Just a question - when she can't sing, why would she be performing a song? I think there's no sense in it if you speak the whole thing through... :( Sorry, that's just my opinion, you don't have to share it or anything, I just felt it necessary to write down my wonders...
@Sawrattan Her accent comes from her Brooklyn roots. She was known, not only for her double entendres and hourglass figure, but also her thick Brooklyn Accent which she had right up until the day she died.
I well remember that night. They were the talk of the country the next morning. Mae was making hysterical fun of herself brilliantly and Rock was perfection playing her, uh, straight man. Mae was still active in her career then, a smash with her night club act with muscle men. She was a genius at reinventing herself and age meant nothing to her. I was surprised she ever died!
I've never really watched much footage of Mae West before, i found this through an article about Rock, the first thought that popped into my head was 'now i know where Madonna & Bette Midler got most of their act from'
@theyforcedmetosignup I actually think Madonna is the last of the female stars with that "star quality". To her credit she did pay homage to stars who came before her (Vogue for example) unlike a lot of stars today who seem to have very little idea about "the Golden Age" of hollywood. Lady Gaga certainly doesn't have it.
@TheSolitaryHeart Lady Gaga is suffering a lot of backlash as people are FINALLY starting to realize that the majority of her songs are plagarized, as is her pastiche of previous pop icons. You're right; I don't think Lady Gaga will last as long as Madonna.
@TheSolitaryHeart I think madonna is an excellent performer; but sorry, I cannot think of Madonna as a star like these two as she was not as talented or original. And she cannot act, but I like her.
@TheSolitaryHeart Sorry, but Madonna can't even be held in the same breadth with Marilyn, Mae or any top level star. She is a crass, vulgar woman who has managed to outrage Catholics and other decent people who value marriage and decent talk. In addition she is one of the most unattractive women to ever appear on camera.
Mae was a woman who didn't get to Hollywood until she was 40+. THAT was something in itself! In this clip she was well past 60 (probably closer to 70) and all of her film career was spent in middle to senior age it is obvious that someone that would state such rubbish. Because, as we all know, a woman who is not the sexy vixen of 20 has got to be a man! Just like Dietrich, Stanwyck, Arthur, etc.
@moviefan1955 You are in error. Mae wasof Irish and German extraction and a baptized Roman Catholic. Days before she passed away, November 22, l980, Mae received the Last Rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Upon the arrival of her body in New York for burial in the family crypt, Mae's casket was blessed by the Archbishop of New York.
@barnabas50 Why do you have such a difficulty dealing with the fact Rock Hudson was Gay? Ms. Gates, who was called a Lesbian, was agent Henry Willson's employee. Willson wanted to stop rumors that his star client Hudson was gay and arranged the wedding. Liberace said he was straight, too. Doesn't make it true except in the eyes of very unsophisticated people who are prejudiced and want to imagine their idols are straight. Sorry the truth upsets you. And no one has to proove it. Deal with it.
Everybody talks about how Cary Grant would have made an excellent James Bond but what about Rock Hudson. I think Rock really did look like 007, he had the same kind of look like Sean Connery back in the sixties.
Like Mae says on her great psycodelic '60's Christmas album " Put the Loot in the Boot , Santa ! " this was a rare treasure I never knew existed ! I LOVE Mae's singing style -- and Rock 's singing - well he looks good --Campy Winter Gold ! Merry Christmas !
".....king size!". Ha! Mae was a riot. She didn't do a lot of TV, so this performance (a live broadcast, yet) is a real treat. She was somewhere around her mid-60s here (1957).
@Blaskowits I have watched this so many times and each time I laugh out loud. They look like they are having so much fun....and who cares whether Rock was gay or that she looks like a drag queen...its just plain funny. And considering that it was done in 1957, the peak of sexual hypocrisy in the US just makes it even funnier.
I'm not claiming Mae was a hermaphrodite but she definitely looked like a drag queen in this video. There's just something masculine about her face here that I haven't noticed in the few 30s movies of hers that I've watched. And a bit off-or on-topic, I've always found her acting and overall performing to be extremely annoying and not even slightly entertaining. Sure, she did throw around more sexual innuendoes than any of her contemporaries, but that doesn't necessarily make her good at it.
@Blaskowits - you are a bitter cold fish. This woman is so warm and sensual and looks stunning at 64 here with Rock. Plus - re; 'innuendos' - she WROTE all her lines in all her films. Top THAT!
@Blaskowits What the hell you talking about. She did not look like a drag queen. Their are many drag queens that imitate her style. She was the real deal. She could dress very well, she was full of life and moxy and she had a pretty good singing voice. She aged gracefully too. Your annoying, not her
@MrMbell2 It's well known that Mae West learned her style from the drag queens she knew from vaudeville and the New York gay scene in the early part of the 20th century. They taught her how to dress, walk, flirt ... you name it, she got it.
The idea that drag queens copy Mae West is so post-modern, it's dizzying.
That WAS my point---mae couldn't care less about his orientation and in fact prob cared for him more understanding the bigotry for gays in our world. I imagine she did this video because she cared about Rock and his talents regardless of his orientation,esp in Hollywood!
That was my point exactly: she not only couldn't care less if he was gay but she prob cared more for him understanding the bigotry for gays in this world...and accepted him for his talent and charm regardless...
Granted black & white film tends to be very flattering to most people, but it's astonishing nonetheless that Mae West is 64 years old in this footage.
So many Madonna references with the Mae West videos! Madonna was significant in pop culture, I'm not suggesting otherwise, but she was hardly the first person to push boundaries! There have been subversive figures in the entertainment industry across cultures as long as entertainment has been present. The arts in general has always been a forum for challenging public opinion and social prejudices...Mae West being one of them, Madonna another, but hardly the only.
So many Madonna references with the Mae West videos! Madonna was significant in pop culture, I'm not suggesting otherwise, but she was hardly the first person to push boundaries! There have been subversive figures in the entertainment industry across cultures as long as entertainment has been present. The arts in general has always been a forum for challenging public opinion and social prejudices...Mae West being one of them, Madonna another, but hardly the only.
