![Mae Day 1966 When mae West played the elctric guitar and taught 'em rock-and-roll.](https://carlanthonyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-day-1966-when-mae-west-played-the-elctric-guitar-and-taught-em-rock-and-roll.jpg)
Mod Mae.
![Mae West iat the height of her initial popularity, 1930s.](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-iat-the-height-of-her-initial-popularity-1930s.jpg)
Classic Mae.
The Psychedelic Sixties started with the Swinging Summer of Sixty-Six in Southern California, popularized by the Beach Boys and the Beach Party – certainly more a notion of the imagination and movies, perhaps than reality for most young Americans at the time.
Especially those sending loved ones to Vietnam – or being sent themselves.
Car, clothes, music, dancing – Pop Art starting popping. Few places better characterized the change Pinpointing the exact date is nearly impossible – nothing ever happens overnight, so May 1, 1966 is as good a day as any to pin its beginnings.
At least, Mae West would have liked that.
Of course, she was already world-known, famous for having helped save Paramount from bankruptcy during the height of the Great Depression. She had done revivals of her famous Broadway hit, Diamond Lil, and a new one about Catherine the Great – called Catherine Was Great.
![Mae West in Vegas, baby. Yeah.](https://carlanthonyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/images-ght.jpg)
Vegas Mae, a look soon after copied by Monroe.
And throughout the 50s she sold out the Sahara in Las Vegas with a reverse girlie show, “Sumthin’ for the gals!” she declared it.
![Mae West was predicted to be one of the first women who'd go to the moon.](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-was-predicted-to-be-one-of-the-first-women-whod-go-to-the-moon.jpg)
Space Age Mae.
Her friend the famous seer Criswell, even predicted she’d be one of the first women to land on the moon. She liked that.
She’d been called a lot of things – but she seemed to take greatest offense not to being called “old” (she knew that was ridiculous) but “outdated.”
Every May Day was Mae Day to Mae West (in fact, everyday was Mae Day to Mae West). And that was an original song she recorded on her first rock-and-roll album that year. Because by 1966, she wanted in on the action.
It may have started when a local reporter asked her, “Miss West, what do you think of the Sexual Revolution?”
Barely containing her outrage, she snapped, “Think of it?! I invented it! My God! I was the original Daughter of the Sexual Revolution!”
![](https://carlanthonyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-informally-photographed-in-a-previously-unpublished-image-by-diane-arbus-150x150.jpg)
An unpublished, informal snapshot taken on break during the Arbus session.
![Mae West with Julie Andrews.](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-with-julie-andrews.jpg)
Mae West with Julie Andrews.
She may have also been still steaming from an earlier photo session with the legendary photographer Diane Arbus.
The actress was livid at the lighting used, but it also depicted her looking more dated. “The nerve of her! Don’t she know I’ve got friends in Chicago who can make sure she never walks again?!”
And with that, she seemingly if not actually went out and got a guitar and strummed some strings.
Soon after the Arbus session, she dumped her 50s yellow curled permanent and got herself a sleek gold Brigitte Bardot vibe.
To complete her transformation, she tried out a mini or two, and put on some pants.
![1950s Mae West versus 1960s Mae West.](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/1950s-mae-west-versus-1960s-mae-west.jpg)
1950s Mae West versus 1960s Mae West.
Most importantly, Mae West hired a garage band called Somebody’s Children and recorded her first rock-and-roll album. She was 73 years old.
![Mae West's Rock and Roll Album, 1966.](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-wests-rock-and-roll-album-1966.jpg)
Rock & Roll Mae.
Besides Mae Day, she did Treat Him Right. Twist and Shout, When a Man Loves a Woman, and what has become a classic all its own, a remake of the Beatles’ Day Tripper.
![Mae West's Christma album.](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-wests-christma-album.jpg)
Holiday Mae.
She didn’t care what the critics said – she was enjoying her life.
And she didn’t stop there.
Long before Madonna tried it, Mae West did a smooth version of Santa Baby: before the year was done, she had worked overtime to turn out her first holiday album, Wild Christmas.
![Mae West on the famous double-page cover of Life Magazine, 1969.](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-on-the-famous-double-page-cover-of-life-magazine-1968.jpg)
Mae West on the famous double-page cover of Life Magazine, 1969.
