The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-09-04
Wrap Mae West Around You?
Well, It's A Pleasant Thought
ny JAMES THRASHER
NEA Staff Writer

NEW YORK, Sept. st be-
came evident, after Catherine
Was Great" had been running
three weeks, that Mae West was
not going to ask me to come up
and see her. So I invited myself,
and got there through the power
of the press and the kind offices
of a press agent.
WHAT'S more, I waited a good
while once l arrived. The waiting
wasn't bad. Miss West had sublet
a Park Avenue apartment for the
duration of this new play OF
which she is both author and star.
To sustain me Miss Vests secre-
tary produced a .drink-a plain
coke. innocent of ice, lime or al
cohol. Miss West doesn't drink.
Neither does she smoke. And she
prefers a ringside seat at fight
to one at night club.
After a suitable interlude OF
solitude, silence and soft drink,
Miss West appeared. She looked
singularly un-Mae Westian. She
wore a demure blue satin negligee
with lace at the cuffs and hem.
Her hair was in long bob. The
only theatrical touch was eye
shadow and a pair of artificial
eyelashes the size of small pocket
combs.
Miss West did not side in. She
walked. Her gestures were not
sinuous. Her voice was low and
sweet, not nasal. Traces OF her ma
tive Brooklynese still colored
some of her dipthongs.
Critics Not Criticized
No. said Mae West, she didn't
mind talking about the New York
critics. She even didn't mind talk
ing kindly about them, which is
something. For the local plays re-
viewers teed off on Catherine
Was Great" in manner more
fortnight than gallant. Qn spite
of them, the box office receipts
indicate that Miss West will be;
playing Chatherine on Broadway
for some time to come. An over
seas CT, counting on quick vic
tory, recently V-mailed an order
for two tickets six months hence.)
81 don't like unpleasantness,"
Miss West said. Il mean, I don't
like to hear about murders and
other peoples troubles and things
of that sort. That's why didn't
read the plays notices when
heard they were bad. didn't
even ask what critics wrote them,
for fear I'd dislike them after
wards"
Clearly Miss West entertains
no doubts about the worth Of her
play. It is a colorful production,
full of gilded thrones and chaises
lounges and pillars, a couple OF doz-
en- handsome men in handsome
uniforms, and some lavish cos
tunes in which Miss West plays
the Empress of All the Russias.
And how did she happen to do
Catherine? Well, she had seen two
movies dealing with this fabulous
and earthly monarch, and both
seemed bit pale.
Miss West recalled her reac-
tons: Catherine the Great I
said, twhat's great about her? Go
bring me book So read about
her, and decided those two pic
lures, with all respect to the
stars, hadn't got Catherine at all.
Catherine knew how to handle
nations and she knew how to
handle men. She had a trickey
mind. She was something like oi-
almond Lii. only Lii was queen ct
the underworld, and Catherine
was queen of an upper world"
''Lip' Responsible
1t was Diamond Lii who was
partly responsible for catherine
Was Great" Miss West had grown
a little weary of Lii. She had
played her on the stage and in
pictures. She had played her
against Bowery, Klondike and
western backgrounds.
Miss West would like it known
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