I'm pretty sure she knew Rock was gay. She apparently had always enjoyed the company of gay men and I omagine her gaydar went off before she actually met him. I mean this a caring way. I imagine they had some kinda friendship.
I read a qiote once where she said controversy was great for business. Long before Madonna. True?
Also, she wrote a play with gay characters in the 20's, before censorship became tighter in the 30's. Again, let me know if what I read long ago is correct.
@tizianoscott She could have cared less what his orientation was. She wasn't short on attention or lovers. He was the perfect prop for this duet; she played him beautifully!
Mae West lived in the Ravenswood Apartments in Los Angeles the last 50 years of her life. When her Black chauffeur was denied entrance, she bought the apartment house and that was that. One of the first segregated apartments in L.A. and you can be sure Mae got her point across! Bless you Mae!
people like you take a small amount of knowledge and turn it into a genius complex. I suggest you do some more studying on cell make up and movement before you give the wrong information out. BTW, Google is not a very good source.
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"Lucky" to have kissed Rock b4 he got AIDS. Less lucky was his decades-younger new lover whom, after Rock got AIDS, he did not warn of that fact. At that point, AIDS was untreatable.
Wntoply6, the saliva (and all mucus) of a person with AIDS has the virus. Viruses can live, outside the body, a day and more. And e.g. on the lips as long. And thus anyone who kisses the lips of an AIDS carrier can get the virus. This is documented by modern virology; Google it.
But as a screen kiss may be wholly faked, actors may run no risk. But a real life lover such as Rock's last one certainly ran that risk; Rock didn't warn him.
Wntoply6, your reply shows your own deep lack of education, your ignorance of medical facts and of me, and disregard of ethics. You sound mad; keep doing whomever and whatever, moron.
i wonder about your facts. if what you're saying is true, i should be dead by now.
i suggest you call the local i.d. dept. at your local hospital, and ask them to confirm your statement. i'll bet too if what you proport, you should be in your grave now, too!
and thanks for the name calling., it shows YOUR intelligence.
what the hell are you judge of...ah, i see you're a "christian" so you can judge everyone on earth excpet fellow "christians", who are blessed, cause you say so.
It was rumored when Mae West died the world would find out she was really a man. Didn't happen. Edith Head, whose name appears as dress designer in a gazillion old movies, said she saw Mae West stark naked and that "she was all woman." Not that it mattered- Ms West was all STAR and a major influence on future entertainers, Bette Midler among them.
@1timysand I think anyone who thought Mae West might be man needs his battaries checked. I also think that she could have seduced Hudson or any other man who came up against her . . . "if you know what I mean." She was unique; no one will ever be able to copy her.
@1timysand considering Miss Head was a raging Lesbian...I don't know if I would take that as proof...but I don't think Mae was a man....I doubt she would have got away with it all that time...
@MerleOberon Being a raging gay man I can tell you lesbians and gays, raging or not, can tell the difference between a naked man or woman. I mean really- what the hell is that supposed to meen?
@MerleOberon She served a 7 day jail sentence in NY back in the 30's, She was in a women's prison. Her death record is not hard to find on line, either. Don't delude yourself, she was all woman.
@1timysand Also her physician and the mortician who prepared her for her funeral have sworn statements as to her biological female status. The "big secret" That could have been revealed at death was most likely that she was part black. Evidence shows she may have had a black grandfather.You can imagine how well that would go over in 1930s Holllywood.It could also explain her affinity for black men in personal relationships...
@1timysand lol people probably thought she was a man because she just had a different look to her, she seemed a little more rough around the edges yet still beautiful at the same time lol
@1timysand Few may recall this today, but a film titled "Dinah East" came out around 1971. The movie was about a famous actress who dies and is then discovered to really be a man. It's a profoundly touching film that goes deeply into the relationships of this fictitious actress with her chauffeur, adopted son, and others, and his reasons for posing as a woman. Great film. The film was supposed to be speculation regarding Mae West, who remained very much alive for another decade.
mae west was all woman--and a very smart businesswoman--she practically saved paramount pictures back in the early 30's with a series of entertaining films like"she done him wrong" and "night after night'--mae west-an early feminist.Now-as to Rock Huson--too bad he was gay--he paid a horrible price--AIDS--that's what he get for doing an unatural thing--like other men-ugh!
Your a douche bag ... Fine if it's not your thing... You should know that AIDS actually kill more hetero women than gay men ... get an education and stop living under a rock ... wake up ! it's 2009.
if u are so conservative that u think aids is a punishent for being gay u should not support feminism too as the bible says that men should be the leaders
Wow what a discussion about nothing. Al whats said is old news get over it and just enjoy the video. 2 talents that made a fantastic performance. Thanks fore sharing.
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Mae West was born a hermaphadite. With both genitals. She chose to be a female because if she kept the penis she would be impotent. They all are, so it was better to be a woman instead and the part was already there. She had breasts too. This is why she never had children because hermapadites can't. Jaimee Lee Curtis was also born this way and her parents wanted to leave her as a female but gave her a boys name Jaimee Lee. As for Rock Hudson! He was gorgeous but he was gay.
JCGREENBRIAR! Don't get piss--d off that Rock Hudson was a fag like you. He was! And Mae did have a penis because she was born a hermaphadite! Did she have it removed later on in life ? I don't know, but she was a " he, she "! My God! you people are dummiefied to the max! And NO! I'm not on meds! I just have more knowledge than you do .
1martuska, you are either a.) a troll b.) utterly ignorant and delusional, c.) sexually confused yourself. Note that as soon as someone calls you out for your nonsensical babbling, you immediately label them a "fag", etc., which demonstrates your own fears of confronting what is most likely your own homosexuality. If these things about Rock Hudson and Mae West are true, post a URL to the source, i.e., "name your sources", or STFU, you dunce.