Within two years, the world’s longest-living hipster landed herself on the cover of the world’s most widely-read magazine at the time, Life magazine, in an unprecedented two-page foldout.
![Mae West in a Melrose Avenue Pop Shop, 1968.](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-in-a-melrose-avenue-pop-shop-1968.jpg)
In a Hollywood shop, Mae the person surrounded by many a Mae the persona.
All this, converging with a Sixties generational nostalgia for 1930s which included her old movies along with ganster films and Marx Brothers comedies being shown at college campus midnight shows, led to her great return to Pop Culture, not as a new version of her old self, but a new version of her new self.
![](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-meets-racquel-welch-the-latter-still-irritated-by-her-elders-billing.jpg)
To this day, Welch remains irritated that West got top billing.
After two decades of not making a movie, she was the headlined star (a fact which apparently still unnerves its lead Raquel Welch) of the controversial film Myra Breckenridge (1970), based on the novel by Gore Vidal and one of the first x-rated films.
To be fair, Mae West didn’t take kindly to Racquel Welch showing up for their press pictures in a red hooded costume on their first meeting.
“Who’s that dame think she is? Little Red Ridin’ Hood or something?”
Most critics at the time panned the film as an incomprehensible perspective of how the world had gone to hell in a handbasket, but nobody didn’t like Mae West performing what may be the very first evidence of what was to become known as modern rap music.
She did a hip-hop number riff on the famous Otis Redding song, Hard to Handle. You can watch it below:
![Mae West raps.](https://carlanthonyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-raps-e1335878093834.jpg)
In the 1970 film, Mae West performed a rudimentary form of hip-hop style, some twenty years before the singing style reached mass appeal.
She wasn’t done.
![Mae West in 1970t My God! I was an original Daughter of the Sexual Revolution!](https://carlanthonyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-in-1970t-my-god-i-was-an-original-daughter-of-the-sexual-revolution.jpg)
American Mae.
Mae West went down to the University of Southern California, honored at a film school tribute. She was invited back several times, and not only checked once checked out what was up with coed form life, but made her way to fraternity row, where Sigma Chi declared her their Sweetheart on May Day, 1973. She was down with the kids in a big way. Y’know?
![Mae West in 1970](http://192.185.122.193/~carlanth/carl_admin/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-in-1970.jpg)
West took on societal issues at a 1970 press conference.
At the 1970 press conference she gave in New York for the premier of Myra Breckenridge, the press basically asked her – what’s happening?
Why aren’t you doing anything for Women’s Lib?
“They ain’t never asked me to, see? You don’t need pants to be liberated. In fact, they’re confining. Dresses feel better.
Why do you think most people don’t look well on the Black Panthers?
“’Cause it depends on how you look at them.”
What do you think of our sending a man to the moon?
If we can send a man to the moon – why don’t we send all of ’em.
Do you support President Nixon?
I’m not sure. But I know a good party man when I see him.
![Mae West with Timothy Dalton.](https://carlanthonyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mae-west-with-timothy-dalton.jpg)
Married Mae – but only in the movies.
Mae West made one other movie, Sextette (1979) when she was 86 years old and played the wife of actor Timothy Dalton, then young enough to be her great-grandson. It was generally panned, with especially vicious remarks by New York Times critic Vincent Canby, who employed both ageist and misogynistic terminology.
She didn’t care. As she told a friend, driving back from the premier. “Oh, that was yesterday! I have to think about tomorrow.”
When one critic described her having as “delusional existence,” a colleague of his smiled back, “Yeah, and she sure is having fun existing in it.”
She did acknowledge the passage of time, however. A story still told by an elderly woman who works in a Larchmont Boulevard shop, not far from where West lived told of the legendary actress going to dinner one year for her birthday, apparently at a famous old restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard called Perino’s.
Some reporters were tipped off, and asked her questions and took her picture as she was leaving. Someone shouted to her, “How does it feel t be 75 years old?”
She seemed not to hear it, but before her car pulled from the curb, she crooked her finger to call the reporter over.
“Lemme tell you something. When I was 65, I thought 70 sounded old. Now – 70 is looking pretty good.”
