Age, pleasure man and the constant sinner, the drag, diamond lil, and sexette. Diamond lil 1949 hardcover by mae west author of the constant sinner, mae west on. Babe gordon, the star of this brilliant, sophisticated novel of modern new yorks racy set, is a. The 1934 belle of the nineties, a loose adaptation of west s play the constant sinner, tested her ability to outwit the production code. Book and dust jacket are both in very good conditionjacket shows minor pen mark to spine. Inscribed by mae west opposite title page to an admiring fan. Mae west made a career of sultry and witty performances delivering double. I admit that some of the references in the book normal for the time which does not make them okay now made me cringe a bit.
Editions of the constant sinner by mae west goodreads. Buy the constant sinner by mae west from waterstones today. This novel was later renamed the constant sinner for a stage version at the royale theater in 19311932. As a publicity stunt, the publisher ran a contest asking readers to give this controversial bestseller a fresh title. Buy the constant sinner by mae west online at alibris. Mae west to return will be seen on broadway in star role of the constant sinner. In the constant sinner, which mae west wrote from her own novel, the bars and brothels are harlem, 1931, and mae west does not sing. In the second number in act i, backed by the chorus, mae, as mademoiselle angelique, sang angelique of the opera comique, a song whose lyrics were written by melville gideon to. She didnt write the skit, nor did she cast herself in the part of eve. Mae west to return will be seen on broadway in star role.
The constant sinner modern classics, 400 by mae west. It is inscribed on the flyleaf, to ida eudler, best wishes, i done em wrong in this one too, mae west, 1955. The empress of sex would never have kept a phone message nor a billetdoux from a lover for the express purpose of airing this private communication in the news media. Negligently shrugging off any concerns over such aspersions, mae west s unmoral character babe gordon breaks the 1930s conventions that maintained rigid color lines. Mary jane mae west august 17, 1893 november 22, 1980 was an american actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades known for her bawdy double entendres, west made a name for herself in vaudeville and on the stage in new york city before moving to hollywood to become a comedienne, actress, and writer in the motion picture. She uses her beauty and her sexual allure as a soldier uses his. The skit was written to depict eve as the character that west always portrayed, she was cast for that reason, and she portrayed that character as expected. Known for her bawdy double entendres, mae west made a name for herself in vaudeville and on the stage in new york before moving to hollywood to become a comedienne, actress, and writer in the motion picture industry. In consideration of her contributions to american cinema, the american film institute named west 15th among the greatest. The blonde has a couple of mae west s on her shelf and ive been coveting them for a long time so was very pleased when i found this and slightly smug when we realised she didnt have it already less smug on finding her copy of goodness had nothing to do with it is hard to find under. Dj is stuck to boards returns affixed to pastedowns.
Babe would not have known what a moral was if it could be made to dance naked in front of her, wrote mae west of her 18yearold heroine in her novel babe gordon. Set in harlem during the prohibition era, the play followed the escapades of a honeyhaired prizefighter. The constant sinner has the famous line, she would not have known what a moral was if it could be made to dance naked in front of her. Ibdb internet broadway database archive is the official database for broadway theatre information. Mae west, american stage and film actress, a sex symbol whose frank sensuality, languid postures, and wisecracking became her trademarks. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Mary jane mae west august 17, 1893 november 22, 1980 was an american actress. The book was turned into a play,the constant sinner, with mae west in the role of babe gordon. It will weave together a wealth of visually evocative archive film sourced from getty images, universal studios, and other archives, along with specially shot sequences, to bring alive the vibrant atmosphere of 1920s brooklyn where. The last of my pulp trio, the constant sinner is an odd beast of a book. The play had had its broadway premiere on 14 september 1931 and would last until november. Hardback is overall in very good condition with very good dj. This spring, the graduate center, cuny is partnering with film director virginia heath in the research and development phase of mae west the constant sinner, a featurelength documentary exploring mae west s life and influence as a wickedly subversive hollywood star, pioneering advocate of womens sexual freedom. Mae wests diamond lil gown and gold lame headdress.
Mae west went on to fame in hollywood as an actress, singer and comedian. We have no works listed by this author, though works that may link to this author are here. Wed, feb 5, 2020 about this call for research assistants. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. And its clear the brooklyn blonde was never into score settling either. She usually portrayed women who accepted their lives of dubious virtue with flippant good humor. It was midseptember 1931 when mae west was stepping onstage as the slinky temptress babe gordon at the royale theatres production of her newest play the constant sinner. The constant sinner by mae west is available in these. First edition, second printing, of mae west s sultry first novel, the basis for her 1931 broadway hit, the constant sinner, inscribed on the title page, dwight, best wishes, mae west. Mae west continued to write plays over the next several years, including the wicked age, pleasure man, and the constant sinner.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The empress of sex would never have kept a phone message nor a billetdoux from a lover for the express purpose. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the constant sinner. Mae west s scandalous first novel, babe gordon, 1930, boldly inscribed by her west, mae. Mae west was obviously used as the scapegoat in the whole scandal. Spine dj features black and white text on yellow and black background, and displays moderate overall wear with rubbing to ends and more along shoulders. The constant sinner original, play, comedy, broadway opened in new york city sep 14, 1931 and played through nov 7, 1931. Babe gordon, the star of this brilliant, sophisticated novel of modern new yorks racy set, is a strange woman.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Mae west august 17, 1893 november 22, 1980 was an american actress, playwright, screenwriter, and sex symbol. I sat around for 12 weeks drawing money and i never saw a script. We know her better as mae west, and curiously, she was reluctant to.
Babes gordon who would not have known what a moral was if it could be made to dance naked in front of her, sashays through the dives and saloons of thirties new york, with her eye on the main chance or the bestlooking man. Though handicapped by a more effete period, mae west in some of her lines attains the lush bawdiness of her earlier production. In some, she was given credit as writer andor producer, but did not. Its a bit of a time capsule for the decade and opens a window to what was going on then. Famous for her bawdy double entendres, west made a name for herself in vaudeville and on the stage in new york before moving to hollywood to become a comedian, actress and writer in the motion picture industry. Mae west the constant sinner will be a powerful, cinematic celebration of west as a subversive hollywood star. A new wave of interest in west has resulted in a number of books concerned with her formidable feminism, her games with. This spring, the graduate center, cuny is partnering with film director virginia heath in the production of mae west the constant sinner, a featurelength documentary exploring mae west s life and influence as a wickedly subversive hollywood star, pioneering advocate of womens sexual freedom, transgressive playwright, trailblazing vaudeville.
Mae west babe gordon, the star of this brilliant, sophisticated novel of new yorks racy set in the twenties, is a strange woman. She uses her beauty and her sexual allure as a soldier uses his weaponswithout mercy or scruples. But the constant sinner is no tame play, nor is it a dull play. Volume displays mild to moderate overall aging and wear.