Courting Mae West

The play "COURTING MAE WEST: Sex, Censorship & Secrets" is based on true events during the 1920s when actress MAE WEST was arrested and jailed in New York City for trying to stage two gay plays on Broadway. Maybe she broke the law - - but the LAW couldn't break HER!

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Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Mae West: July 11 on Broadway

MAE WEST was arrested on 9 February 1927 along with the cast of "Sex" and the cast of "The Captive."
• • Snooty Basil Rathbone, who died in July [on 21 July 1967 in New York, NY], was cuffed and brought downtown to Jefferson Market Police Court along with Helen Menken and their co-stars.
• • Born in South Africa on 13 June 1892, Basil Rathbone was one year older than Mae West but in his mind, he was worlds apart even though they were both starring on Broadway in 1927.
• • During the 1920s, most of Basil Rathbone's work was in the legitimate theater. For many of his Broadway roles he portrayed a suave, sophisticated seducer of women quite a change from the legendary ascetic Baker Street detective he would play later in his career.
• • Making a sensation at the Empire Theatre [on Broadway and West 40th Street] was a drama that had been prized in Paris: "The Captive." Basil Rathbone took the role of Jacques Virieu, a young man engaged to be married, only to discover his fiancée [played by Helen Menken] is in love with someone else a woman. Since homosexuality was such a controversial topic during the Roaring Twenties, the entire cast was charged with offending public morals, and the play was closed in New York City.
• • Basil Rathbone was very angry about the censorship of his work, but even more aggrieved that show people would start whispering that he was arrested and booked with Mae West.
• • For years, Basil Rathbone and his wife made their home at 135 Central Park West. Mae lived in several westside locations, occasionally not far from Rathbone. But there is no record of their taking tea together to reminisce over their arrest on indecency charges in 1927.
• • Brush up on your Mae West lines right on Broadway on Friday evening 11 July 2008 when the cast of "Courting Mae West" gives a free performance at the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble at 7:30 PM. Visit B&N, 1972 Broadway at West 66th Street.
• • Get ready to come up and see Mae West, Texas Guinan, and the gang onstage on 19 July 2008 when "Courting Mae West" opens.
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Source:http://courtingmaewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml

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• • Photo: Mae West
's past • • Basil Rathbone • •

Mae West.

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