Knowra Mae West Mae West Mae West (1893–1980) was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter known for sexual innuendo, comic roles, and a deliberately provocative public persona.
Sex : A 1933 American comedy film written by and starring Mae West as a woman who becomes a dance-hall performer. This 1926 play launched her Broadway notoriety and led to her arrest for obscenity.
Vaudeville : A popular theatrical entertainment form of short, varied acts that flourished in North America from the late nineteenth century. West learned comic timing and audience command in the variety theaters where her career began.
W. C. Fields : An American comedian, actor, and writer known for his vaudeville performances and screen persona as a misanthrope. Fields co-starred with West in My Little Chickadee, creating a clash of distinct comic personas.
Hays Code : A set of Hollywood production rules restricting film content, enforced from 1934 to 1968. Its restrictions curtailed the sexual frankness that had distinguished West's pre-Code films.
Diamond Lil : A 1928 Broadway comedy by and starring Mae West, centered on a sharp-tongued woman in a Bowery saloon. Her most celebrated stage character embodies the bold, self-possessed persona she later brought to film.
Broadway theatre : The professional theater industry associated with productions in Manhattan's Theater District. Her success as a playwright and performer on Broadway preceded her Hollywood fame.
Cary Grant : A British-American actor known for leading roles in Hollywood comedies and dramas. Grant played West's romantic foil in She Done Him Wrong and I'm No Angel.
Pre-Code Hollywood : American filmmaking before strict enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code began in 1934. West's early films used the greater latitude for sexual humor available before enforcement tightened.
She Done Him Wrong : A 1933 American comedy film starring Mae West as Lady Lou, a flirtatious saloon singer. Its success established West as a major Hollywood star and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
Eddie Cantor : An American comedian, singer, and actor who rose to fame in vaudeville, Broadway, and film. Cantor appeared with West in the 1911 musical revue A La Broadway, early in her career.
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