Monday, May 19, 2014

Mae West: Marriage Status

The headline read "MAE WEST Silent on Marriage Status" on Wednesday, 19 May 1937. Remarkably, the screen siren kept her feet stuck in an uncomfortable position over her marital status for a few years. Wasn't she lucky there were no social media outlets then?  Let's revisit this thorny topic.
• • The Straits Times wrote: Mae West is threatened with contempt of court proceedings. Not because she appeared in court in Hollywood in blue lounge pyjamas, but because she is alleged to have refused to say whether she had been married or divorced.
• • The information is required by Mr. Avery M. Blount, attorney for Frank Wallace, a USA vaudeville artist, who claims he is "Mr. Mae West," says the Daily Express.
• • When questions were put to her, she gave a typical Mae West shrug of the shoulders, turned her back on the attorney, and marched away.
• • To Force Reply • •
• • Mr. Blount later announced that he would file an affidavit asking for contempt proceedings to force her to answer . . .
• • Although she refused to answer counsel, Mae West has previously stated, "I have never met Wallace. I have never been married. But I have been in love lots of times."
• • Source: Article in The Straits Times; published on Wednesday, 19 May 1937.
• • On Sunday, 19 May 1935 in The L.A. Times • •
• • Coverage of Frank Wallace's claims, that he was married to movie queen Mae West, appeared in The L.A. Times on 19 May 1935 along with Mae's firm denials and scoffing.
• • On Saturday, 19 May 1945 in Oakland, California • •
• • Starring Mae West, the play "Ring Only Twice" was staged in California in Oakland's Auditorium Theatre. There were two weekend performances on May 19th and 20th, 1945.
• • On Wednesday, 19 May 1948 • •
• • Mae West and Jim Timony boarded the Queen Mary on Saturday, 15 May 1948 at Southampton, England for a return voyage to New York City, arriving in their home port on Wednesday, 19 May 1948.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • The man Mae West doesn't like "ain't born yet." The actress gave this reply to a Hollywood interviewer after answering questions fired at her by twelve motion picture editors in a dozen cities on a coast to coast telephone hook up.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "I never kissed a man in my plays, and seldom on the screen. I always felt that the look before the kiss was more important than the kiss itself."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Utah publication discussed Mae West.
• • The Ogden Standard-Examiner printed this on page 2:  Meanwhile, the actress made it known she still was "burned up" over claims made by her "husbands" who have been identifying themselves as Mr. Mae West in various parts of the country. "I'll have to meet them all some time," she said.     . . .
• • Source: Syndicated column rpt by The Ogden Standard-Examiner; published on Sunday, 19 May 1935
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2916th 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 1937

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