Biography: Mae West

by Paige Boos
Mary Jane West, or Mae West as she would prefer to be called, was born in Brooklyn New York on August 17th, 1893 to mother Tillie Doelger And father John Patrick West . Mae’s mother and father were both pursuers of the lime light who encouraged her to push boundaries and hone her theatrical abilities. Mae’s mother was garment worker turned fashion model while her father “Battlin Jack” West was a prize fighter. Her mother in particular took special notice of Mae’s talents and tried to expose her to plays and performances. At age 7 Mae began dance classes and by 14 was performing in a Vaudeville show (a number of acts grouped together on a stage). Even at the young age of 14 Mae would also dance amateur hour at nearby burlesque theaters. Although she was a popular stage star Mae’s Hollywood career wouldn’t pick up until 1932 when she was almost 40 years old. Until then, she would star in, write, and/or produce a number of plays that would be not only box office hits but objects of intense controversy.

Mae’s first Broadway production was produced in 1932 and was entitled, Sex. Although the production was wildly successful Mae lived in a very conservative time and the play angered a number of morality groups. Eventually Mae was arrested on moral charges and sentenced to 10 days in jail-she would go on to be let out 2 days early for good behavior. While city officials may have intended to send a message, they only managed to increase her fame.

As an outspoken activities of gay rights (which at the time was extremely controversial) Mae also wrote and directed her next starring stage role, Drag. As the name suggests, the play centered on cross dressing and homosexual themes. While the show was a success with Connecticut audiences, she was not able to bring the production to Broadway for fear of retribution. In the years following she would write a number of other plays such as The Wicked Age, Pleasure Man, and The Constant Sinner. 

By 1932 her fame had grown exponentially and she was offered a film contract with Paramount. Mae’s first major film role was in 1933’s She Done Him Wrong opposite a new up and comer, Cary Grant. The basis of the film was an enticing lounge singer who battles a number of potential suitors. Never being one to shy away from sexual innuendos and subject matter, Mae brought sex appeal to the silver screen.

By her next major film, I’m No Angel 1933, morality critics had begun to take notice. The film told the story of West’s character, Tina. Tina was a lion tamer and carnival dancer who travels to New York -- all the while flirting with rich men in search of her soulmate.

It was after this movie that the Motion Picture Production Code (or the Hays code) began enacting their power to approve films and change scripts. This severely limited the amount of creative input the provocative actress was able to add to her characters. This however did not seem to affect Mae who, in 1935, became the second highest paid person in the United States. In fact, in true West fashion she instead increased the amount of sexual insinuations.

1936 marked the year of one of her biggest films, Klondike Annie. In the film Mae plays Rose Carlton. Rose is a quasi-reformed prostitute who ends up killing her so called “savior”. She then flees from San Francisco aboard a ship bound north. On the ship Rose encounters a number of passengers, one of which was a Seattle missionary who dies on the trip. Once the ship docks Rose assumes the missionaries identity. However she eventually falls in love with the man sent to find her. The film was so controversial because of the religious overtones that the famous newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst refused to run any ads for the movie in any of his publications.


In December of 1937 Mae made an appearance on an NBC radio show entitled, The Chase and Sanborn Hour. Unfortunately after the broadcast aired NBC received a number of complaints calling the broadcast “immoral and obscene”. In order to escape blame NBC placed the majority of fault on Mae and banned her from any further NBC broadcasts.


By 1943 Mae was approaching 50 years old and ready to retire from Hollywood. She would make one final successful film entitled My Little Chickadee. My Little Chickadee focuses on the story of Flower Belle (Mae West) and her partner in crime Cuthbert J. Twillie. The two commit petty crimes and cons throughout the west.

Following her final film before retirement in the mid 1940’s-which turned out to be flop- Mae
took a break from Hollywood returning in the 1970’s to make two cult classic films; Myra Breckinridge and Sextette. Myra Breckinridge tells the story of a Man named Myron who undergoes gender reassignment surgery and enters Hollywood as Myra. Sextette is the sorted story of a woman who happens to be a serial bride. One of her past husbands happens to be a Russian delegate who has refused to continue important negotiations until he is able to have one last fling with his ex-wife.

In August of 1980 at 87 years old Mae West suffered a stroke which would ultimately lead to her death on November 22nd 1980. Throughout her career Mae pushed the boundaries of sexuality. She was an open activist of equal rights and was creatively involved in almost every production she was in -- whether it be film or stage. Mae West is an icon who changed the film industry.