Now it IS common knowledge that Rock Hudson was a homosexual. He in fact died of AIDS. But he did not conduct himself in a 'gay' lifestyle so far as his public persona was concerned. That much is true. But your half-clever gambit '1martuska' is to mix a truth (Hudson) with a lie (Mae West). So once again, we'll make it easy on you: provide a source for Mae West being a hermaphrodite, and regain some of your credibility. You ARE a hatemonger, and YouTube won't tolerate that for long.
I never made hateful comments on You Tube! You, on the other hand have! There is nothing wrong with being a hermaphadite! You're born this way. Did you learn anything in your 55 + yrs. ? Get a life and leave people alone, you loner!
Most people dying of AIDS are not homosexuals... and so what if she was an hermaphrodite or not ... more power to her if she was... and really, parents should not chose the sex of there kids when born in that situation... let the child choose when there adults... It was actually a blessing for Natives to be born that way !
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oh god here we go! gays are to be revered and accepted! WE ARE THE WORLD bullshit! the only reason why you and them shit eaters have a voice is that their are alot of middle class white flamers running around with money to get what they want NOW!!
Greenbriar! We all know you're a jew! A calculating and manipulating jew! But you have no affect on me and so many others. You're an idiot! So get over yourself old man, and get a life!
LOL, oh you're a real laugh riot, you conjure up that whole "we know you're a Jew" routine, THEN you claim that you "never made hateful comments on YouTube", but there you are attacking someone on the basis of what YOU think is their religious background? THAT, you bloody idiot, is 'hatemongering'. Look in the mirror Pogo, you has met the enemy, and he is you.
Greenbuyer, you're a very sick man and you need to get a real life. I'm certain you suffer from a mental disorder and that is why as an old man, argueing with people is your hobby. Go get some professional help! ASAP!
And you still refuse to post your source(s) for your claim that Mae West was a hermaphrodite. You have confirmed that you are a liar, a fraud AND a hatemonger. C'mon, make some more sneers about 'Jews', sounds like you've got some Aryan DNA floating around with nothing to do, LOL - once again: name your sources or STFU.
@1martuska As a film historian, and having read everything ever printed about Mae west (inclu medical and legal documents), I am somewhat disappointed and not pleased to inform you that Mae West was 1) not born a hermaphrodite, and 2) babies don't have "breasts." I'm intrigued that you are so intimidated by her raw feminine sexuality. You are not qualified to argue that point. Get over it.
Back in those years, coming out of the closet was almost non-existant and the studios basially "owned" thier stars, the had to conform to a certain image to satisfy them. Having any scandal attached to your name was not acceptable.
Mae West and Rock Hudson. Hollywood legends and personalities, but beneath all the glamor and image were two of the nicest people anyone could ever meet. That's why they made a great pair in this act.
I never met Mae West, but I did meet Rock Hudson, and he was, as you say a very nice person. Too much is made of his private life. He was an actor who tried to do a good job and make a decent living for himself. That's what he wanted the world to appreciate, and it is the only thing worth appreciating. A man's sex life is private to himself and his mate, and really its isn't worthy of anything else.
Rock Hudson is still totally believable in the roles he played. I can't think about his private life when he's playing a role on TV because he was a very good actor and movie star.
OS253: You have a right to your opinions. Living with others on this planet isn't easy. People like you just make it a little harder, that's all. Most of the time, you're ignored and that's got to grind on you.
Why do all of you judge so harshly? Does it really matter how old she was here? Not hardly. What matters is that she did make a successful career making people laugh. And by the way do any of you know that Mae was a "morphadite" . A man AND a woman. They're both gone and lets show some respect and stop these rude and stupid comments. At the end, we ALL meet the same fate! Death is the greatest "equalizer" of all. Lets try and remember that. Ladies and gents.........
it's called acting, dear, or more generally, performing. Mae West knew very well he was gay, and so did half the audience, probably. What I like is the way she looks at him and almost laughs because he's so "persistent".
I believe that, though he preferred men, he was perfectly able to do women and had done so for years prior to accepting himself. Mae West is very sexy, and Hudson is paying homage to that on behalf of all men. What's wrong with that?
Queen or no queen..who cares!! ROCK was a hunk in the '50s together with William (Picnic) HOLDEN..as for MAE WEST, who cares how old she was..LEGENDS are ageless!!
One can be sure Mae and Rock both knew what was what- but that didn't stop them both from having fun doing that song! Note that Mae shrewdly didn't light up that cigarette. She knew they were bad for the health and looks even then. Anyway, it was fun to watch so thanks for posting!
Mae was the first female actress to cross the line! she did,nt care what you thought
about her bold and liquid lines that brought sex appeal to a new level. She was liberated and not under stated): You never knew what she would say or do that could raise more than eyebrows.
He failed at that kiss...LOL!! You could tell she thought "HOMO" as she quickly turns her cheek from his kiss, LOL!!! Love this !!
Elizar777 1 week ago
Oops, typo errors. I meant that West can't sing at all, etc.
VASANTAJI 1 week ago
Mae West can sink at all, is ugly, but her inimitable style made her a star, being way ahead of her time with her humor and sass.
VASANTAJI 1 week ago
Just a question - when she can't sing, why would she be performing a song? I think there's no sense in it if you speak the whole thing through... :( Sorry, that's just my opinion, you don't have to share it or anything, I just felt it necessary to write down my wonders...
SingenStattAtmen 1 month ago
this girl is good...she even made rock hudson look straight!!!
hardren101 1 month ago
Knowing, as we do now, that Hudson was a gay man, puts a different and, at least for me, a somewhat touching spin on this.
AndrewRudin 2 months ago
Where's her accent from? She has a distinctive intonation in the way she speaks, a bit like the mean drunk lady in 'Annie'.
Sawrattan 2 months ago
@Sawrattan Her accent comes from her Brooklyn roots. She was known, not only for her double entendres and hourglass figure, but also her thick Brooklyn Accent which she had right up until the day she died.
TomCatt13 1 month ago
She was like Marilyn Monroe.
