Thursday, April 16, 2015

Mae West: Uganda Student

Many men fell for MAE WEST but a Ugandan student at Columbia University said the Brooklyn bombshell would be wasting her time in Africa. Columbia Daily Spectator published a long article on Monday, 16 April 1934. Here's an excerpt.
• • "Mae West Fails to Move Uganda Student" • •
• • He Prefers African Jungle to City Streets • •
• • New York, NY — — Columbia is losing its one he-man: Ernest Balintuma Kalibala, the man who would "not come up and see Mae West some time" is returning to his jungle tribe in Kampala, Uganda, British East Africa. Mr. Kalibala has spent a great deal of time studying and travelling in this country. Here are some of the conclusions that he has reached in regard to our so-called progressive civilization:
• • (1 ) American women's beauty is not what it's chalked up to be. That schoolgirl complexion is marred by "too many cosmetics, the girls' eyebrows are all twisted, their faces are all set in paint and usually the effect is pretty bad. American beauty fades soon after twenty-five." 
• • (2) Mae West would be wasting her time down in Africa. "Uganda men would not c'm'up and see her some time."
• • (3) He puts the finishing touches on his evaluation of the feminine appeal by flatly stating that "the men in America are more good-looking than the women." (He married one of the latter.)
• • (4) The best of American pipes are mere toothpicks compared to the smoke curlers of Africa, the land where men are men and pipes are still bigger.
• • (5) "There's more danger in New York City streets than in the jungle. You can learn the ways of the jungle and the animals but here one gets up at 7 o'clock and has no assurance of returning home, with police bullets flying, bottles falling and people tumbling from stories above."
• • (6) College students in this country need more physical and bodily freedom. Too often the morning after the night before puts the students to sleep in morning classes.  . . .
• • Source:  Columbia Daily Spectator [NYC];  published on Monday, 16 April 1934.
• • On Monday, 16 April 1928 in New York City • •
• • This excerpt is from Carl Van Vechten's journal entry for Monday, 16 April 1928. 
• • Carl Van Vechten wrote: I read proofs all the morning. Lunch in ... Then to see Mae West in "Diamond Lil," which I adored. Miss West is marvelous. Saw Edna Ferber between acts.
• • Source: "The Splendid Drunken Twenties: Selections from the Daybooks, 1922 — 1930" by Carl Van Vechten.
• • On Wednesday, 16 April 1947 in The L.A. Times • •
• • "Court Tilt Won by Mae West" was the headline in The Los Angeles Times on 16 April 1947. Two authors had sued Mae West and Mike Todd over the authorship of "Catherine Was Great."
• • 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 my own original creation. I concentrate on myself most of the time. That’s the only way a person can become a star in the true sense. I never wanted a love that meant surrender of my self-possession."
• • 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
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 10th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during this past decade. The other day we entertained 1,430 visitors. We reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,100 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3158th 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.xmlAdd to Google

• • Photo:
• • Mae West • in 1928

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

No comments:

Post a Comment