Thu 6/17 @ 7PM
Mae West was one of a kind.
Remembered now as a brassy, aggressive sex symbol, she was groundbreaking in many ways. She wrote her own material, which was sexually frank in a way that caused officials of the 1920s to have fits; she served a short jail sentence on a “morals” charge. A supporter of gay rights, a play she wrote about homosexuality played the out-of-town tryout circuit, but was blocked from opening in New York.
West headed out west to launch her film career as a sexually suggestive performer when she was almost 40 and sporting a zaftig figure that was distinctly unfashionable. Her second film, 1933’s She Done Him Wrong, the first of two released that year in which she co-starred with Cary Grant, features West as a saloon singer and contains her famous, oft-misquoted line “Why don’t you come up and see me?” That film and its successor, I’m No Angel, are often credited as an impetus behind the censorious Hays Code put in place the following year, but were hits at the box office. They’re a perfect realization of her sass & swagger.
Immerse yourself in her generous, good-natured sensuality when The Musical Theater Project tackles She Done Him Wrong as its next Movies at Home feature. You know the drill: first watch the intro by TMTP’s Bill Rudman, then watch the film online (the intro is actually about I’m No Angel, but he swapped out the films when he wasn’t able to find a reliable streaming source for that film). Then join Rudman Thursday June 17 online to discuss the film. Go here to join the discussion; it’s free and no registration is required.
musicaltheaterproject.org/moviesathome