LordKalbert 3 months ago
@LordKalbert Marilyn Monroe was like like her. if it hadnt been for Mae West there would have been no Marilyn Monroe
rrradin24 2 months ago
@rrradin24 Yeah thats what I meant - Mae West > Marilyn Monroe > Anna Nicole Smith. haha
LordKalbert 2 months ago
There is only ONE Mae West..... Just love this video......
MTPippin 3 months ago
"King size!" (0:50). OMG. That's censorious stuff for the 50's!
ucanvance 3 months ago in playlist Mae West
So basically it went: Mae, Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, (Jayne Mansfield maybe) Madonna then Gaga. Something went wrong.
EkseteraEksetera 4 months ago
This duo is so fully of irony it's laugably scary!
stlgtrace 5 months ago 2
I don't care how gay he was, he was one of the sexiest actors ever - still is when you see him.
MsJCBurke 5 months ago 2
I well remember that night. They were the talk of the country the next morning. Mae was making hysterical fun of herself brilliantly and Rock was perfection playing her, uh, straight man. Mae was still active in her career then, a smash with her night club act with muscle men. She was a genius at reinventing herself and age meant nothing to her. I was surprised she ever died!
waynebrasler 6 months ago
funny, they didn't quite finish their number.
wattever333 6 months ago
I've never really watched much footage of Mae West before, i found this through an article about Rock, the first thought that popped into my head was 'now i know where Madonna & Bette Midler got most of their act from'
tapesalvage 7 months ago
@tapesalvage Exactly! I've always thought Marilyn Monroe copied Mae, Madonna copied Monroe, now Gaga is copying Madonna.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks this.
theyforcedmetosignup 6 months ago
@theyforcedmetosignup Actually didn't Marilyn Moroe "copy" Jean Harlow who in turn would have been influenced by Mae?
TheSolitaryHeart 6 months ago
@TheSolitaryHeart No, Mae West, Jean Harlow & Marilyn Monroe were all original. Jane Mansfield copied Marilyn and Mae!
Irishmodel78 3 months ago
@theyforcedmetosignup I actually think Madonna is the last of the female stars with that "star quality". To her credit she did pay homage to stars who came before her (Vogue for example) unlike a lot of stars today who seem to have very little idea about "the Golden Age" of hollywood. Lady Gaga certainly doesn't have it.
TheSolitaryHeart 6 months ago
@TheSolitaryHeart Lady Gaga is suffering a lot of backlash as people are FINALLY starting to realize that the majority of her songs are plagarized, as is her pastiche of previous pop icons. You're right; I don't think Lady Gaga will last as long as Madonna.
theyforcedmetosignup 6 months ago 2
@TheSolitaryHeart I think madonna is an excellent performer; but sorry, I cannot think of Madonna as a star like these two as she was not as talented or original. And she cannot act, but I like her.
Irishmodel78 3 months ago
@TheSolitaryHeart Sorry, but Madonna can't even be held in the same breadth with Marilyn, Mae or any top level star. She is a crass, vulgar woman who has managed to outrage Catholics and other decent people who value marriage and decent talk. In addition she is one of the most unattractive women to ever appear on camera.
theartfactor 1 month ago
Mae was a woman who didn't get to Hollywood until she was 40+. THAT was something in itself! In this clip she was well past 60 (probably closer to 70) and all of her film career was spent in middle to senior age it is obvious that someone that would state such rubbish. Because, as we all know, a woman who is not the sexy vixen of 20 has got to be a man! Just like Dietrich, Stanwyck, Arthur, etc.
JerseySurvivor 8 months ago 2
@JerseySurvivor Mae was 64. She was born in 1893. :-D
tntmaria 8 months ago
WORK IT MAE WORK IT GIRL. MAE COULD HAVE ME WHEN EVER SHE WANTED
RegisPhilbinFan 10 months ago
Bette Midler should play Mae West she'd be superb in the role after all they're both jewish ladies and have that splendid nasal drawl !!
I hope someone writes a good script for a screen biography to outshine that awful Ann Jillian TV movie about Mae from the 1980's!
moviefan1955 10 months ago 2
@moviefan1955 You are in error. Mae wasof Irish and German extraction and a baptized Roman Catholic. Days before she passed away, November 22, l980, Mae received the Last Rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Upon the arrival of her body in New York for burial in the family crypt, Mae's casket was blessed by the Archbishop of New York.
theartfactor 1 month ago
Rock claimed he was bisexual, not gay.
barnabas50 11 months ago
@barnabas50 And if I claim I'm Zsa Zsa Gabor does that make it true? Rock Hudson was Gay not grim and Mae West was a wonderful camp. Enjoy!
ZarahLean 11 months ago
@ZarahLean Rocks ex wife Phyllis Gates was on Larry King live a few years ago and she said he was a great lover.
barnabas50 10 months ago
@barnabas50 Why do you have such a difficulty dealing with the fact Rock Hudson was Gay? Ms. Gates, who was called a Lesbian, was agent Henry Willson's employee. Willson wanted to stop rumors that his star client Hudson was gay and arranged the wedding. Liberace said he was straight, too. Doesn't make it true except in the eyes of very unsophisticated people who are prejudiced and want to imagine their idols are straight. Sorry the truth upsets you. And no one has to proove it. Deal with it.
ZarahLean 10 months ago
Everybody talks about how Cary Grant would have made an excellent James Bond but what about Rock Hudson. I think Rock really did look like 007, he had the same kind of look like Sean Connery back in the sixties.
ANOTHERHOLEINYOHEAD 11 months ago
That was a classic performance. God, Rock Hudson was handsome in those days!
londonlass100 11 months ago 3
Can you see any of todays overpaid miserable celebrities having a ball like this? These two were superstars and will live on forever.
Robert4770 1 year ago 18
Like Mae says on her great psycodelic '60's Christmas album " Put the Loot in the Boot , Santa ! " this was a rare treasure I never knew existed ! I LOVE Mae's singing style -- and Rock 's singing - well he looks good --Campy Winter Gold ! Merry Christmas !
