@stlgtrace Mae once wrote a play called The Drag. Some of her dearest friends in vaudeville were female impersonators. In fact her screen personna has been called being a female, female impersonator.
@ThatsMRdouchbag There's no doubt that Mae owed a lot of her persona to the gay men in her life. Gay men were a big part of her audience and she's a big gay icon to this day. It all seems to me a big ironic joke: a woman who got all her ideas and image from gay men coming across as a sex symbol to straight men, and yet also catering to gay men and herself being imitated by gay men!
Loin cloth and sandals, and a Las Vegas tan! This is great footage. I've read about this show but never thought I would get to actually see it. I don't know where you got this but it's cool!
@linglingmama I have never seen that quote, however in many West biographies is the sworn testimony of her physician and the coroner/mortician certifying her biological femaleness.The "big secret? about her was most likely that she was part black. Evidence shows she most likely had a black grandfather.Such a thing would not have gone over well in 1930s hollywood...
Thanks for posting. I don't believe she was a guy ever.She knew how to perform as Mae West. When I watch her early film with George Raft , Mae was a different character with a real female body. She looks fabulous for 64 and sexy. She sings great too. Love this..
Great footage. Thank you. Too bad we don't have the original soundtrack but I understand. Any way, you did a wonderful job with the added sound. Any Mae West material is heavenly sent. Thank you again. There is only one Mae and you delivered her to us.
@linglingmama I'm sorry, I don't even know how to respond to something like that. Perhaps in your world you have an answer for me. Btw, I'm old enough to have read every biographical work written about MW. Are you somehow jealous of the exaggerated femininity of her character? She certainly was a female impersonator, since she (a very plain and ordinary woman) impersonated a tall, sexy, beautiful woman of great sexuality.
Do you have unresolved gender issues of your own? ;-))>
I actually know one of the last living musclemen from this video, he would love to have any footage from any of these shows. He is under the impression that there is a much longer video floating around. Anyone know of it?
This is great stuff. I've read about her but had to use my imagination when it came to the Vegas shows. The loin cloths are modest for now days but in '57 I'll bet eyebrows were raised! (I think that's what she wanted to happen)
This rare film footage was in a private collection for years and hadn't been generally seen. It was originally just a silent film as Mae West probably didn't know it was being filmed. It is fantastic that is was taped because we can see her in her full glory. She is credited with dreaming up the concept of the Male Beefcake Review, decades before the Chippendales! Each member of her troupe was personally "inspected" by Miss West according to her very strict "standards!" What a gal!
Yes, "What a gal!" In her day -- well before Dean Martin and his harem of Golddiggers -- she was, as a boss, a sexual harasser as bad as any male boss. No joke -- in 1957 (after new audience member Jayne Mansfield instantly "alienated the affections of" Mae's act's main meat Mickey Hargitay, Mae replaced him with Paul Novak, and then sued Jayne. Had she succeeded, Mariska would never have been born.
Great footage. This is truly historical, seeing the great Mae in this Nightclub act that took Vegas by storm. Also good to see Louise Beavers who was a part of the act and was just coming off of her stint as tv 's 3rd ' Beulah', according to sources her part was more popular than the muscleman and people wished her part could have been expanded. Thanks again for this.
(Love your name. You must be a fan. Did you know that for many, many years Merle had the same maid that accompanied her everywhere. No one knew that the very dark Indian lady was actually her mother :)))
Mae West was no dragqueen, she didnt learn from them, but form black jazz performers. The lady was called a 'man' after she died, from women who were very jealous of her success...you should read about her.
@2oldN2ys She kept herself fit, but she was never beautiful. Her artistry was in creating the character that was beautiful- and playing that character convincingly. She was a female impersonator: an unremarkable woman impersonating a tall, curvaceous, beautiful woman.
Mae is superb here, would love to see the whole show. And look at Dick DuBois, her leading man....there is a God. Mae commented when she auditioned him.."Mmmm all this meat and no potatoes"
She had great comic wit, a voice that was 100% her, and she managed to keep herself looking good throughout her career (even at 70 in "Myra Breckinridge" she was fabulous!)
