Wednesday, March 02, 2016

Mae West: Star Chick

As a child actress, MAE WEST was often cast in the role of Little Lord Fauntleroy, a stage play based on the beloved Victorian Era children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
• • Also a child when he began his acting career, Frederick Cecil Bartholomew [28 March 1924 — 23 January 1992] was cast in the title role for a big-screen adaptation of "Little Lord Fauntleroy" [1936]. 
• • Freddie Bartholomew and Mae West both made an appearance — — as cartoon characters — — in "A Star is Hatched" [1938]. This animated short was an amusing satire on "A Star is Born" [the 1937 version starring Janet Gaynor] but with a chicken cast and a rooster named Emily [sic].
• • "A Star is Hatched" [1938] • •
• • Synopsis by Merrie Melodies: Emily the rooster [sic] aspires to be a Hollywood actress and travels to California to follow her dreams.
• • Released on Saturday, 2 April 1938, the playful storyline is punctuated with recognizable caricatures of many Hollywood screen stars of the 1930s, including John Barrymore, Freddie Bartholomew (as a newspaper boy), Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields (as a traffic cop), Clark Gable (as a streetcar conductor), Greta Garbo, Dick Powell, Edward G. Robinson, and, yes, busty Mae West.
• • The Mae West scene gets started as the cameras pan through a sound stage but the audience sees a dressing room with an odd-looking door. It turns out that Mae West is in there. She steps out of the dressing room (and she is able to fit through the curves on that door). As she steps out, we hear "Frankie and Johnny."  The music used is the 1908 version by Bert Leighton [28 December 1877 — 10 February 1964].
• • Supervision: Friz Freleng  [1906 — 1995].
• • Producer: Leon Schlesinger  [1884 — 1949].
• • Starring: Mel Blanc (Director Yelling 'Cut'), Ted Pierce (W.C. Fields/J. Megga Phone/Movie Guide\Hick) and Berneice Hansell (Baby Chick).
• • On Sunday, 2 March 1913 in NYC • •
• • It was on Sunday, 2 March 1913 that Mae West began a one week booking at Hammerstein's Victoria in the theatre district on West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue.
• • On Wednesday, 2 March 1927 in Variety • •
• • More details about the February 9th raid at Daly's Theatre on Broadway, and the political punching behind it were explained in Variety Magazine in their issue dated Wednesday, 2 March 1927.
• • Dated for Wednesday, 2 March 1927 • •
• • Auctioned off in 2002 was a Bowery and East River National Bank check for Moral Producing Corporation, dated Wednesday, 2 March 1927, made out to Harold Spielberg for the sum of $500.00, signed in black ink by Mae West. Note that Mae West was signing in her capacity as (yes) President of the Moral Producing Corporation.
• • Dated for Monday, 2 March 1936 • •
• • Will Hays and Joseph Breen continued to exchange letters regarding disputes over "Klondike Annie" and Breen wrote again to Hays on Monday, 2 March 1936. This censorship file must weigh a ton.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • In radio, "while censorship by station managers continues as a part of the accepted set-up," the Union notes that the Federal Communications Commission for the first time assumed such powers in criticizing the Mae West — Charlie McCarthy sketch.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "She who laughs lasts."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An Indianapolis paper mentioned Mae West.
• • "Harvey Brooks, Former Composer for Mae West, Writing for Bob Crosby" • •
• • Hollywood, Feb. 27 (ANP) — — With a heavy schedule of new films awaiting his opportunity to start in on them, Harvey Brooks, famous composer, is busy on the music for Bob Crosby’s band which starts in a new picture for Columbia studio in a few days.
• • In spite of his long career in West Coast musical circles, Brooks attracted much greater attention several years ago as a composer for Mae West’s pictures than ever before.  ...
• • Source: Item in Indianapolis Recorder; published on Saturday, 1 March 1941 
• • 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 3,300 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3389th 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 • as a cartoon in 1938

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