CarlWithRecords 1 year ago
Mae's perfect creation was herself. Here, close-up, you can see the wheels of that invention spinning, which isn't to say that she wasn't delightful.
Note that she keeps Rock at a certain distance, even in a clinch. There's only ONE star here, see?
arthurboehm 1 year ago
".....king size!". Ha! Mae was a riot. She didn't do a lot of TV, so this performance (a live broadcast, yet) is a real treat. She was somewhere around her mid-60s here (1957).
Lampshade51 1 year ago
Blaskowits-youre a dunce. Mae West was very talented,intelligent,gorgeous,sexy,funny,warm-hearted and bold as hell. She lived
decades before her time. A true pioneer.
jdwalker390 1 year ago 12
Mae West reminds me of Bette Midler.
pammyoneto 1 year ago
@pammyoneto Think of the irony, THERE!
oofooh 1 year ago
@oofooh Why? Has Bette ever played the pole of Mae West?
pammyoneto 1 year ago
@oofooh I mean role lol
pammyoneto 1 year ago
Both Mae & Rock are iconic figures. Is Mae chewing gum during this performance or is it just her sensual facial expressions? Just wondering!
banksidematt 1 year ago
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Transgender??? Very ugly
MrBeautifulstranger1 1 year ago
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MMmmmmRock...aahh,...come back and see ME sometime.
MrSaidso 1 year ago
@Blaskowits I have watched this so many times and each time I laugh out loud. They look like they are having so much fun....and who cares whether Rock was gay or that she looks like a drag queen...its just plain funny. And considering that it was done in 1957, the peak of sexual hypocrisy in the US just makes it even funnier.
miltsar 1 year ago 3
I'm not claiming Mae was a hermaphrodite but she definitely looked like a drag queen in this video. There's just something masculine about her face here that I haven't noticed in the few 30s movies of hers that I've watched. And a bit off-or on-topic, I've always found her acting and overall performing to be extremely annoying and not even slightly entertaining. Sure, she did throw around more sexual innuendoes than any of her contemporaries, but that doesn't necessarily make her good at it.
Blaskowits 1 year ago
@Blaskowits - you are a bitter cold fish. This woman is so warm and sensual and looks stunning at 64 here with Rock. Plus - re; 'innuendos' - she WROTE all her lines in all her films. Top THAT!
IdaSputum 1 year ago 2
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jdwalker390 1 year ago
@Blaskowits What the hell you talking about. She did not look like a drag queen. Their are many drag queens that imitate her style. She was the real deal. She could dress very well, she was full of life and moxy and she had a pretty good singing voice. She aged gracefully too. Your annoying, not her
MrMbell2 1 year ago 4
@MrMbell2 It's well known that Mae West learned her style from the drag queens she knew from vaudeville and the New York gay scene in the early part of the 20th century. They taught her how to dress, walk, flirt ... you name it, she got it.
The idea that drag queens copy Mae West is so post-modern, it's dizzying.
rickinchvilleva 1 year ago
Thank you for uploading :D
primohomme 1 year ago
what a great peformance
jakhar5 1 year ago
SHE WAS 64 IN THIS VIDEO AND DATED STEVE MCQUEEN IN 1959. 2 YEARS AFTER THIS VIDEO AND STEVE WAS ONLY 29!!
TNTNICKS 1 year ago
@oofooh
That WAS my point---mae couldn't care less about his orientation and in fact prob cared for him more understanding the bigotry for gays in our world. I imagine she did this video because she cared about Rock and his talents regardless of his orientation,esp in Hollywood!
tizianoscott 1 year ago
@oofooh
That was my point exactly: she not only couldn't care less if he was gay but she prob cared more for him understanding the bigotry for gays in this world...and accepted him for his talent and charm regardless...
tizianoscott 1 year ago
Granted black & white film tends to be very flattering to most people, but it's astonishing nonetheless that Mae West is 64 years old in this footage.
1980NewWave 1 year ago
AS A GAY MAN IN MY 40'S I GREW UP ON MAE WEST MOVIES.,I FEEL SORRY FOR YOUNGER GAY MEN,WHO NOW HAVE BRITTANY OR MILEY
nightstalkerck 1 year ago 6
@nightstalkerck LOL you must be sheltered as not all gays listen to that
now days we have the internet and we watch and see everything
If you beleive that all people are listening to then you are buying a coperate lie,
Most people don't even watch TV at all N E more.. I kjnow I havn't turned it on in over a year
thetravisty1 1 year ago 2
So many Madonna references with the Mae West videos! Madonna was significant in pop culture, I'm not suggesting otherwise, but she was hardly the first person to push boundaries! There have been subversive figures in the entertainment industry across cultures as long as entertainment has been present. The arts in general has always been a forum for challenging public opinion and social prejudices...Mae West being one of them, Madonna another, but hardly the only.
Zimmer1ify 1 year ago
So many Madonna references with the Mae West videos! Madonna was significant in pop culture, I'm not suggesting otherwise, but she was hardly the first person to push boundaries! There have been subversive figures in the entertainment industry across cultures as long as entertainment has been present. The arts in general has always been a forum for challenging public opinion and social prejudices...Mae West being one of them, Madonna another, but hardly the only.
Zimmer1ify 1 year ago
I'm pretty sure she knew Rock was gay. She apparently had always enjoyed the company of gay men and I omagine her gaydar went off before she actually met him. I mean this a caring way. I imagine they had some kinda friendship.
I read a qiote once where she said controversy was great for business. Long before Madonna. True?