The marvellous Miss Mae West at her best surrounded by her favourite people : Men!! As Miss West would say if she were here today " Mmmmmmmmmmmm this is the kinda room I like wall to wall men!!"
STUNNING! ... Shows again that blondes have more fun ... ;) ... Yet, speaking of brunettes: is that Betty Page @ 7:33? ... Sure looks a lot like her! ... Cheers, Julia
not only was Miss, West a big film star. She was a true Lady, she had Class, Beauty, And a heart of Gold. Til this very day, there is no film star that come close to this true legendary Lady. Miss, West put the star in movie star! She will never be forgotten,,R.I.P
Too bad this is not the original audio, it is another recording dubbed in. Still video and audio are both good and authentic, they just don't belong together.
What a piece of work, this dame, huh? Great life. She ignored the bs of ageism and just went with what she did best. She can't help herself from busting into a great, big natural beaming smile. She really enjoyed life and is a damn good role model for everyone.
I've never seen this before, either. I remember one particular shot from her Vegas act when she died...they showed it on TV. It does not appear to have come from this taping...it's still on an old video from 1980.
Mae West played with so many musclegods, the best looking one here is the young Richard Dubois and he was in love with her, what beautiful music they made. Great video, Thank You.
yeah, i had hoped i didn't come across as just a net-naysayer, as i was very pleased to see this. just wasn't sure if that bit was as obvious to everyone else as to me.
Former glory!?I do not think so! She was with 70 still atractive and famous! She is one of the greatest icons thay Hollywood ever created!
Darrigrande 1 month ago
she was 64 here looks great
SuperBnichols 2 months ago
An elderly woman making money off her former glory.
ziggycat999 2 months ago
Love the little costuming tricks.
The flesh colored panel to 'suggest' nudity and the neckband of the headdress
giving a temporary mini-facelift.
Some writer once said "Mae, believe she stopped aging".
Bullshit. She clearly knew what to do as she got older to preserve
the illusions. Dietrich too,
ThatsMRdouchbag 6 months ago
A lot of her "chorus" boys were gay boys(surprise!).
stlgtrace 8 months ago
@stlgtrace No surprise. Mae West always came to the defense of gay men.
carrotjuse 6 months ago
@stlgtrace Mae once wrote a play called The Drag. Some of her dearest friends in vaudeville were female impersonators. In fact her screen personna has been called being a female, female impersonator.
ThatsMRdouchbag 6 months ago
@ThatsMRdouchbag There's no doubt that Mae owed a lot of her persona to the gay men in her life. Gay men were a big part of her audience and she's a big gay icon to this day. It all seems to me a big ironic joke: a woman who got all her ideas and image from gay men coming across as a sex symbol to straight men, and yet also catering to gay men and herself being imitated by gay men!
stlgtrace 6 months ago
Loin cloth and sandals, and a Las Vegas tan! This is great footage. I've read about this show but never thought I would get to actually see it. I don't know where you got this but it's cool!
OL8Twho 1 year ago
What casino was this at? I seem to remember the act lasted a few years
ragemanchoo82 1 year ago
@linglingmama I have never seen that quote, however in many West biographies is the sworn testimony of her physician and the coroner/mortician certifying her biological femaleness.The "big secret? about her was most likely that she was part black. Evidence shows she most likely had a black grandfather.Such a thing would not have gone over well in 1930s hollywood...
WigManPhil 1 year ago
OMG! where did you find this? I have wanted to see this forever! Shes a goddess...
oh i wish it had the original sound...
WigManPhil 1 year ago
OMG! where did you find this? I have wanted to see this forever! Shes a goddess...
WigManPhil 1 year ago
Check out Mae West's version of "My Old Flame" on YouTube. It's actually better than the one recorded by Billie Holiday.
RichardKoenigsberg 1 year ago
Thanks for posting. I don't believe she was a guy ever.She knew how to perform as Mae West. When I watch her early film with George Raft , Mae was a different character with a real female body. She looks fabulous for 64 and sexy. She sings great too. Love this..
cushtichavi 1 year ago 2
Mae's greatest asset was MAE WEST! Whatever her talents, reputation or lack there of, we are all richer for having her share it with us.
