Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Mae West: Porn-Again Angel

Controversial movie star MAE WEST was once selected by Mrs. Bill Clinton to be part of a White House Christmas.  Let's investigate.
• • Carl Anthony wrote:  During her eight years as First Lady, Hillary Clinton continued the custom of a different theme for the Blue Room Christmas Tree, always using traditional concepts based, for example, on holiday carols and books such as "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and "The Night Before Christmas."  Each year’s ornaments were crafted by the nation’s leading artists and art schools.
• • “pornographic ornament” • •
• • Carl Anthony continued:  When one year she chose the theme “Angels, We Have Heard On High,” a cloth figurine depicted the classic movie star Mae West, the First Lady was upbraided for this “pornographic ornament” by a disgruntled former government worker seeking to score a political attack.  . . .
• • Source:  "The First Ladies at Christmas: Seven Modern Women, Part 4" written by  Carl Anthony; posted in December 2014.  
• • On Saturday, 10 November 1928 • •
• • The New Yorker published a lengthy Mae West interview titled "Diamond Mae" illustrated with a cheeky illustration on page 26. Written by Thyra Samter Winslow, this profile appeared in the issue dated for the week of 10 November 1928.
• • On Saturday, 10 November 1951 • •
• • "Diamond Lil," after a regional tour, returned to the Broadway Theatre for a victory lap. Gus Jordan's Gay Nineties saloon on the Bowery was seen again on The Great White Way beginning on 14 September 1951.
• • Two months later, Mae West and her gaudy retinue took their final bows on Saturday, 10 November 1951 after this "last stand" on Broadway — — yes, sixty-seven rousing performances.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Outstanding has been the Mae West picture. In second place, probably, was "Madame Du Barry," which Warners now anticipate releasing in a few weeks.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "I'm no angel but I've spread my wings a bit."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Motion Picture Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • It is no trick at all to publicize a Will Rogers picture or Mae West's latest.
• • But we are laying little stress on the Mae West pictures, the Gables, the Crawfords, the Rogerses because we know that the admirers of these stars will come out as usual. However,  we are stressing the pictures made from popular books because we know that is the best and most positive way to answer our critics, and at the same time reach that large group of folks who only rarely attend our theatres.  . . .
• • Source: Item in Motion Picture Daily;  published on Saturday, 1 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 3307th 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

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

1 comment:

  1. Sadly there has always been "defenders of public morals" who feel they must protect against people like Mae West being honoured. When PS 125 in Brooklyn was in the process of being renamed, Mae West was briefly considered, but the honour went to a long standing teacher instead. I suspect some moralizing is also behind the lack of a Mae West U.S. issued stamp as well. As Miss West put it so well, "Those who are easily shocked, need to get shocked more often!"

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