| MAE WEST |
| MAE WEST DEFIED CONVENTION IN AN ERA OF YOUNG GLAMEROUS WOMEN STARS SHE WAS ALREADY PUSHING 40 AND NOT THAT SLIM. BUT SINGLEHANDEDLY HER BAWDY COMEDIES SAVED PARAMOUNT FROM BANKRUPCY AND BROUGHT CENSORSHIP TO HOLLYWOOD. THOUGH TAME BY TODAY STANDARDS, MIDDLE AMERICA WAS SHOCKED BY HER RIBALD REMARKS AND SAUCY JOKES. BUT THE JOKE WAS ON THE LEGION OF DECENCY, MAE WASNT REALLY SEXY SHE WAS A CARRICATURE OF SEX A CARTOON OF A WOMAN, WHO HORROR OF HORRORS MADE FUN OF SEX. IT COULD BE ARGUED ALL OF HER FILMS WERE HIGH CAMP AND INDEED THEY WERE BUT MAE'S CAMP APPEAL REALLY HIT ITS PEAK IN HER STAGE SHOWS SURROUNDED BY MUSCLEMEN AND IN HER LAST TWO FILMS MYRA BRECKENRIDGE AND SEXTETTE WHEN NOT ONLY WERE THE FILMS SO BAD THEY WERE FUNNY, THEIR CAMP APPEAL WAS HIGHTENED BY THE FACT THET MAE HAD CLUNG TO AN IMAGE FOR SO LONG IT HAD BECOME A CARRICATURE OF A CARRICATURE. AND WHILST THERE WAS SOMETHING SLIGHTLY TRAGIC ABOUT A WOMAN WELL PAST PENSIONABLE AGE STILL CLINGING TO THE SEX GODDESS IMAGE. IT WAS ALSO FUNNY AND SOMEWHAT REASSURING. THERE WAS A SENSE THAT MAE LIKE THE ROCK OF GIBRALTER WAS ONE OF LIFES CONSTANTS, INALTERABLE AND FOREVER STILL AS WE REMEMEMBER HER SWIVELLING HER HIPS AND DRAWLING THOSE SAUCY LINES. EVEN IF HER LAST FILM SHE WAS ON WHEELS BECAUSE HER LEGS HAD GIVEN OUT AND HER LINES WERE FED TO HER VIA A TRANSMITTER IN HER WIG. THERE ARE SOME VERY AMUSING STORIES ABOUT MAE QUOTING TAXI FARES WITH GUSTO THAT SOMEHOW HER WIG HAD PICKED UP THE RADIO SIGNALS FOR, AND OF HER GLIDING OUT OF CONTROL ON HER WHEELS LIKE ROBBIE THE ROBOT SCATTERING CAST AND CREW ALIKE. BUT YOU HAD TO HAND IT TO HER THE SCRIPT SAID SHE WAS 30 ODD , A YOUNG TIMOTHY DALTON (IN HIS TWENTIES) PLAYED HER HUSBAND AND SHE DUETTED WITH ALICE COOPER! NOT BAD FOR AN 87 YEAR OLD! (AND SHE ALMOST PULLED IT OFF!) IF ONLY FOR A COMPLETE DISRESPECT FOR THE LAWS OF NATURE AND FOR GROWING OLD DISGRACEFULLY WE SALUTE YOU MAE AND WELCOME YOU HOME TO THE QUEENS OF CAMP |