Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Mae West: Edmund Mortimer

An enormous international cast was assembled to do justice to MAE WEST's ambitious screenplay "Now I'm a Lady" centered around the horsey set. Script approval was granted by the Hays Commission on Monday, 1 April 1935 and the motion picture was released by Paramount Pictures the following month under the new title "Goin' to Town." Edmund Mortimer was seen in a bit role.
• • The native New Yorker was excited about having a second chance to work with Mae. In 1933, Mortimer participated in the famous courtroom scene of "I'm No Angel."
• • Edmund Mortimer [21 August 1874 — 21 May 1944] • •
• • Born in New York City on Friday, 21 August 1874, Edmund Mortimer Olson had a front-row view of the burgeoning entertainment scene of his era. At the age of 40, he became a character actor. During his early 40s, he scored a few supporting roles in silent films but his value to the casting agents was invariably as a reliable walk-on. When talkies became the industry standard, Mortimer morphed into the ship's passenger, stateroom guest, dance extra, party guest, spectator, night club patron, juryman, observer, fashion show extra, and occasionally a more interesting minor morsel.
• • From 1914 — 1945, Edmund Mortimer would participate in 322 motion pictures, including several classics such as the Mae West hits "I'm No Angel" and "Goin' to Town."  He worked with one of Mae's directors Raoul Walsh in "They Drive by Night" [1940], starring Humphrey Bogart and Mae's intimate friend George Raft as brothers.
• • From 1918 — 1928, Edmund Mortimer was the director for 23 silent films working with Columbia Pictures, Fox Films, and others. Many of these titles are now lost, alas.
• • A career high point arrived in 1923 when Mortimer co-wrote a script and directed "The Broad Road," a Western.
• • Edmund Mortimer stayed active into his late sixties. He played a New Year's Eve Party Patron in "Incendiary Blonde" [1945], a bio-pic based on the life of boisterous entertainer Texas Guinan; Mae was friends with Tex during her long reign as New York's Queen of the Night Clubs.
• • His final film credit was as an Opera House Patron and Saratoga Park Hotel Guest in "Saratoga Trunk" [1945]. On the set he encountered several castmates who had all the privilege of working with Mae West:  Adrienne D'Ambricourt, Hank Bell, Al Bridge, Lane Chandler, Gino Corrado, William B. Davidson, Dick Elliott, Al Ferguson, Edward Hearn, George Reed, Bob Reeves, and Larry Steers.
• • Employed until the very end in the movie business, Edmund Mortimer died in Los Angeles, California in May — — on Sunday, 21 May 1944.  He was 69.
• • On Monday, 21 May 1973 in Variety • •
• • A brief item appeared in Variety on Monday, 21 May 1973.  Mae West mentioned she was writing a new book "Sex Drive," that would include real names and be largely autobiographical.
• • On Thursday, 21 May 1992 • •
• • The paperback version of "Mae West: Empress of Sex" by Maurice Leonard was released on Thursday, 21 May 1992.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "When I was a kid, Freud wasn't there to explain."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article in Australia mentioned Mae West.
• • "Inflation Hit Mae West" • •
• • Minneapolis, Tuesday — Vaudeville performer, Evelyn West, claims that "inflationary pressure has forced her to increase the insurance on her bosom to 100,000 dollars £44,643."
• • Miss Mae West, publicised as the "girl with the 50,000 dollars treasure chest," now holds a policy for that amount from Lloyds of London.
• • Source: News Item: The Canberra Times; published on Wednesday, 21 May 1952
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2653rd 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 1933

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