Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Mae West: Sensation Show

The Texas headline read: "Typical MAE WEST Sensation Show" — — and "I'm No Angel" charged into the hearts of those critics and movie buffs in The Lone Star State.
• • The Brownsville Herald's movie critic wrote:  Here Sunday and Monday Mae West comes back to town at the Queen Theatre, Brownsville, in a new Paramount picture, "I'm No Angel." Miss West soared to the greatest heights of popularity any screen actress ever has attained, revolutionized feminine styles as the result of her last film, "She Done Him Wrong."
• • The Brownsville Herald noted:  The imagination fails in an attempt to figure what her latest picture will accomplish. For it is superior to her first starring film in every respect — — story, star performance, excellence of production, wisecracks, and songs. Miss West gives a splendid performance — — she portrays a colorful character, Tira, a hard-boiled, carnival-dancer who becomes a New York sensation. On her rise to fame and fortune, she vamps any number of men, finally ending up besieged by her "tall, dark and handsome," who is a society millionaire.
• • The Brownsville Herald continued: She sings five sensational songs, dances the "midway" — — a spectacular variation of that same shimmy which, we are told, she herself originated; wears lovely clothes, and she scintillates with wit in an hilarious courtroom scene.
• • The Brownsville Herald concluded: Since the movies were in their swaddling clothes, no star ever has so completely dominated a film as Miss West, but Paramount cleverly has surrounded her with a capable cast including Cary Grant. "I'm No Angel" was made from a story by Miss West herself, the tale of Tira, a carnival dancer. Tira becomes famous by putting her curves into a lion-tamer's act, goes to New York as the Million Dollar Beauty. ...
• • Source:  Review in The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, Texas); published on Sunday, 1 April 1934. 
• • On Monday, 1 April 1935 • •
• • 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 as "Goin' to Town."
• • Starting on Wednesday, 1 April 1936 • •
• • On Sunday, 1 March 1936 The New York Times mentioned that Mae West confirmed she planned to go to Columbia Pictures with Emanuel Cohen, even though Paramount Pictures declared it had exercised its option and wanted their screen star to make two more pictures with the studio, the first one to start on Wednesday, 1 April 1936 — — and the second to start on 1 July 1936.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • How about a picture co-starring W.C. Fields, John Barrymore, and Mae West?
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I'm here to make talkies. I hope the film can take the temperature."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Syndicated Hollywood columnist Erskine Johnson mentioned Mae West.
• • Erskine Johnson wrote: Mae West is warming up for her own syndicated TV series. The title will be "At Home with Mae West." . . .
• • Source: "Hollywood Today" column rpt in Ocala Star-Banner; published on Sunday, 4 September 1960
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2882nd 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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• • Photo:
• • Mae West in costume in 1933

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