Also, she wrote a play with gay characters in the 20's, before censorship became tighter in the 30's. Again, let me know if what I read long ago is correct.
tizianoscott 1 year ago 2
@tizianoscott She could have cared less what his orientation was. She wasn't short on attention or lovers. He was the perfect prop for this duet; she played him beautifully!
oofooh 1 year ago
I sing about West, Hudson, and others in The Celebrity Song.
superdavid002 1 year ago
on top of everything she was pretty good i admire a lot of people she is 1 of them
giocabron114 1 year ago
i believe it was actually 1958
garrbarr 1 year ago
I remember seeing this on the Oscar show. I was seven years old. I think I knew then I was gay. Wonderful!
colodude3 1 year ago
Mae West lived in the Ravenswood Apartments in Los Angeles the last 50 years of her life. When her Black chauffeur was denied entrance, she bought the apartment house and that was that. One of the first segregated apartments in L.A. and you can be sure Mae got her point across! Bless you Mae!
janicesoprano 1 year ago 4
very charming!
mc0558 1 year ago
haha I love this it's so funny, Mae was great there will never be another Mae West.
pinkfairygirl86 1 year ago
Do you think the audience was even partly aware how gay this way?
russo76 1 year ago
You're still dumb....
people like you take a small amount of knowledge and turn it into a genius complex. I suggest you do some more studying on cell make up and movement before you give the wrong information out. BTW, Google is not a very good source.
Baileythemage 1 year ago
Adore this time... and it will not come again... sadly
MRJOSSIA 1 year ago 4
Lovely.... I love this video, and Rock is extremely handsome... I love him so much.
sequiaonda78 1 year ago 2
you know he was super gay dont you?
selfidentity1 1 year ago
he died of HIV aids
selfidentity1 1 year ago
They're both uniquely great in this!
JudgeJulieLit 1 year ago 2
64 year old Fag Hag
reidb18 2 years ago
From the days when there were superstars.
Robert4770 2 years ago 2
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dave00004483 2 years ago
she was 33 years older than him at that point twice his age more or less
CHARLESMGRAHAM 2 years ago
He then 32, she 64 (more or less, now age of Cher and, last year, Farrah).
JudgeJulieLit 2 years ago
At the beginning of the song, Mae West utters something like "gypsy". Does anyone know what her first word was?
TheMidlakes 2 years ago
@TheMidlakes
she said "aw...gypsy."
torchkit 2 years ago
@TheMidlakes I think she's saying, "Aww, It's Gypsy". Referring to Gypsy Rose Lee.
bigdud12345 2 years ago
Two gay icons on stage together! What a night that must have been.
rickinchvilleva 2 years ago 18
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@rickinchvilleva A fag and a fag-hag.
torchkit 2 years ago
I love Roy Harold Scherer, Jr.
aka as Rock Hudson. What a hunk!
Lucky gal. She kissed Rock!
Beatleschick1 2 years ago 2
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"Lucky" to have kissed Rock b4 he got AIDS. Less lucky was his decades-younger new lover whom, after Rock got AIDS, he did not warn of that fact. At that point, AIDS was untreatable.
JudgeJulieLit 2 years ago
you DO NOT contract aids from kissing anyone.
do you realize just how ignorant and hateful you are judgejulie huh? do you know just how much of a stupid human being you are?
you and your type disgust me.
either get an education you stupid bastard, or try to keep your ignorance to yourself.
your statement shows everyone just how uneducated you are, you god damned stupid idiot
wntoply6 1 year ago
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JudgeJulieLit 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Wntoply6, the saliva (and all mucus) of a person with AIDS has the virus. Viruses can live, outside the body, a day and more. And e.g. on the lips as long. And thus anyone who kisses the lips of an AIDS carrier can get the virus. This is documented by modern virology; Google it.
But as a screen kiss may be wholly faked, actors may run no risk. But a real life lover such as Rock's last one certainly ran that risk; Rock didn't warn him.
JudgeJulieLit 1 year ago
you're dumb...
Baileythemage 1 year ago
Torpidly put, Dumbissimo
JudgeJulieLit 1 year ago
Wntoply6, your reply shows your own deep lack of education, your ignorance of medical facts and of me, and disregard of ethics. You sound mad; keep doing whomever and whatever, moron.
JudgeJulieLit 1 year ago
i wonder about your facts. if what you're saying is true, i should be dead by now.
i suggest you call the local i.d. dept. at your local hospital, and ask them to confirm your statement. i'll bet too if what you proport, you should be in your grave now, too!
and thanks for the name calling., it shows YOUR intelligence.
what the hell are you judge of...ah, i see you're a "christian" so you can judge everyone on earth excpet fellow "christians", who are blessed, cause you say so.
wntoply6 1 year ago
Boy was he EVER!!!!
inkenyo 1 year ago
I can't believe that mae West was 64 at this time
Tommiboy193 2 years ago 2
she looks amazing doesnt she?!
ClassicMovieClub 2 years ago
Rock & Roll!
1starryeyedkid 2 years ago
She was a woman point.
Well she loved man and eat them as if they where bonbons. Great clip (Oscars?)
Maasdam1993 2 years ago 3
It was rumored when Mae West died the world would find out she was really a man. Didn't happen. Edith Head, whose name appears as dress designer in a gazillion old movies, said she saw Mae West stark naked and that "she was all woman." Not that it mattered- Ms West was all STAR and a major influence on future entertainers, Bette Midler among them.
1timysand 2 years ago 15
Some rumors are so sophomoric! She did spend a week in a woman's prison...duh...
oofooh 2 years ago
@1timysand I think anyone who thought Mae West might be man needs his battaries checked. I also think that she could have seduced Hudson or any other man who came up against her . . . "if you know what I mean." She was unique; no one will ever be able to copy her.
mc0558 1 year ago 2
@1timysand considering Miss Head was a raging Lesbian...I don't know if I would take that as proof...but I don't think Mae was a man....I doubt she would have got away with it all that time...
MerleOberon 1 year ago
@MerleOberon Being a raging gay man I can tell you lesbians and gays, raging or not, can tell the difference between a naked man or woman. I mean really- what the hell is that supposed to meen?
57timmyb 1 year ago
@MerleOberon She served a 7 day jail sentence in NY back in the 30's, She was in a women's prison. Her death record is not hard to find on line, either. Don't delude yourself, she was all woman.
oofooh 1 year ago
@1timysand Also her physician and the mortician who prepared her for her funeral have sworn statements as to her biological female status. The "big secret" That could have been revealed at death was most likely that she was part black. Evidence shows she may have had a black grandfather.You can imagine how well that would go over in 1930s Holllywood.It could also explain her affinity for black men in personal relationships...