She died in 1980, at age 87 years old.
![Groovy to the end.](https://carlanthonyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/groovy-to-the-end.png)
Groovy Mae. Yeah baby.
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Categories: Legendary Americans
Tags: Madonna, Mae West, May Day, Myra Breckinridge, Otis Redding, Raquel Welch, Sextette, Timothy Dalton, University of Southern California
What a way 2 start off MayDay, waking up to the incomporable Mae West. Thank U once again Carl, for keeping her spirit alive.
There were a few photos here, that were kind of “scary” in a fascinating way, just like some clowns can B. I loved this picture of her you captioned “height of her popularity in ’30s”. What beautiful face she really had, & even her marcelled hair looks so chic & natural, her. This picture is very different from most I have seen of her. Madonna & LadyGaGa can try, but they can’t get at the essence of her, because they R 2 full of themselves, and 2ndly, she had fun living! She didn’t want to be depressed. Nobody intimidated, her. (except over vanity & she did take it construcitvely, the girl went shopping & got a new hair-do). I wonder what she would have said bout Demi Moore trying to off herself w/whipped cream nitrus!! or Whitney’s self descruction. She was a strong, healthy lady compared to some of our icons.
Well thank you Susanne – Coming from you, it means a great deal – seriously – because you’ve a very wide knowledge and in-depth perspective on so many of the subjects and topics in which we share an interest. And the “essence of her,” as you mention is the simple reason she had so much fun. She actually led an extremely principled life, in terms of she refused to view people as “higher” or “lower” based on superficial labels – nor did she cut slack for those who depended on others, be it men or women, for their self-esteem or sense of approval. She approved of herself – she didn’t think about needing approval to be seen as worthy. Some of that mantra is woven into the dialogue of her early films – I’m thinking about when she saves a girl from being sent to the Barbary Coast about to be enslaved into a life of prostitution and West talks to her about self-discipline and taking control of her own destiny. I believe she didn’t much “get” Marilyn Monroe – she didn’t dislike her, she just said she was “a victim,” and just couldn’t understand that. I think Lady Gaga may be enjoying herself – I sense a touch of that similar vibe in her, also because of her persistent effort to encourage inclusive thinking about all people in all things. I think West would get a kick from her. I think she would have tremendously admired Madonna Ciccone for her tenacity and refusal to be a victim but perhaps especially understand her in her more subtle contexts, rather than overt. Hard to imagine her feeling anything but pity for Whitney Houston or anyone who let what others think of them drive them far enough to take their lives.
Here’s another story that I find very emblematic: “West had many boyfriends throughout her life. One was boxing champion William Jones, nicknamed Gorilla Jones. When the management at her apartment building discriminated against the African-American boxer and barred his entry, West solved the problem by buying the building.” Pretty rocker, eh? 😀
I am glad you contributed that because I think there is a subtle point about her often missed. Yes, she shifted her appearance, that is just fixture, which she adjusted in terms of currency. But you are dead-on correct in terms of being hip: it was organic to her to treat people equally. She’d been doing it way back, since her childhood in the 1890s. At least I believe, her enthusiasm for the 60 was less ego-driven and more because she felt she had always lived as if it were the 1960s – and then that era finally came and was really (more than the 30s or 20s even) her time, regardless of her numerical age. It was a second, if not greater sort of crescendo for wider acceptance and understanding of the principals she’d always lived by – like being able to have her relationship with Jones. That was a key part of her story. A very good friend of her’s recently disclosed to me that Mae West took care of him and his aging mother throughout their entire lives. She similarly helped the many nuns who lived in the convent a block from her home on, right near Melrose and Rossmore Avenues.
I couldn’t agree more, you really nailed it! And I did not know about this, of course, the support she gave to Jones and his mother. Didn’t know about the nuns either. Wow… You’ve just made me a bigger fan of hers. Something I didn’t think was possible. 🙂
I hope I nailed it – behind all the fun stuff my real interest is how people like West were also engaging in social issues of their era and I strive to crystallize along the way, to illuminate it by the anecdotes. Thank you Geraldo.
I agree with Linda. Mae was completely refreshing and really remained true to her values and yes, her self-centeredness. She didn’t try to hide it and you’ve got to give her credit for her honesty.