Fiftiesflashback 1 year ago
Great footage. Thank you. Too bad we don't have the original soundtrack but I understand. Any way, you did a wonderful job with the added sound. Any Mae West material is heavenly sent. Thank you again. There is only one Mae and you delivered her to us.
rpmsfpr 1 year ago
@linglingmama Don't you mean "effeminate?"
Lighten up, big guy. 8-}
oofooh 1 year ago
@linglingmama Angry? or just wrong? <8-}
oofooh 1 year ago
@linglingmama I'm sorry, I don't even know how to respond to something like that. Perhaps in your world you have an answer for me. Btw, I'm old enough to have read every biographical work written about MW. Are you somehow jealous of the exaggerated femininity of her character? She certainly was a female impersonator, since she (a very plain and ordinary woman) impersonated a tall, sexy, beautiful woman of great sexuality.
Do you have unresolved gender issues of your own? ;-))>
oofooh 1 year ago
@linglingmama Please! NOBODY is that gullible. Birth certificate, women's prison, death certificate. I'm embarrassed for you.
oofooh 1 year ago
I actually know one of the last living musclemen from this video, he would love to have any footage from any of these shows. He is under the impression that there is a much longer video floating around. Anyone know of it?
MomsRule4Ever 1 year ago
it seems like SHE was imitating Mansfield around this time.
wattever333 2 years ago
@wattever333 Don't you mean that Mansfield was imitating Mae during this period?
oofooh 1 year ago
@oofooh my use of capitals seems to indicate that I don't.
wattever333 1 year ago
This is great stuff. I've read about her but had to use my imagination when it came to the Vegas shows. The loin cloths are modest for now days but in '57 I'll bet eyebrows were raised! (I think that's what she wanted to happen)
OL8Twho 2 years ago
wish i had her star appeal!!!
irishjanet 2 years ago 2
This rare film footage was in a private collection for years and hadn't been generally seen. It was originally just a silent film as Mae West probably didn't know it was being filmed. It is fantastic that is was taped because we can see her in her full glory. She is credited with dreaming up the concept of the Male Beefcake Review, decades before the Chippendales! Each member of her troupe was personally "inspected" by Miss West according to her very strict "standards!" What a gal!
marknorthwest93 2 years ago 3
Yes, "What a gal!" In her day -- well before Dean Martin and his harem of Golddiggers -- she was, as a boss, a sexual harasser as bad as any male boss. No joke -- in 1957 (after new audience member Jayne Mansfield instantly "alienated the affections of" Mae's act's main meat Mickey Hargitay, Mae replaced him with Paul Novak, and then sued Jayne. Had she succeeded, Mariska would never have been born.
JudgeJulieLit 2 years ago
P.S. A "casting couch" sexually hostile work environment. Humor cannot disguise this worker-abusive reality.
JudgeJulieLit 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
good stuff :)
bouncerhiphop 2 years ago
Why have you overdubed this!!!!
Is the original broadcast so terrible?
funkytune2006 2 years ago
I didn't overdub it. This is silent footage.
lobbiesforme 2 years ago 2
@lobbiesforme Great job!! Loved it! Thanks!
rickw1100 6 months ago
Too bad young people don't know her work, heck, they don't even know W.C. Fields. I guess their both politically incorrect now.....
PopeFlores 2 years ago 4
thanks....what a simpler time it was !
miltsar 2 years ago
this woman is the best star of all time!! i loove her, my hero! those guys look so ridiculous :) its soo funny
selfidentity1 2 years ago
Great footage. This is truly historical, seeing the great Mae in this Nightclub act that took Vegas by storm. Also good to see Louise Beavers who was a part of the act and was just coming off of her stint as tv 's 3rd ' Beulah', according to sources her part was more popular than the muscleman and people wished her part could have been expanded. Thanks again for this.
penst21 2 years ago
Is it a gun in my pocket or am I happy to see her?
