West, Mae

West, Mae
(1892-1980)
   Remembered today as an early sound motion picture icon in a series of risqué comedies and musicals in the 1930s, West was also a playwright (occasionally using the pseudonym Jane Mast) who crafted tailor-made roles exploiting her way with a double entendre. West's hourglass figure and insouciant manner endeared her to audiences and frequently drew the ire of censors. Following a career in vaudeville and musical comedy, West caused a scandal with Sex (1926), the first of a string of taboo-shattering works. She was arrested for indecency, but the ensuing publicity surrounding the play made her a nationally known commodity. Barely a year later, in 1927, West again caused a sensation with The Drag, perhaps the first American drama to make explicit reference to homosexuality. More exploitive than serious, The Drag closed on the road before reaching Broadway. West's next play, Diamond Lil (1928), was a popular success that she frequently revived, and The Pleasure Man (1928) also generated controversy. The role of a saloon hostess was perfect for her. In movies after 1932, West pushed the boundaries of propriety, testing censors and challenging studio bosses as she had on stage. She periodically returned to the stage, notably on Broadway with Catherine Was Great (1944), toured frequently, and became a popular attraction in nightclubs. West's audiences joined her in laughing at sexual taboos and the inherent hypocrisy of both sexual mores and censorship.

The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. .

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  • WEST, MAE — (1893–1980), U.S. actress, writer, and singer. Born Mary Jane West in Brooklyn, New York, to John P. West and Matilda Delker Dolger, a German Jewish model and dressmaker, at seven West was winning talent shows. A year later she joined Hal… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • West,Mae — West, Mae. 1892? 1980. American actress known for her sultry stage persona. Her films include I m No Angel (1933) and My Little Chickadee (1940). * * * …   Universalium

  • West, Mae — born Aug. 17, 1892/93, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S. died Nov. 22, 1980, Los Angeles, Calif. U.S. film actress. She performed with a Brooklyn stock company around 1901, and by 1907 she had become a performer on the national vaudeville circuit. She made… …   Universalium

  • West, Mae — (1983 1980)    Born Mary Jane West in Brooklyn, New York, actress Mae West began her career as a teenager and appeared in musical reviews in New York from 1911 onward. She also wrote a number of plays and in 1926 appeared in Sex as a prostitute.… …   Historical Dictionary of the Roosevelt–Truman Era

  • West, Mae — (17 ago. 1892/93, Brooklyn, N.Y., EE.UU.–22 nov. 1980, Los Ángeles, Cal.). Actriz de cine estadounidense. Alrededor de 1901 actuaba en una compañía de repertorio de Brooklyn, y en 1907 ya era una artista del circuito nacional del vodevil. Debutó… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • West, Mae — pseud. di West, Mary Jane …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • West, Mae —  (1892–1980) American actress …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • Mae West — Mae West, um 1933 Mae West, 1973 Mae West …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mae West — en un carruaje, de vuelta de Hollywood Nombre real Mary Jane West Nacimiento 17 de agosto de 1893 …   Wikipedia Español

  • MAE-West — is a major Internet exchange point located on the west coast of the U.S. in San Jose, California and Los Angeles, California. Its name officially stands for Metropolitan Area Exchange, West , although some note the similarity to the name of the… …   Wikipedia

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