I think there is such an important distinction to this and understanding her as a creative person – a writer, actor and unofficial director (at least of her own performances) – that self-centeredness was, in an odd way, not really so much about her as the human being but about her commitment to her message as an “artist” but because she the person was the vehicle for that message, she’s sometimes miscast as personally “selfish” yet from every account over the many decades of her life, there are none which chronicle her as being purposefully thoughtless towards others – it was just that she recognized the value of her time and energy and put it towards her work, which she knew no other person could ever take away. I think it was extraordinarily healthy and intelligent to be that conscious.
Glad you were in the right mood to get that one up, it’s incredibally fun, moving, nostalgic kind of piece. (great work)
Yes, my mood always lifts when I can smile – and Mae West’s tenacity and wink at Fate and Father Time always gives me a smile. Thanks for writing.
CARL ,THANKS FOR A GREAT MAE DAY 2012 ! YOU DO CREAT A HISTORY
LINE OF THE ERA THAT IS MAE WEST. THE DIANE ARBUS SESSION WAS
TAKEN AFTER MAE HAD A MILD HEART ATTACK AND FOUND TO BE DIABTIC;
SHE WAS FRAIL BUT READY TO BE BACK IN ACTION. WHAT A GREAT LADY.
KEEP WRITING CARL..WE ARE READING.
Wow – thank you so much for reading it and commenting – and I didn’t know any of that about her health, happening right after the Diane Arbus photos. I kept it to a small size, since it is original and previously unpublished and didn’t want it all over the Internet. I greatly, greatly appreciate your contribution. I end up learning a lot from those following the website. Thanks very much Michael.
I have to admit general ignorance about Mae West’s life, but this made me want to know more. What a wonderful character! And, the performances that you posted were surprising in that they appeared totally natural, not at all the caricatures that one might expect. It’s almost as if she takes herself seriously enough not to take herself too seriously, if that makes any sense at all. In reading about her, what I don’t sense is any sort of tragedy of aging. When you look at Joan Crawford, as an example, or even Bette David who was so stricken toward the end of her life, there is an almost pathetic quality – the past has abandoned them and they’ll spend the rest of their lives talking about what they did. Mae West seems to have spent her time talking about what she was doing and what she’d be doing in the future.
You are a man of many interests, Carl. I love it!
Jake
Thank you Jake – you’re one of the most loyal and indepth of those following the site’s stories – and I greatly appreciate it, especially during the many times I am about to abandon it entirely. I will say this, though she did not ever live in the past, she sure didn’t mind talking about all of the records she broke in the past. And by all accounts, she was able to still recite poems and perform song and dance vaudeville numbers from the century’s beginning as it approached its end. Her mind, imagination, humor – pretty rare not just among women but men of her era. Thanks so much for following here and for writing,.
Another great entry about Mae West. There is something about her that just makes you smile. Loved the picture of her with Julie Andrews, one of my favorite stars. Their images are as different as Elvis and Nixon, but I guess that is what makes the pairing (for me) fascinating.
I hope Mae West was happy. But I suspect that she was a little lonely, not in a bitter Bette Davis way, but as one who had reached the point of no longer having peers.
Frank Langella recently published a juicy”tell-all”. His mini chapter on Bette Davis was scary. And it wasn’t Dracula. Turns out Frank spotted her late in life waiting for her driver and he graciously approached her to saythat she was the greatest actress of the 20th century. Without looking at sim, she spat out a curt “thank you”. Bravely, he tried to introduce himself, but she snapped, “I said ‘thank you'””. End of audience. Can’t imagine Mae West everdoing that.
So here’s to Mae–and Julie.
John
I don’t know much about her but, apart from her powerful talent as an actor, Davis was never in any way a natural draw for me. I don’t think Mae West was ever in the least bit lonely – she had always made friends with those both older and younger than herself and from all classes of society and professions and widely diverse backgrounds – Late in life she wrote another extraordinary book called Health, Sex and ESP. In one section, she addressed the care she put into avoiding negative people and self-destructive people – not those who were down or sad because of a situation who needed help but rather those who assumed a permanently negative view of existence. She felt they wore down her own outlook on life which she had worked hard on creating and maintaining. I think one of her great friendships which sustained her was with a young man she trusted and enjoyed who worked as her personal aide in answering floods of fan mail. He wrote a fantastic book on her centennial, a man by the name of Tim Malochosky. She was also friends with some of the Los Angeles high society women who were benefactors of USC, so she had a wide range of friends that she learned from until the day she died. Thanks so much for both your thinking and your writing.
