Resource id #75
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Mae West

Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned over seven decades. Considered a sex symbol, she was known for her breezy sexual independence and her lighthearted bawdy double entendres, often delivered in a husky contralto voice. She was active in vaudeville and on stage in New York City before moving to Los Angeles to begin a career in the film industry.

West was one of the most controversial movie stars of her day; she encountered problems especially with censorship. She once quipped, "I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it." She bucked the studio system by making comedy out of conventional beliefs, and the Depression-era audience admired her for it. When her film career ended, she wrote books and plays, continued to perform in Las Vegas and London and on radio and television, and recorded rock and roll albums. In 1999, the American Film Institute posthumously voted her the 15th greatest female screen legend of classic American cinema.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 17, 1893 (Brooklyn), Died November 22, 1980 (Hollywood)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1934 - 1970

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor PBS-79181 10-in. 4/23/1934 My old flame Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Mae West Dubbed recording from film : Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
Decca 87085 11/23/1954 Havana for a night Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87086 11/23/1954 I'm in the mood for love Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87087 11/23/1954 Pecado Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87088 11/23/1954 They call me Sister Honky Tonk Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87122 11/26/1954 Criswell predicts Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87123 11/26/1954 I want you-I need you Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87124 11/26/1954 Love is the greatest thing Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87125 11/26/1954 Frankie and Johnny Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87126 11/29/1954 If I could be with you Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87127 11/29/1954 All of me Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87128 11/29/1954 A guy that takes his time Mae West vocalist  
Decca 87129 11/29/1954 My Daddy rocks me Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15434 7/1/1970 The sayings of Mae West Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15435 7/1/1970 Mae West uncensored Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15436 7/1/1970 Mae West and friends Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15437 7/1/1970 Around the world with Mae West Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15438 7/1/1970 Mae West has the last word Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15439 7/1/1970 Mae West and W.C. Fields together Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15440 7/1/1970 I want you-I need you Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15441 7/1/1970 Mae West teaches a class Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15442 7/1/1970 A swingin' sermon (Little bar butterfly) Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15443 7/1/1970 Personal appearance Mae West vocalist  
Decca L 15444 7/1/1970 Mae West sings: Frankie and Johnny ; Mister deep blue sea ; My old flame Mae West vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "West, Mae," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101870.

West, Mae. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101870.

"West, Mae." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101870

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