Thursday, July 16, 2015

Mae West: Raucous Spruikers

MAE WEST delighted her fans in Adelaide, Australia on July 16th.
• • "Mae West Dominates Rex Film" • •
• • Smart Lines in "I'm No Angel" • •
• • "I'm No Angel," which opened at the Rex on Saturday, is very much of a Mae West film. In fact, none of the other characters leave much impression, except in so far as they provide foils for her 'wise cracks.'
• • "atmosphere of mechanical music and raucous spruikers" • •
• • She appears in the role of a booth dancer and lion tamer in a traveling fair, the atmosphere of mechanical music and raucous spruikers being well reproduced. She appears to be entangled with a pickpocket, when he is not in gaol, and a promise that she will put her head in a lion's mouth — — made to gain a favor from the circus proprietor — — leads to her appearance in New York with the 'jaws of death' item as an attraction. A young affianced society man becomes infatuated with her, but he is soon displaced by a millionaire friend who sets out originally with the object of extricating his friend from the entanglement. A trial scene, in which she sues for breach of promise, is the big act of the film. She does her own cross examination, and her methods and the manner in which she discomfits the 'men in her life' who have been produced by the defence makes good comedy, and gives ample scope for her innuendo. The film ends with her happy and unrepentant.
• • The supporting feature, 'Golden Harvest,' shows signs of assistance from Kathleen Norris's book, 'The Pit,' and an O. Henry story, but it has been well applied to the problem of overproduction facing wheat farmers in America.  . . .
• • Source:  Review (p. 11) in The Advertiser (Adelaide); published on  Monday, 16 July 1934.
• • On Wednesday, 16 July 1952 in Groton, Connecticut • •
• • On Wednesday, 16 July 1952 Mae West traveled to the Groton submarine base to participate in the "debut" of the scarlet red life jackets dubbed "Mae Wests" [a flotation device]. 
• • The new color was designed to be visible from greater distances; a cord attached to the jackets, when pulled, caused them to immediately inflate, getting a nod of approval as their namesake stood by for the demonstration. 
• • "I like the new color," Miss West said. "It's so desirable.  I understand they can be seen from a great distance. And that's another thing we have in common.". . .
• • Source: Article in The Day, New London, Connecticut;  published on Saturday, 16 July 2005.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae told me she had friends, long dead, come to visit her right in her bedroom. She said, "I believe there is a hereafter."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "Since the papers have been full of this marriage stuff, I don't get as many offers as I used to. They're all holding off to find out whether I'm in the market or not."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Guardian mentioned Mae West.
• • The inspirations for Felicity Shagwell were Ursula Andress in Dr No, Jane Fonda's Barbarella, and Mae West — — coming back at the men with their own sexual aggression. Talking about the film, Heather Graham varies between good Mae West lines (the message of the film is love conquers all but sex is better) and admitting she took it seriously as a love story.  . . .
• • Source: Article in The Guardian; published on  Friday, 16 July 1999 
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 11th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eleven years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,200 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3223rd 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 1952

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