About
Mae West, born Mary Jane West in Brooklyn in 1893, began performing on stage at age seven and became a vaudeville star. She wrote, produced, and starred in her play Sex (1926), which caused a scandal and her arrest for obscenity, making her a national figure. Her role in Diamond Lil (1928) led her to Hollywood, where she saved Paramount from bankruptcy with films like She Done Him Wrong (1933). Known for her suggestive one-liners and liberated persona, she contributed to the stricter enforcement of the Hays Code. She published her autobiography in 1959 and made her final film at age 85.
* 1893-08-17 — † 1980-11-22
Major works
- Sex (1926)play
- Diamond Lil (1928)play
- She Done Him Wrong (1933)film
- I'm No Angel (1933)film
- Goodness Had Nothing to Do with It (1959)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1926Arrested and jailed for obscenity after the performance of her play Sex.
- 1933Becomes the number-one box-office attraction and saves Paramount from bankruptcy.
- 1940Co-writes and stars in My Little Chickadee with W.C. Fields.
Themes
Female sexualityFreedom of expressionCensorshipVaudeville and theaterClassic Hollywood
Sources: findingaids.loc.gov · britannica.com · pbs.org