SENAFOREVER 2 years ago 4
That's complete hooey. :))
ezywonder 2 years ago
Sure beats Suck de Soleil....would have loved to go to old time Vegas......
MerleOberon 2 years ago
You and me both.
(Love your name. You must be a fan. Did you know that for many, many years Merle had the same maid that accompanied her everywhere. No one knew that the very dark Indian lady was actually her mother :)))
ezywonder 2 years ago
*****Criswell Predicts*****
OMG-- I just realized, she's singing about Criswell from Plan 9.
Criswell predicted Mae West's death. Look it !!
OMG! How weird.
What a weird weird WEIRD show she put on!!! LOL!
GreenBeardsRevenge 2 years ago
And Jayne Mansfield's husband, Hargitay, was one of those chorus/muscle boys. Mansfield apparently met him there during a performance.
Love that Mae West! None like her before or after.
If only Madonna could act her age instead of the embarrassing mess she's become.
GreenBeardsRevenge 2 years ago
Mae West was no dragqueen, she didnt learn from them, but form black jazz performers. The lady was called a 'man' after she died, from women who were very jealous of her success...you should read about her.
glorys9 2 years ago 3
Comment removed
GreenBeardsRevenge 2 years ago
What a rare and delightful clip! Mae sparkles as usual! What a dame!
twdeck 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
She was apparently taught her stage craft by new york drag queens.
She is a woman disguised as a drag queen playing a woman.
She is fabulous!
Fawkhall 3 years ago
My friend, the queens learned from her
slydewinder 2 years ago 5
Mae was 64 here and still beautiful.
2oldN2ys 3 years ago 5
@2oldN2ys She kept herself fit, but she was never beautiful. Her artistry was in creating the character that was beautiful- and playing that character convincingly. She was a female impersonator: an unremarkable woman impersonating a tall, curvaceous, beautiful woman.
oofooh 1 year ago
@oofooh she never exercized a day in her life. she said so herself in interviews.
wattever333 1 year ago
Mae is superb here, would love to see the whole show. And look at Dick DuBois, her leading man....there is a God. Mae commented when she auditioned him.."Mmmm all this meat and no potatoes"
BeefcakeKitsch 3 years ago
The woman is 64 years old in this footage and looks and sparkles like the diamonds she loved so much! Brava Mae!
BellovVideo 3 years ago
Who is that playing the maid? She looks familiar..
LakewoodDallas 3 years ago
I think that is the fabulous Louise Beavers.
artb50 2 years ago
One of my favorite gay icons ever!
She had great comic wit, a voice that was 100% her, and she managed to keep herself looking good throughout her career (even at 70 in "Myra Breckinridge" she was fabulous!)
Mycatjewel 3 years ago
She wasnt gay, but she what she accomplished helped all women!
glorys9 2 years ago
Where did you find this FABULOUS footage!?! 5*s
nameofthepen 3 years ago
those guys on stage all had an orgy together after the show . .
pompom11 3 years ago
Absolutely...with Mae holding the candle(s) !
MichelleDeVille 3 years ago
lol
LoliLoli83 3 years ago
say what you like, but mae invented mmmmmmmm and fucking hell she was great.
iiiiiccccc 3 years ago 11
In real life she never drank or smoke. Kept her skin nice AND she was considered a pretty good jazz singer.
almoncharles 3 years ago 16
The marvellous Miss Mae West at her best surrounded by her favourite people : Men!! As Miss West would say if she were here today " Mmmmmmmmmmmm this is the kinda room I like wall to wall men!!"
moviefan1955 3 years ago 4
This has been flagged as spam show
LoL she's a talentless singer & a poor actress & she's fat as a platinium cow but as a camp queen she's the best
& yes, the guys sandals are just out of this f* planet
eurovision0portugal 3 years ago
Wow...and thanks for this classic!!
jenflights 3 years ago 3
She is my idol. Thanks for sharing this amazing footage.