That’s great. I’m glad she had a happy sunset.
Perhaps, one day, a Mae West biographical picture will initiate a full-fledged revival of interest, not that she has been forgotten. How about Meryl “she-can-do-anything” Streep as Mae?
I think there’s so much richness to her story that any number of feature film stories can follow just one chapter of her incredible journey from vaudeville to musical comedy theater to radio to film to television to Vegas act and be a tale unto itself! She really followed a trajectory of American popular entertainment history of the 20th century.
Only one Mae West not Merle or anyone can revive a one of kind. Pls write more about her. I love this woman.
You are so right – a complete original. And I promise to do so – just don’t want to do too much all the time, there’s so much to explore about her work but I like to be certain my research is accurate and that takes time. Thanks so much for writing Linda- I seriously appreciate it. Cheers.
Maybe this August in celebration of her 120th birthday you will tell us the story of when you went to visit her at her apartment on her birthday, as promised from your blog on her last August! Great timing too, just as she was, great with her timing, as well as you have! Speaking of timing, on eBay at the time of this reply, there is a picture of Mae standing next to her piano in her apartment in LA, and as mentioned in your August blog, there stands the naked statue on her piano, you never mentioned to your parents! Is your statue there?
How fantastic of you to remember that – very flattering to the writer I must say….:) I’m not sure, I might one day write a memoir or something like that about the extraordinary people, teachers really, who made impressions in my life and who influenced me – both famous and non-famous and would perhaps do that then. But there are other aspects of her which I will definitely explore here. For some reason, I find the period of her life from about 1965 to 1980 the most interesting because it was not, perhaps, as challenging as one might assume – emotionally, for her – because she had so disciplined certain values by which she lived and by which she viewed life. Thank you also for pointing out that picture. Nobody could ever forget that statue. I don’t see, however, any sign of my statue but I think that picture was taken some time before we met, which was just before her last illness and death. But don’t worry – I will have some more stories about her. She is such an interesting “mind.” In the Dick Cavett interview in which she makes a suggestive remark without blinking, he laughs and brings it to her attention and she laughs and says, “That’s my mind.” And I think that’s really what will always perpetuate her appeal to generations and generations of people George Bernard Shaw and Tennessee Williams both considered her a peer, as a playwright and social critic. Again – I appreciate your writing. Cheers.
Just a little follow-up… I’ve been watching Mae West on YouTube (the Cavett interview and some of her performances) and she really is so, so entertaining and, in the interview, very clever. Now I have a new interest! Thanks, Carl!
Well Jake – thank you. That’s one of the hopes and intentions of the website magazine here So many recent books and biographies have come out about her. I wish there was a single volume compilation of her interviews and earlier magazine articles which she wrote. That is where I find her thoughts on everything from war to censorship to even petitioning President Harding to have the imprisoned Socialist candidate Eugene Debs released from prison in 1921, after his having been imprisoned for opposing World War I. Her humor is the jewel in the crown of course, but behind her remarks are razor-edged social criticism. Thanks for being such a loyal and indepth reader. More to come…
George Eells and Stanley Musgrave’s book “Mae West” tells fascinating story of two meetings between Mae West and Bette Davis, both occuring at Davis’ suggestion. The first meeting went fine, but on the second visit Bette regailed Mae about her experiment in lesbianism and asked Mae if she had ever dabbled in same-sex relations. Mae characteristically answered that she never had time…she was too busy with men. After the second meeting Mae dismissed Miss Davis by telling her escort, “Well, dear, I think we’ve had the best of her!”
Too funny – Great Aunt Mae – as I like to call her – more than anything, she knew herself well – and she was never impressed by titles or fame or wealth, but always the quality of the people she met. Thanks again for writing John. Hope you continue to enjoy the website magazine. Cheers.
