The Curtain Is Pulled Back On Classic Hollywood Star Mae West In New Documentary
by Corey AtadA Hollywood legend is getting a closer look.
On Wednesday PBS debuted the trailer for the upcoming documentary “Mae West: Dirty Blonde”.
“Mae West crafted this image, she was a sexual gangster,” the voiceover in the trailer says.
Fashion icon André Leon Talley says of the actress, “Mae West was a pioneer for all those women who dare to be sexy: Cher, Madonna, Rihanna, Beyoncé.”
West began her career as a vaudeville dancer at the age of 14, moving on to the film industry with sultry roles in “She Done Him Wrong”, “I’m No Angel” and “Sextette”.
“She goes from being sent to jail for what she wants to say in 1926, to being the toast of Broadway in 1928 to being the highest-paid actress in America by the 1930s,” the voiceover star explains.
The documentary’s executive producer Bette Midler told People, “I used to sing a Mae West song when I first started working solo. I actually did not know she was still alive; there was no Internet…She sent me a cease-and-desist letter telling me to stop imitating her. Of course I did, and I still have the letter! But truly, there will never be anyone like her. Her diamonds and feathers, her strict adherence to the clothes of the 1890s…were all part of the package. How could you not love her? She believed in her creation, and she lived it every day of her life. Now, that’s commitment!”
“Mae West: Dirty Blonde” premieres June 16.
