A BIOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF MAE WEST

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 77, 17 April 1937, Page 8

A BIOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF MAE WEST

Mae West was born in Brooklyn, Kew York, on an August 17.' Her father, the late Jack West, was a prominent featherweight fighter in the days of John L. Sullivan and Corbett. -Her mother was French, born in Paris. Both are now dead. As a child, Mae displayed unmis takable talent as an-entertainer. When she was iive she made numerous publie hppearances at church and club socials, dojug child imitations if Eva Tanguay, the vaudeville idol of the day. A year later, she joined Hal Clarendon 's stoek company at the old Gotham Theatre, in the Bu'shwick section of her native city. For six yeafs she played ehild characters — Little Lord FauntleToy, Little Eva in "Unele Tom's Cabin, " the girl in "Ten Kiglits in a Bar Room" who pleads, "Father, dear father, come home with me now," Lovey Mary in "Mrs Wiggs of the Oabbage Patch," and little Willie in "East LsTine." She studied dancing with Ked Wayburn and was in burlesque, musical comedy and .vaudeville. . In burlesque she was known as "The Baby Vamp. " In vaudeville she originated the shiramy dance, al though Bee Palmer and Gilda Gray were credited with.this sinuous.achievement. She gave imitations of George M. Cohan and the late Eddie Fay in vaudeville. She wias featured in Wayburn'B musical "Demi-tasse Revue" and "The Mimie World." She was featured with Ed-Wynn in "Somotime. " That was in 1919. A five-year career in vaudeville followed. Then Miss West wrote, staged, produced and starred in "Sex." The play considered extremely daring at that time, was a great success and ran for more than a year. She followed thi's with - "Pleasute Man" and then with "Diamond Lil," one of the greatest theatrical hits of the past decade. The next Mae West play, "The Conslant Sinner," produced during the nation 's depression days, did not ma'tcE the popnlarity of " Diamond . .Lil, " but further helped to establish ite star as a dramatic actress of rare versatility. In the spring of 1932 Miss West finally accepted a screen offer. She went to Hollywood for Paramount and >was as'signed to play a featured role in "Kight After Kight" with George Eaft, Constance Cummings and Alison Skipworth preceding her in the billing. Miss West asked permission to write her own dialogue, with the regult that she waJs acclaimed as the hit of the fllm. Paramount received. so many enthusiastic reports about audience reactions to'Miss West that it decided to star her in her next tilm, "She Done Him Wrong." Thiis pacture was the greatest box office success of the year. It was a bracing tonic for the depressed motion-picture exhibitors, and it immediately stamped Miss West as the great uew star of the 'screen. Miss West has never married. She livos simply in an apartment in Hollywood a half a mile from the studio. She has a sister, Beverly West, a vaudeville aetress, and a brother, Jacls West, jnr., who also has been in vaudeville, but now is in the film business in Hollywood. Her sister married Vladimir BaikofC, in January, 1934. Miss West is five feet four inches tall and weighs 126 pounds Her hair is platinum blonde and her eyes are deep bjue Her Paramount pictures are: — ft Kight After Kight," "She Done Him Wrong," "I'm Ko Angel," 'SBelle of the Kineties," "Kow I'm a Lady," "Klondike Annie," and now comes "Go West Young Man, " which has iust commenced its first release here in Kew Zealand. In this picture Mae. is supported by an exceptionally fine east, headed by Warren William, Randolph Scott and Alice Brady.