11 thoughts on “TBT: Mae West (1982)

  1. The Costume Designer’s Guild posted an interview with Dorléac recently on their Youtube channel where he mentioned that this film was his best work. It does look pretty good for 1982!

    If you wanna dive deeper into the biopic hole, I would recommend the two Lucille Ball stories: “Lucy and Desi: Before the Laughter” (1991) and “Lucy” (2003). Also, “Grace Kelly” (1983) with Cheryl Ladd, and “The Audrey Hepburn Story” and “Life with Judy Garland: Me and my Shadows.”

    And there are like 50 more I could think of off the top of my head lol.

  2. Nothing much to say of any importance, but man did Mae West know how to take a picture. She poses like a fucking statue of a goddess. Also, that white suit and big hat are gorgeous, and once again, I restate my appreciation of the 20’s styles. They are so feminine and glamorous and chic. The suit and fur combo she wore to her trial (!) is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous.

    1. She also maintained control of her photos and had them doctored to slim her waist and enhance her best features. She was PhotoShopping before the technology existed.

  3. Actually, one of my favorite Ann Jillian roles is that of a music hall singer in turn-of-the-century New York, who becomes a Broadway star. She had portrayed this role in the 1984 miniseries, “Ellis Island” and she was pretty damn good, even if her character became somewhat unlikable.

  4. I am currently working on my manuscript entitled “In Search of Mae West.” I recall seeing this film on television when it was originally broadcast, and over the decades, have come to realize many liberties were taken. Speaking to one of West’s former secretaries, I discovered he was involved to a degree as a “consultant” and despite his information that her Ravenswood Apartment suite was decorated in hues of white and cream, the film version featured a set dressed in dark reds! Miss West took great care in her outrageous stage costumes and in fact many of the newspaper ads promoting her Vaudeville appearances mentioned her stunning gowns. This Jean Pierre Dorléac got right, and deserved an Emmy Award nomination. A newspaper account reported that the Mae West costumes cost $100,000 in 1982 dollars to create. Ann Jillian received an Emmy nomination as well, but did not win. Evidently, the big winner was the ABC Network who rated the highest weekly tv viewing rating of all the networks that week, with Dynasty pulling in the second most viewers and the Mae West TV Movie placing at number three as the most watched program. Come on over to my Mae West Facebook page sometime! https://www.facebook.com/Mae-West-290194628412441

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