Buckles Blog: From Paul Gutheil

Friday, February 26, 2010

mae west, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

AND A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE.

DON'T TELL BARBARA, BUT I'M STILL WAITIN' FOR
YOU TO, "COME UP AND SEE ME SOMETIME."

LOVE & STUFF,

MAE

Roger Smith said...: Not long ago, I had occasion to drive South on Vine to Melrose Avenue, and there stands the Ravenswood Apartments. Mae West lived there for over 50 years. She died of a series of strokes, in 1980, at 87.

During the destructive Depression years, Mae is credited with saving Paramount, just down the street on Melrose. A prime example, for our purposes here, was the smash 1933 hit I'M NO ANGEL, wherein she played Tyra the lion trainer. Her salary is listed as $300,000, and we recall she was doubled by Mabel Stark. Much later, Ms. West allowed if ever she would trade places with another woman, "it would be this Mabel Stark, the tiger girl." Mabel said, "Fine with me. I'd like to be Mae West."

Bill Barton played vaudeville with Mae, who never forgot old friends. On one visit to her, with her grand permission, he took Pat Anthony with him. All the way up to her door, Pat couldn't believe he would meet Mae West. Billy said that for the rest of the night, Pat was so awestruck, you never saw him so quiet.; 26 February, 2010 21:21

Buckles Blog