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Engraved portrait of Mae West
Comedy · 1930s

Mae West

In memoriam 1893–1980

“A bawdy, brilliant wit who wrote her own lines and dared the censors to keep up.”

Mary Jane WestReal Name
August 17, 1893, Brooklyn, New YorkBorn
November 22, 1980, Los Angeles, CaliforniaDied
Paramount PicturesStudio
Self-written double-entendre witTrademark
The Turning Point

In 1926 West wrote, produced and starred in the Broadway play "Sex," which police raided on morals charges; she chose eight days in jail over a fine and became a national sensation. The notoriety propelled her toward stardom and her signature racy persona.

Mae West in a 1936 Paramount Pictures portrait
Mae West in a 1936 Paramount Pictures portrait

Vaudeville and Scandal

Born in Brooklyn in 1893, Mary Jane West began performing as a child and developed a brash stage persona. Her 1926 play "Sex" got her jailed, but the publicity made her famous nationwide.

Color portrait of Mae West, 1932
Color portrait of Mae West, 1932

Paramount Sensation

Arriving in Hollywood in the early 1930s, West brought her stage character to the screen in "She Done Him Wrong" and "I'm No Angel." The hits earned fortunes and helped keep Paramount solvent during the Depression.

Mae West photographed for the New York World-Telegram and Sun
Mae West photographed for the New York World-Telegram and Sun

A Self-Made Icon

West wrote much of her own material, packing it with innuendo and quotable one-liners. Censorship eventually curbed her films, but she remained a cultural symbol of bold, unapologetic sexuality into old age.

Career Timeline

  1. 1893Born Mary Jane West in Brooklyn, New York
  2. 1907Begins performing in vaudeville as a teen
  3. 1926Stages and is jailed over the play "Sex"
  4. 1928Broadway hit "Diamond Lil" makes her a star
  5. 1932Debuts in films at Paramount Pictures
  6. 1933"She Done Him Wrong" becomes a box-office hit
  7. 1933"I'm No Angel" cements her stardom
  8. 1940Co-stars with W. C. Fields in "My Little Chickadee"
  9. 1959Publishes her memoir "Goodness Had Nothing to Do with It"
  10. 1978Makes final film, "Sextette"
  11. 1980Dies in Los Angeles, aged 87

Biggest Hits

1933
She Done Him WrongBox-office hit and Best Picture Oscar nominee
1933
I'm No AngelSmash that helped rescue Paramount financially
1928
Diamond LilBroadway triumph creating her signature character
1926
SexScandalous play that landed her in jail
1940
My Little ChickadeeComedy pairing her with W. C. Fields
1936
Klondike AnnieSaucy frontier comedy she co-wrote
Did You Know
  • She wrote most of her own plays and screenplays, controlling her risque image.
  • The inflatable life jacket nicknamed the "Mae West" honored her hourglass figure.

The Moment You Remember

Reclining with a knowing smile, Mae West drawls an invitation for a man to come up and see her sometime. Delivered with perfect timing and a raised eyebrow, the line captured her entire persona, suggestive, self-possessed, and entirely in command.

Portrait: Unknown (Los Angeles Times press photo) · Public Domain · via Wikimedia Commons

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