WigManPhil 1 year ago
@1timysand lol people probably thought she was a man because she just had a different look to her, she seemed a little more rough around the edges yet still beautiful at the same time lol
lrwsoreal 10 months ago
@1timysand Few may recall this today, but a film titled "Dinah East" came out around 1971. The movie was about a famous actress who dies and is then discovered to really be a man. It's a profoundly touching film that goes deeply into the relationships of this fictitious actress with her chauffeur, adopted son, and others, and his reasons for posing as a woman. Great film. The film was supposed to be speculation regarding Mae West, who remained very much alive for another decade.
bvscfanatic 7 months ago
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mae west was all woman--and a very smart businesswoman--she practically saved paramount pictures back in the early 30's with a series of entertaining films like"she done him wrong" and "night after night'--mae west-an early feminist.Now-as to Rock Huson--too bad he was gay--he paid a horrible price--AIDS--that's what he get for doing an unatural thing--like other men-ugh!
melollylolly 2 years ago
I'm sure it came naturally enough to him. Being gay is not a choice for which a price should be paid.
sgarpia 2 years ago
Your a douche bag ... Fine if it's not your thing... You should know that AIDS actually kill more hetero women than gay men ... get an education and stop living under a rock ... wake up ! it's 2009.
trancis36 2 years ago 4
and the world is overpopulated! full of insects like you!
ozoid455 2 years ago
if u are so conservative that u think aids is a punishent for being gay u should not support feminism too as the bible says that men should be the leaders
cmon its 2009
brotmann86 2 years ago 2
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It's a punishment (by laws of physics, not God) for unprotected sex with those who've earlier, with AIDS-infected (an)other(s), had unprotected sex.
JudgeJulieLit 2 years ago
Wow what a discussion about nothing. Al whats said is old news get over it and just enjoy the video. 2 talents that made a fantastic performance. Thanks fore sharing.
Maasdam1993 2 years ago 2
To add Rock looks very handsome what an HUNK.
Maasdam1993 2 years ago 2
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Mae West was born a hermaphadite. With both genitals. She chose to be a female because if she kept the penis she would be impotent. They all are, so it was better to be a woman instead and the part was already there. She had breasts too. This is why she never had children because hermapadites can't. Jaimee Lee Curtis was also born this way and her parents wanted to leave her as a female but gave her a boys name Jaimee Lee. As for Rock Hudson! He was gorgeous but he was gay.
1martuska 2 years ago
What basis do you have for these ascertions about Mae West? Please cite your sources of information.
HLEleanor 2 years ago 3
You are more full of shit than a Christmas turkey. If you're on meds, decrease the dose. If you're NOT on meds, get ON some as soon as possible.
JGreenbrier 2 years ago 2
JCGREENBRIAR! Don't get piss--d off that Rock Hudson was a fag like you. He was! And Mae did have a penis because she was born a hermaphadite! Did she have it removed later on in life ? I don't know, but she was a " he, she "! My God! you people are dummiefied to the max! And NO! I'm not on meds! I just have more knowledge than you do .
1martuska 2 years ago
1martuska, you are either a.) a troll b.) utterly ignorant and delusional, c.) sexually confused yourself. Note that as soon as someone calls you out for your nonsensical babbling, you immediately label them a "fag", etc., which demonstrates your own fears of confronting what is most likely your own homosexuality. If these things about Rock Hudson and Mae West are true, post a URL to the source, i.e., "name your sources", or STFU, you dunce.
JGreenbrier 2 years ago 3
Now it IS common knowledge that Rock Hudson was a homosexual. He in fact died of AIDS. But he did not conduct himself in a 'gay' lifestyle so far as his public persona was concerned. That much is true. But your half-clever gambit '1martuska' is to mix a truth (Hudson) with a lie (Mae West). So once again, we'll make it easy on you: provide a source for Mae West being a hermaphrodite, and regain some of your credibility. You ARE a hatemonger, and YouTube won't tolerate that for long.
JGreenbrier 2 years ago
I never made hateful comments on You Tube! You, on the other hand have! There is nothing wrong with being a hermaphadite! You're born this way. Did you learn anything in your 55 + yrs. ? Get a life and leave people alone, you loner!
1martuska 2 years ago
Post your source material for Mae West being an alleged hermaphrodite. Put up or shut up fool.
JGreenbrier 2 years ago
Most people dying of AIDS are not homosexuals... and so what if she was an hermaphrodite or not ... more power to her if she was... and really, parents should not chose the sex of there kids when born in that situation... let the child choose when there adults... It was actually a blessing for Natives to be born that way !
trancis36 2 years ago 3
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oh god here we go! gays are to be revered and accepted! WE ARE THE WORLD bullshit! the only reason why you and them shit eaters have a voice is that their are alot of middle class white flamers running around with money to get what they want NOW!!
ozoid455 2 years ago
Greenbriar! We all know you're a jew! A calculating and manipulating jew! But you have no affect on me and so many others. You're an idiot! So get over yourself old man, and get a life!
1martuska 2 years ago
LOL, oh you're a real laugh riot, you conjure up that whole "we know you're a Jew" routine, THEN you claim that you "never made hateful comments on YouTube", but there you are attacking someone on the basis of what YOU think is their religious background? THAT, you bloody idiot, is 'hatemongering'. Look in the mirror Pogo, you has met the enemy, and he is you.
JGreenbrier 2 years ago
Greenbuyer, you're a very sick man and you need to get a real life. I'm certain you suffer from a mental disorder and that is why as an old man, argueing with people is your hobby. Go get some professional help! ASAP!
1martuska 2 years ago
And you still refuse to post your source(s) for your claim that Mae West was a hermaphrodite. You have confirmed that you are a liar, a fraud AND a hatemonger. C'mon, make some more sneers about 'Jews', sounds like you've got some Aryan DNA floating around with nothing to do, LOL - once again: name your sources or STFU.