Carl;
Thank you for this wonderful blog. Mae West is truly the finest woman I never met!
on that we concur 5 million percent. There is always something new to learn from her. Irony all the way, wisdom in every word. Artful yet plain-spoken. She had a brilliant mind.
Always lovely to see Mae’s later years celebrated. This time in her life always gets scant treatment in the biographies – but I agree with you that she was still productive in the 60s and 70s and just by ‘being” she was still pushing the boundaries of what a woman could do in terms of the social mores of the time. Keep up the good work, Carl!
Thank you so much for your generous comment – I seriously appreciate it. Somewhere along the line I remember reading her remark about George Burns and all the young girls he flirted with as a very elderly – far older – man, and how everyone thought that was just fine and funny…..and she left the rest unsaid, but implied. I realized the other day how many, many biographies and studies have been written about Mae West and how finally, even if posthumously, she was finally being understood for how brilliantly she observed the circus of human folly. She had a ruthless ability to assess human behavior – I find this especially in her novels – but never with harsh judgment as much as harsh honestly. Thanks so much Ian for taking the time to write.
Dear Carl, again I want to thank you for all the wonderful information on this Dear Person. I am not one for television or pop culture. I do, however, have a love not just fondness of the Silent Era and Movies of the 30′ and 40’s. People like you are such a great help for people like me that are discovering people like Marlene Dietrich her voice her beauty and kindness. I also have discovered Tallulah Bankhead and John Gilbert and so many others. I guess I just love and adore people who came before me. So much class, guts, talent, beauty and now Miss Mae. There are so many more that I am learning to love and appreciate. I think I was born to late but with your help and people like you new and exciting doors are being opened. Thank You.
Well the magic of the moving image allows us to sense what it was to live in earlier times – we now have over one century’s worth of film, both silent and sound and so many of those gifted people you mention will always be as accessible as a laptop click away. Mae West was, to me at least, a genuinely extraordinary person – in re-watching her great films so many layers of her insights into human nature are revealed. And as she lived longer and longer she became wiser and wiser. Thank you Linda for writing so generously – and ‘getting it’ – those like yourself make sharing these stories worth the effort.
Carl, I really wonder if she would have enjoyed Madonna or Lady Gaga. Mae WEST “”””””WAS”””””” no gimmicks. She did not need them. She did not need to disrobe, I would not apply the words HOT or SEXUAL to her because they can be demeaning. I would say she was STYLISH, VIBRANT, REAL. I could be very wrong. I just don’t think she was a person that flaunted herself in the way of gimmicks. She just, as I said before ””’WAS”’. I hope that made sense to you. She was a lady that took chances because they were worth taking. I cannot apply outlandish to her. I think she had a very private side also. She love and loved to be loved. I also apply this to Marlene Dietrich, another woman that gave so much of herself. Thanks Carl for letting me sound off. I love my movie sirens and beautiful,stylish men one comes to mind Ramon Navero. I love these posts and people like you. I learn so much. Keep it up you are wonderful.
You know, I believe that if she saw genuinely original, absolutely non-derivative performances of anyone she would admire them. I recently listened to a truly fascinating taped interview with her, now on Youtube, which was the basis of a BBC documentary on her called Mae on Mae. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her speak more plainly and simply about herself and her career. I also think that you are far greater an expert on earlier film actors than I am. It’s interesting that so many people are curious about Mae West for different reasons – and for me, her work as a writer is perhaps my leading fascination, along with her purposeful and disciplined view of life as a process in which one who feels compelled to express their larger messages have to discover a way to deliver it to as large a receptive audience as possible. She never loses her compelling role as a social commentator for me. Linda, I think you will enjoy that BBC film – do check it out.
I did watch the BBC Special and just loved it. In fact, I wanted to mention it to you. I bookmarked it to listen to again. Yes, she was very open and honest I loved the part about how to gain women’s attention by bringing in muscular men to her act for the women. Clever and smart woman she was. She took chances because they were worth taking. Good for her wish she was still here I miss her, but can listen to her music, interviews and watch her movies. Am anxious to get a hold of her books. Thanks again for your insight. Yes, I love the silent moves and 20’s and 30’s and 40’s way before my time. WOW is all I can say. iI still believe she kept part of herself private unlike many today. To me and all the others, that makes them special. I would rather wonder. Thanks Carl
Thank you – and I entirely agree with you about Mrs. Coolidge. The pictures of her interaction with animals really manage to convey her special sensitivity towards them. I apologize for such a long delay in responding to you – I’ve just been overwhelmed with work on many fronts. I hope to eventually do more pieces similar to this one. In any event, thanks again for taking your time to write.
