MAE-West

Mae West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, playwright, and sex symbol.

Related Topics:
August 17 - 1893 - November 22 - 1980 - American - Actress - Playwright - Sex symbol

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She was born Mary Jane West in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Irish American John Patrick West (1865-1935) and German Jewish immigrant Matilda ("Tillie") Delker-Doelger (1870-1930). Her sister and brother were Mildred "Beverly" West (1898-1982) and John Edwin West (1900-1964). The family was Protestant despite West's Irish Catholic paternal grandmother and her mother's Bavarian-Jewish roots, as well as some other distant relations who were Roman Catholics, including the woman who helped deliver her, and whose disapproval of West's career Mae was made well aware.

Related Topics:
Brooklyn - New York - Irish American - 1865 - 1935 - German - Jewish - 1870 - 1930 - 1898 - 1982 - 1900 - 1964 - Protestant - Irish - Catholic - Bavarian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Her father was a livery stable owner and prizefighter known as "Battlin' Jack West", who later worked in real estate on Long Island, New York, and her mother was a former corset and fashion model.

Related Topics:
Livery stable - Real estate - Long Island, New York - Corset - Fashion - Model

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mae began performing in vaudeville at the age of five. By the time she was twelve she was doing burlesque under the name "The Baby Vamp." Though she had not yet grown into her generous curves, the slinky, dark-haired Mae was already raising eyebrows with a lascivious "shimmy" dance.

Related Topics:
Vaudeville - Burlesque

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Eventually, she began writing her own risqué plays using the pen name "Jane Mast". Her first starring role on Broadway was in a play she titled Sex, which was written, produced and directed by West. Though critics hated the show, ticket sales were good. The notorious production did not go over well with the Irish-American Catholic city officials, however. The theater was raided and West was arrested along with everyone else in the cast.

Related Topics:
Play - Pen name - Broadway

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She was prosecuted on morals charges and, on April 19, 1927, was sentenced to ten days in jail for public obscenity. While incarcerated on Welfare Island, she was allowed to wear her silk panties instead of the scratchy prison issue. She served eight days, with two days off for good behavior.

Related Topics:
April 19 - 1927 - Public - Obscenity - Welfare Island

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

West regarded talking about sex as a basic human rights issue. She was also an early advocate of gay rights, pleading against police brutality against homosexuals by saying: "A homosexual is a woman's soul in a man's body. You're hitting a woman."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After being released from jail, she set to work on her next creative effort. Her second play was about homosexuality and was titled The Drag. It was a success, but audiences had to go to New Jersey to see it because it was banned from Broadway. She continued to write plays, including The Wicked Age, Pleasure Man, and The Constant Sinner. Her productions were plagued by controversy and other problems, however. If they did not get shut down for indecency, they closed because of slow ticket sales.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For her next adventure into theatre she had a Broadway hit, Diamond Lil (1928), about a racy, easygoing lady of the 1890s. The show struck box-office gold and heralded the brazen, wisecracking blonde to new heights of fame. It enjoyed an enduring popularity and West would successfully revive it many times through the course of her career.

Related Topics:
1928 - Career

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~