JGreenbrier 2 years ago 3
@1martuska As a film historian, and having read everything ever printed about Mae west (inclu medical and legal documents), I am somewhat disappointed and not pleased to inform you that Mae West was 1) not born a hermaphrodite, and 2) babies don't have "breasts." I'm intrigued that you are so intimidated by her raw feminine sexuality. You are not qualified to argue that point. Get over it.
oofooh 1 year ago
Rock Hudson is the sexiest man who ever lived. Gay or not - he takes the title hands down
pinklotus83 2 years ago 2
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JudgeJulieLit 1 year ago
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bqfoster 2 years ago
Back in those years, coming out of the closet was almost non-existant and the studios basially "owned" thier stars, the had to conform to a certain image to satisfy them. Having any scandal attached to your name was not acceptable.
FLDiamond04 2 years ago
Mae West and Rock Hudson. Hollywood legends and personalities, but beneath all the glamor and image were two of the nicest people anyone could ever meet. That's why they made a great pair in this act.
gvt2u 2 years ago
I never met Mae West, but I did meet Rock Hudson, and he was, as you say a very nice person. Too much is made of his private life. He was an actor who tried to do a good job and make a decent living for himself. That's what he wanted the world to appreciate, and it is the only thing worth appreciating. A man's sex life is private to himself and his mate, and really its isn't worthy of anything else.
mc0558 2 years ago 4
Rock Hudson is still totally believable in the roles he played. I can't think about his private life when he's playing a role on TV because he was a very good actor and movie star.
gvt2u 2 years ago 5
OS253: You have a right to your opinions. Living with others on this planet isn't easy. People like you just make it a little harder, that's all. Most of the time, you're ignored and that's got to grind on you.
Handiman544 2 years ago
they should do a mae west movie where bette midler plays her.
sthygesen89 2 years ago
ROSEANNE BARR!
wattever333 2 years ago
what about Jennifer Tilley from "Liar Liar?" Every time I see either of them, I think of the other.
bashfulkittie 2 years ago
It takes a gay man to know another .People pointing fingers are for sure the ones with something to hide.
lababoc 2 years ago
I dont see why people have to be so horrid about others.
Rock Hudson was lovely and an amazing actor. Mae West was also.
They're both legends that will live on forever in people's hearts and memories. I'm just made up to see them together, they're great :]
Rock's one of my favourite actors so seeing him like this is fantastic, so handsome and having a laugh.
&& btw, rude people, if you dont like either of them, dont watch the video, and even if you do, dont comment! I'm sick of saying this.
JoviAlways98 2 years ago 2
Why do all of you judge so harshly? Does it really matter how old she was here? Not hardly. What matters is that she did make a successful career making people laugh. And by the way do any of you know that Mae was a "morphadite" . A man AND a woman. They're both gone and lets show some respect and stop these rude and stupid comments. At the end, we ALL meet the same fate! Death is the greatest "equalizer" of all. Lets try and remember that. Ladies and gents.........
1martuska 2 years ago 2
...and you are the only person on the planet who was privy to this information ("morphadite")? Seems unlikely...
oofooh 2 years ago
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I wouldn't kiss a queen with a 10 foot pole. Yet, Mae West allows that gay guy to kiss her. That's nasty!
OS253 2 years ago
Your comments are purile and offensive.
Without people like them we would have no art, no showbusiness, just the Nazi channel and marching songs!
meverall 2 years ago 4
@meverall ...and inaccurate (wrong).
oofooh 1 year ago
Rock Hudson is so fake. He's a queen but still likes to hold Mae West.
OS253 2 years ago
What the fuck do you know about Rock Hudson?
People like you make me sick. He's not fake at all, they were just having a laugh. Grrrrrrr fuck it, I aint even gonna bother, you aint worth it.
JoviAlways98 2 years ago 3
it's called acting, dear, or more generally, performing. Mae West knew very well he was gay, and so did half the audience, probably. What I like is the way she looks at him and almost laughs because he's so "persistent".
wattever333 2 years ago
I believe that, though he preferred men, he was perfectly able to do women and had done so for years prior to accepting himself. Mae West is very sexy, and Hudson is paying homage to that on behalf of all men. What's wrong with that?
mc0558 2 years ago 2
Mae's sole Oscar Appearance! And what a memory 50+ years on!!!!
JerseySurvivor 2 years ago 2
Queen or no queen..who cares!! ROCK was a hunk in the '50s together with William (Picnic) HOLDEN..as for MAE WEST, who cares how old she was..LEGENDS are ageless!!
felsineo1 2 years ago 10
yes rock was a size queen
shealways 2 years ago
Fucking tool.
Rock was x955859683738593827285938386938374856748 the person you'll ever be.
JoviAlways98 2 years ago
As Mae would say...terrific! She & Rock were both classics!
twdeck 2 years ago
The ultimate drag queen......I mean Mae!
MerleOberon 2 years ago
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that was just stupid...
wasnt she 64 years old here?
bettydaw1970 2 years ago
no her mid to early 50s.
shes proving age doesnt stop some people from enjoying lifes pleasures. lol
SwanofHollywood 2 years ago
she was born in 1893, this is 1957
bettydaw1970 2 years ago
oh really i had thought she was born in like 1905 thanks for clearing that up
SwanofHollywood 2 years ago
She was born in 1893, so she was probably 64 at the taping of this.
oofooh 2 years ago
One can be sure Mae and Rock both knew what was what- but that didn't stop them both from having fun doing that song! Note that Mae shrewdly didn't light up that cigarette. She knew they were bad for the health and looks even then. Anyway, it was fun to watch so thanks for posting!
Mktryk 2 years ago 2
Damn you Rock Hudson, why must you be so damn hot?
writer8788 2 years ago 4
... I ask myself that every day of my life.
inkenyo 1 year ago
Mae was the first female actress to cross the line! she did,nt care what you thought
about her bold and liquid lines that brought sex appeal to a new level. She was liberated and not under stated): You never knew what she would say or do that could raise more than eyebrows.
globehunter2 2 years ago