I still wonder about how she spoke about being alone, if she would have appreciated some of the outlandish performances by some. It is just my way of thinking about her. I do think that she would admire many, but have doubts about Madonna and Lady GAGA. I am probably wrong but still wonder.
Sorry for the delayed response Linda – lost my hard drive and trying to deal with that and fallen behind in responding here. As for how she felt, I can only say that as a professional biographer all one can often do is speculate, rather than know. I think Mae West always appreciated an original voice that managed to use humor and wit to convey more serious issues and opinions, so perhaps she may have felt some degree of simpatico with Gaga. I also think that Mae West, like all of us, changed her perspective at different points in her life, so it might have been a matter of at what point in her own career one might have extracted her opinion.
In an earlier post I misspelled Ramon Novarro’s name. I am tonight enjoying 3 of his movies on TCM. WOW is all I can say.
Not a worry at all Linda – very thoughtful of you to point it out. I just received a message from a reader about having several stories, apparently, riddled with misspellings, which is not good for a professional writer – but I can entirely sympathize with you wanting to correct it! Cheers.
Carl,, saw the BBC Doc. All I can say is I was so completely entertained. What a lady I loved the photos. I love the honesty. I am now going to make sure I read her books. E-gads I am overjoyed with this, have watched it over and over. Thanks again Carl.
I’m not sure if any broadcast recordings remain of George Putnam’s excellent talk show entitled “Talkback” that ran for several years on the old KIEV-AM Glendale (California) radio station. On several occasions George, who was a broadcast icon on the West Coast, would regale his audiences with stories about Mae West. George was one of those fellows who Mae invited to, “come up and see me sometime.” And Putnam, who couldn’t really be cowed by anybody, certainly felt a little jittery around Mae West. Supposedly she called him nearly every night when he would finish his television news broadcasts in the 1950s and 1960s. They just don’t make originals like Mae West and George Putnam anymore and we are all the lesser for it.
I too met her when I was young, a year before she died – and all the trepidation I felt in anticipating that meeting almost immediately vanished once I met her. In an earlier article I compared her to a great-aunt, because she was an extremely warm and convivial person and made an effort to put others at ease. Would be great if George Putnam’s interview with her was recorded and archived somewhere. Let me know if you ever run across it and I will do a story about it. I appreciate your taking the time to offer such detailed feedback.
😉
Gore! Mean in a charming way. Think Id prefer charming in a mean way!
Agreed. 😀
Aaaah Mae West What a Woman!!! I’ve only been a fan for 7 years, but I can’t get enough of her… She was so Smart, and what a Life she had… I really wish there was a new movie (I think there’s enough material for a whole series but that’s just me I guess ahahah) about her and her career. She really had the whole package. Funny, sexy (in a good way not slutty sexy but funny, attractive sexy) As it is often said about her, she wasn’t the best singer, or actress or the best looking woman, but she was a clever woman who knew what to do to get where she wanted to go… I mean writting her own play & own movies in the 20’s-30’s when the society was so machist… She’s such a Great Inspiration. And so ahead of her time… and was so open minded!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE HER!!! I could go on and on saying how much I love her and how much I’m greatful to have found other fans willing to share their experiences with her, and their knowledge of her career with me!!! Thank you for the good moment with the More mature Mae West… (Oh gosh she would have hated me for saying that… wasn’t she always twenty-sex?! Oh yeah, She sure was 🙂 )
What a great commentary….and I will add this: if you ever have the chance to read some of her theatrical scripts from the 20s (which were published about ten or fifteen years ago – three of the plays), and her novels from the 30s and her autobiography from 1959 (especially the autobiography) you will also see her wit and talents in written form translates as well to the page as her wit and talents did in dramatic form on stage and screen. Thanks for the enthusiastic response – greatly appreciated, even inspiring…