Mae West

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Mae West

Mae West 1893-1980, American stage and movie comedienne, b. Brooklyn, N.Y., as Mary Jane West. The unparalleled mistress of double entendre, West began in burlesque and continued in vaudeville, stage, and films, making a career of self-admiration and treating sex with broad humor. As a result, she was constantly battling against the Production Code (see motion pictures ). Many of her one-liners, such as "Come up and see me sometime," have become classics. Her plays include Sex (1926) and Diamond Lil (1928). Among her films are She Done Him Wrong (1933) and My Little Chickadee (1940).

Bibliography: See her autobiography, Goodness Had Nothing to Do with It, (1959) and The Wit and Wisdom of Mae West (1967); biographies by E. W. Leider (1997) and S. Louvish (2006).

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West, Mae

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

West, Mae (1893–1980) US stage and film actress. She began her career in burlesque. Her first film was Night After Night (1932). Her overt sexuality and use of double entendre in She Done Him Wrong and I'm No Angel (1933) led to increased censorship in the movie industry. Other films include Go West, Young Man (1936) and My Little Chickadee (1940).

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"West, Mae." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"West, Mae." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (November 26, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-WestMae.html

"West, Mae." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved November 26, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-WestMae.html

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