• • "I'm No Angel" at the Dickinson • •
• • Why don't you come up to the Dickinson sometime?
• • "It's not the men in your life but the life in your men that's important," philosophizes Mae West in her second starring picture. It's a worthy successor to "She Done Him Wrong'' and it presents the curvaceous ingenue of the Bowery with the same type of smart cracking vehicle in which she can toss an applauded hip and roll an appraising eye.
• • She's no angel, but she spreads her wings a bit. Unlike its predecessor, this is no story of the gay '90s, but of modern times. You don't need a date for a Mae West story; she gets plenty of dates for herself. In any century, Mae remains high, wide and handsome.
• • The story concerns a lion tamer who brings out the animal in everyone she meets. The elephant is the only being that ever met her and left in possession of his trunk. The story opens with Mae giving tone to the honky-tonk, but it isn't long before Mae is on Broadway putting her head in the lion's mouth and halfway expecting to find gold fillings in his teeth. She gets so many presents, her maids never know when it's Christmas.
• • When a blue-blooded debutante stands in her way, Mae lightly spills a highball down the lady's back. Emily Post never has prescribed for a situation like that.
• • When Cary Grant comes along to investigate the scrape his friend has gotten into, he and Mae manage to scrape up an acquaintance among themselves. The show folk attempt to frame Mae into losing this Romeo. Finding his ardor cooled, Mae decides to try his cool cash. In the breach of promise suit, the defense attorneys assemble various lads from Mae's past, but Mae conducts the cross-examination for herself and it isn't long before the boys realize they don't know any of the answers. This trial scene is the funniest scene Mae West, Paramount's shady lady, comes to to win in.
• • Another hilarious moment comes when Mae sings the blues in her boudoir, followed by two strutting mammies. The supporting cast is good, but doesn't do much supporting. Mae can support herself. . . .
• • Source: Article in The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune (Chillicothe, Missouri); published on Saturday, 11 November 1933.
• • On Tuesday, 11 November 1913 • •
• • Mae West's vaudeville routine was noticed by an entertainment critic for the Philadelphia Times, where some quotes appeared on Tuesday, 11 November 1913.
• • On Friday, 11 November 1932 • •
• • Behind the scenes, a tug-of-war went on in Tinseltown. On one hand, Will Hays argued that Mae West would bring blatant indecency to the silver screen. On the other hand, studio executives sensed there was money to be made. Fortunately, two men obligated to enforce the code — — Jason Joy, who was head of the Committee until 1932, and his successor Dr. James Wingate — — were fairly ineffective. Nevertheless, the letters flew.
• • On Friday, 11 November 1932, James Wingate wrote a warning to Mr. McKenzie: "The basic story of Ruby Red is Diamond Lil." Moreover, "If the picture went through this way it would be recognized as the old story and looked upon as a subterfuge and a violation of the agreement ..."
• • On Monday, 11 November 1996 • •
• • An article by Claudia Roth Pierpont — — "The Strong Woman: What Was Mae West Really Fighting For?" — — was printed (page 105) in The New Yorker's issue dated for Monday, 11 November 1996.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • "The Mae West picture was never presented to the censor board of Ohio," Dr. Skinner wired John Hammel at the Paramount home office.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Don't you see how my life is? I gotta top myself in my pictures and I gotta watch myself in everything else. My private life has gotta be a model."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • "Warners to Get Paramount Films for St. Louis" • •
• • St. Louis, Sept. 5.— Although F. and M. have bought "Belle of the Nineties" and have dated it to open at the Ambassador on Sept. 14, Warners will play the distributor's 1934 — 1935 output at the Shubert-Rialto and Orpheum.
• • The F. and M. — Paramount deal was a one-picture contract, since the Mae West film is one of the 1933 — 1934 releases and was not sold to Warners. . . .
• • Source: Item in Motion Picture Daily; published on Thursday, 6 September 1934
• • 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 3308th 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 1934 • •
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