P.S. I "must" get my husband a pair of those white man-sandals...I already make him wear the loin cloth (tee-hee)
chargergirl85 3 years ago
At times she resembles Jayne Mansfield in this video.
debunks 3 years ago
Jayne Mansfield imitated Mae, but she had absolutely no talent. She was very bright, like Mae, but all she had was her body.
DoctorJoey1 3 years ago
This is incredible to watch...There will NEVER be another like her or even close, Thank you for posting this for all her fans...We love you Mae..
Mouserguy 3 years ago 3
This woman raises my self esteem, thanks for this wonderful piece of history ;)
cherboy25 3 years ago 4
She broke all attendance records up till that time..
tarquin08 3 years ago 4
according to IMDB Mae West was born in 1893 so she would be 64 yrs old....she looks great!!!
azintp 3 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
She looks like a man in drag. I wonder if she was really a man.
jewelcat9 3 years ago
Wow. This is quite something. Thanks.
paul51 4 years ago 3
Dick Dubois: He sure was handsome and well built.
CandyKane1 4 years ago 2
divine
MaeWest22 4 years ago 3
STUNNING! ... Shows again that blondes have more fun ... ;) ... Yet, speaking of brunettes: is that Betty Page @ 7:33? ... Sure looks a lot like her! ... Cheers, Julia
macNjulia 4 years ago
I don't know Betty Page, but that guy looks a lot like Johnny Ray....has a hearing aid too!
tvsbadtonight 4 years ago
This is priceless! Where on earth did you find it?
billybill62 4 years ago
"""MMMMMM ALLL THIS MEAT AND NO POTATOES!" mAE WEST
hornybodhisattva 4 years ago 4
Great clip of gorgeous Mae West and her musclemen act at the Sahara
solarplexusdude 4 years ago
Like I said, She was a VERY smart Blonde!
She died of old age and NATURAL causes.
That's more than Marilyn, Anna Nicole, Jayne Mansfield did....
joeocho88 4 years ago
not only was Miss, West a big film star. She was a true Lady, she had Class, Beauty, And a heart of Gold. Til this very day, there is no film star that come close to this true legendary Lady. Miss, West put the star in movie star! She will never be forgotten,,R.I.P
rickenba 4 years ago 3
Good choice of audio. I can't think of a more appropriate match. Thanks for this rare glimpse of a show biz legend.
nedsparks 4 years ago
Too bad this is not the original audio, it is another recording dubbed in. Still video and audio are both good and authentic, they just don't belong together.
dunnhaupt 4 years ago
What to say? She WAS an angel!
johnnyblackhart 4 years ago
hot men
shealways 4 years ago
What a piece of work, this dame, huh? Great life. She ignored the bs of ageism and just went with what she did best. She can't help herself from busting into a great, big natural beaming smile. She really enjoyed life and is a damn good role model for everyone.
waytooambitious 4 years ago
I've never seen this before, either. I remember one particular shot from her Vegas act when she died...they showed it on TV. It does not appear to have come from this taping...it's still on an old video from 1980.
Mikado69 4 years ago
Absolutely divine!!
SergioOliver 4 years ago
Mae West played with so many musclegods, the best looking one here is the young Richard Dubois and he was in love with her, what beautiful music they made. Great video, Thank You.
robertamaya 4 years ago
just because it hasn't been said yet: this is clearly not the original audio. i still enjoyed it.
bucketoflead 4 years ago
Unfortunately, there was no audio for this footage. This is probably the only known footage in existence of her famous Las Vegas act.
lobbiesforme 4 years ago
yeah, i had hoped i didn't come across as just a net-naysayer, as i was very pleased to see this. just wasn't sure if that bit was as obvious to everyone else as to me.
bucketoflead 4 years ago
now thats a hat
freefromfolsom 4 years ago
Amazing footage! This is a historical document - rare footage of a legendary woman in a legendary performance.Thanks so much for posting this.
AnthonyBellovVideo 4 years ago
Superb Mae West at her sxy best NEVER seen this footage before!!
Muir1955 4 years ago
Mae West certainly knew her audience
dexterville 4 years ago 2