Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Mae West: Awed to Silence

The enormous net worth of MAE WEST during the Great Depression brought a shadow husband out of hiding.
• • "Husband Frank Awed to Silence By Mae's Words" • •
• • New York, July 14. [A.P.] — — Frank Wallace, the original Mae West fan, came to town tonight, seemingly awed to super-silence by the curve queen's acknowledgement that he was her husband, and vague about what he was going to do about it.   
• • "Hello," he said, stepping into the office of his lawyer, Samuel J. Siegel, with his vaudeville dancing partner, Miss Trixie La Mae.
• • For the next hour he parried every question with "ask Mr. Siegel" — — every question except this:  "Who is your favorite movie actress?" and to that he replied:
• • "Mae West," sighed Frank Wallace. "There's only been one love in my life — — that' s her."
• • Siegel was back-topped in answering questions for Wallace by State Senator John J. McNaboe, who disclosed he had been retained as "counsellor" in Wallace's suit for a declaratory judgment that he is "Mr. Mae West" on the basis of a 1911 marriage.
• • "Do you  still love Mae West?" Wallace was asked.
• • "That's out!" said Siegel. 
• • "That's out!" echoed McNaboe.  "You ask us the questions and let us pass on them."
• • "When did you last see Miss West — —  do you recall?" Wallace was asked.
• • "No, he can't recall." interjected Siegel. 
• • "No, he can't," agreed McNaboe.
• • Two other questions went the same way, and finally Wallace said:  "If Mr. Siegel says it, it's true.  If he doesn't say it, it's not true."
• • Wallace's attorney emphasized that Miss West's money hasn't the slightest connection with Wallace's suit, now in progress in California.
• • He said, though, in answer to a question, that under California law, a husband is entitled to half his wife's property."
• • Source: Associated Press article rpt in The Daily Illini; published on Thursday, 15 July 1937.
• • On Thursday, 15 July 1937 • •
• • "Husband Frank Awed to Silence by Mae's Words" • •
• • On Thursday, 15 July 1937, the Daily Illini printed this item: Frank Wallace, the original Mae West fan, came to town tonight, seemingly awed to super-silence by the pie curve queen's acknowledgement that he was her husband, and vague about what he was going to do about it .    . . .
• • "Mae West," sighed Frank Wallace. "There's only been one love in my life — — that' s her."
• • On Monday, 15 July 1974 • •
• • Edward Field's poem “Mae West” was published on page 30 in The New Yorker's issue dated for the week of 15 July 1974.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Though Mae West held Bob Thompson in high esteem, they never even shook hands. "Mae West believed when you shook hands with someone, their spiritual forces could take over your being," said Paula, who trouped across the globe performing with Bob Thompson. "Mae did everything else with everyone. But she didn't shake hands."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "Frank Wallace thought I said 'come up and sue me sometime.' "
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Daily Times mentioned Mae West.
• • "Mae West Still Comes on Strong But She Forgot to Pucker" • •
• • Lee Mueller wrote:  One of these women, named Elsie, said she worked in that hotel as a cleaning maid and lived over in Brooklyn's Bushwick section where Miss Mae West was born. "When I was a girl growing up, Mae West was somethin'," she said. "I heard about her when she was in vaudeville, you know. I remember I told my mother I wanted to grow up to be like Mae West and she slapped me. . ."
• • Lee Mueller noted: Elsie is 70 years old — — nearly seven years younger than her girlhood idol. Her hair is short and dusty gray. The lines in her face are as deep as the convolutions in Mae West's brain.  ...
• • Source: Syndicated feature written by Lee Mueller, NBA, rpt in The Daily Times (Burlington, N.C.); published on Wednesday, 15 July 1971  
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 11th anniversary • •    
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eleven years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,200 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started ten years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3222nd blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Mae West • in 1914

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