday, 13 December 1912 in Variety • •
• • At Hammerstein's Victoria the stagebill was always crowded. In December 1912, the singing comedienne Mae West opened right after intermission, a difficult spot on the Program because the audience was still taking seats, waving to friends as they strolled down the aisle, and not paying attention to the act onstage. Variety noted, in their issue dated for Friday, 13 December 1912 that Mae West was at a disadvantage that evening and "some of her very good material went for naught."
• • In December 1947 • •
• • Norman Fraser, a Scottish editor and writer, interviewed Mae West for the December 1947 edition of a low-budget current affairs magazine called "New Scot" (which was published by the Scottish Reconstruction Committee). A number of autographed items were signed thanking "Norrie" afterwards.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "There he was with a show house that wasn't doing so good, and there I was with a play that I was certain would make him money. He wouldn't take it. He wouldn't even read it."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A newsheet Gunsite Gossip mentioned Mae West.
• • Jeff Cooper wrote: In the German magazine Visier, we see the new H&K SOCOM as "Zu viel des Gutes," which means "Too much of a good thing." Are any of you old enough to recall what Mae West had to say about that? According to the legend, she said "Too much of good thing is ... marvelous!"
• • Source: Item in Gunsite Gossip written by Jeff Cooper; posted in December 1997
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2514th 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 1936
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