She always knew how: Mae West, a personal biography
Actress, playwright, screenwriter, and iconic sex symbol Mae West was born in New York in 1893. She created a scandal -- and a sensation -- on Broadway with her play Sex in 1926. Convicted of obscenity, she was sentenced to ten days in prison. She went to jail a convict and emerged a star. Her next play, Diamond Lil, was a smash, and she would play the role of Diamond Lil in different variations for virtually her entire film career.
In Hollywood she played opposite George Raft, Cary Grant (in one of his first starring roles), and W. C. Fields, among others. She was the number one box-office attraction during the 1930s and saved Paramount Studios from bankruptcy. Her films included some notorious one-liners -- which she wrote herself -- that have become part of Hollywood lore: from "too much of a good thing can be wonderful" to "When I'm good, I'm very good. When I'm bad, I'm better." Her risqué remarks got her banned from radio for a dozen years, but behind the clever quips was Mae's deep desire, decades before the word "feminism" was in the news, to see women treated equally with men. She saw through the double standard of the time that permitted men to do things that women would be ruined for doing.
Her cause was sexual equality, and she was shrewd enough to know that it was perhaps the ultimate battleground, the most difficult cause of all. In addition to her extensive interviews of Mae West, Chandler also spoke with actors and directors who worked with and knew the star, the man with whom she lived for the last twenty-seven years of her life, as well as her closest assistant at the end of her life. Their comments and insights enrich this fascinating book. She Always Knew How captures the voice and spirit of this unique actress as no other biography ever has.
Grouping Information
Grouped Work ID | 5df28914-b6c3-7b19-5a4b-58987e6f834e |
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Grouping Title | she always knew how mae west a personal biography |
Grouping Author | chandler charlotte |
Grouping Category | book |
Last Grouping Update | 2019-02-08 04:38:59AM |
Last Indexed | 2019-02-23 04:55:35AM |
Solr Details
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author | Chandler, Charlotte. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
author_display | Chandler, Charlotte | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
available_at_arlington | Cherrydale | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
collection_arlington | Biographies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
detailed_location_arlington | Cherrydale Biographies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
display_description | Biographer Charlotte Chandler draws on a series of interviews she conducted with the star just months before her death in 1980, as well as interviews with people who worked or lived with her. Actress, playwright, screenwriter, and iconic sex symbol Mae West created a scandal--and a sensation--on Broadway with her play Sex in 1926. Sentenced to ten days in prison for obscenity, she went in a convict and emerged a star. Her next play, Diamond Lil, was a smash, and she would play variations on Diamond Lil for virtually her entire career. In 1930s Hollywood she saved Paramount Studios from bankruptcy. Her screenplays included some notorious one-liners that have become part of Hollywood lore, but behind the clever quips was Mae's deep desire to see women treated equally with men. She fought the double standard of the time that permitted men things that women would be ruined for doing.--From publisher description. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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id | 5df28914-b6c3-7b19-5a4b-58987e6f834e | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
isbn | 9781416579090 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
item_details | ils:.b13418622|.i14545640|Cherrydale Biographies|B WEST M|||1|false|false|||||On Shelf|Feb 06, 2019|hanb|| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
itype_arlington | Hardback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
last_indexed | 2019-02-23T09:55:35.407Z | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
lexile_score | -1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
literary_form | Non Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
literary_form_full | Non Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
local_callnumber_arlington | B WEST M | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
owning_library_arlington | Arlington Public Library, Aurora Hills, Central, Cherrydale, Columbia Pike, Connection Crystal City, Detention Center, Glencarlyn, Local History, Plaza, Shirlington, Westover | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
owning_location_arlington | Cherrydale | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
primary_isbn | 9781416579090 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
publishDate | 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
record_details | ils:.b13418622|Book|Books|First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.|English|Simon & Schuster,|2009.|xiii, 317 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
recordtype | grouped_work | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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subject_facet | Motion picture actors and actresses -- United States -- Biography | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
title_display | She always knew how : Mae West, a personal biography | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
title_full | She always knew how : Mae West, a personal biography / Charlotte Chandler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
title_short | She always knew how : | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
title_sub | Mae West, a personal biography |