117-517: Harvey Oliver Brooks (February 17, 1899 – June 17, 1968) was an American pianist and composer. He is the first black American to have written a complete score for a major motion picture: Mae West 's film I'm No Angel (1933). Brooks toured and recorded with Mamie Smith in the early-1920s, then settled in California. Beginning in 1923, he and Paul Howard co-led the Quality Four,
234-421: A corset and fashion model, and John Patrick "Battlin' Jack" West, a prizefighter who later worked as a "special policeman" and created his own private investigations agency. Her German-born mother, who went by the nicknames "Tillie" and "Matilda", had emigrated from Bavaria in 1886 with her five siblings and their parents, Christiana (née Brüning) and Jakob Doelger. Her paternal grandmother after whom she
351-436: A "girl named Mae West, hitherto unknown, pleased by her grotesquerie and snappy way of singing and dancing". West next appeared in a show called Vera Violetta , whose cast featured Al Jolson . In 1912, she appeared in the opening performance of A Winsome Widow as a "baby vamp" named La Petite Daffy. West developed her career in vaudeville , appearing in such circuits (or "wheels") as that run by Gus Sun of Ohio, which
468-671: A 45 rpm record released by Plaza Records. She recorded several tongue-in-cheek songs, including "Santa, Come Up to See Me", on the album Wild Christmas , which was released in 1966 and reissued as Mae in December in 1980. Demonstrating her willingness to keep in touch with the contemporary scene, in 1966 she recorded Way Out West , the first of her two rock-and-roll albums. The second, released in 1972 on MGM Records and titled Great Balls of Fire , covered songs by The Doors , among others, and had songs written for West by English songwriter-producer Ian Whitcomb . Mae West's likeness
585-483: A best-seller. West guest-starred on television, including The Dean Martin Variety Show in 1959 and The Red Skelton Show in 1960, to promote her autobiography, and a lengthy interview on Person to Person with Charles Collingwood in 1959, which never aired. CBS executives felt members of the television audience were not ready to see a nude marble statue of West, which rested on her piano. In 1964, she made
702-671: A brother named John Edwin West II (sometimes inaccurately called "John Edwin West, Jr."). During her childhood, the family moved to various parts of Woodhaven, Queens , as well as the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods of Brooklyn. At Neir's Social Hall in Woodhaven, West supposedly first performed professionally. West was five when she first entertained a crowd at a church social, and she started appearing in amateur shows at
819-401: A college education or higher, 22% have less than a high school education and 43% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Queens residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of Woodhaven and Kew Gardens students excelling in math rose from 34% in 2000 to 61% in 2011, and reading achievement rose from 39% to 48% during
936-535: A cult of jaded inverts, or special groups of craftsmen, shrill and involved only with themselves. It was its secret anti-social aspects I wanted to bring into the sun. This perspective, never elaborated upon by West in other books or interviews, seems inconsistent with the Mae West persona, for in her 1975 book Mae West: Sex, Health, and ESP , writing: I believe that the world owes male and female homosexuals more understanding than we've given them. Live and let live
1053-574: A daring, sensational performer and brought her additional widespread media attention. During that time, in the months after the play closed, West decided to put her stage career on hold and to accept a short-term, but lucrative, contract offer from Paramount Pictures to perform in a feature film in Hollywood. In June 1932, after signing a two-month contract with Paramount that provided her a weekly salary of $ 5,000 ($ 110,000 in 2023), West left New York by train for California. The veteran stage performer
1170-616: A dozen years, until January 1950, in an episode of The Chesterfield Supper Club , which was hosted by Perry Como . Ameche's career did not suffer any serious repercussions, however, as he was playing the "straight" guy. Nonetheless, Mae West went on to enjoy a record-breaking success in Las Vegas, swank nightclubs such as Lou Walters's The Latin Quarter , Broadway, and London. After appearing in The Heat's On in 1943, West returned to
1287-648: A fellow vaudevillian whom she met in 1909. She was 17. She kept the marriage a secret, but a filing clerk discovered the marriage certificate in 1935 and alerted the press. The clerk also uncovered an affidavit in which she had declared herself married, made during the Sex trial in 1927. At first, West denied ever marrying Wallace, but she finally admitted it in July 1937, in reply to a legal interrogatory. The couple never lived together as husband and wife. She insisted that they had separate bedrooms, and she soon sent him away in
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#17327823136141404-450: A film opposite W. C. Fields. The studio was eager to duplicate the success of Destry Rides Again starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart , with a comic vehicle starring West and Fields. Having left Paramount 18 months earlier and looking for a new film, West accepted the role of Flower Belle Lee in the film My Little Chickadee (1940). Despite the stars' intense mutual dislike, Fields's very real drinking problems and fights over
1521-608: A growing number of Asian Americans. Woodhaven is a mostly residential semi-suburban neighborhood. Commercial zones are restricted to Jamaica Avenue , a west–east artery which effectively bisects Woodhaven, as well as Atlantic Avenue on the southern border of Woodhaven. Geographically, southern Woodhaven is mostly flat (the lowest elevation is just under 30 feet (9.1 m)), while northern Woodhaven gradually rises to about 105 feet (32 m) as it approaches Forest Park. There are numerous hills within Forest Park. Homes in
1638-493: A guest appearance on the sitcom Mister Ed . Much later, in 1976, she was interviewed by Dick Cavett and sang two songs on his "Back Lot U.S.A." special on CBS. West's recording career started in the early 1930s with releases of her film songs on shellac 78 rpm records . Most of her film songs were released as 78s, as well as sheet music. In 1955, she recorded her first album , The Fabulous Mae West . In 1965, she recorded two songs, "Am I Too Young" and "He's Good for Me", for
1755-480: A higher than average population of residents who are uninsured . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 14%, slightly higher than the citywide rate of 12%. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in Woodhaven and Kew Gardens is 0.0073 milligrams per cubic metre (7.3 × 10 oz/cu ft), less than the city average. Eleven percent of Woodhaven and Kew Gardens residents are smokers , which
1872-661: A leader of his own band, played in Kid Ory ’s band (from 1952), and performed and recorded with Teddy Buckner (1955–1956) and Joe Darensbourg (1957–1960). Beginning 1961, he became a member of the Young Men of New Orleans (dixieland jazz group), which he led in the last year of his life. In season three of the Netflix TV series Big Mouth , Brooks is shown mentoring a young Duke Ellington . Mae West Mary Jane " Mae " West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980)
1989-409: A newspaper. That same year, the residents petitioned for a local post office. To avoid confusion with a Woodville located upstate, the residents agreed to change the name to Woodhaven. The original boundaries extended as far south as Liberty Avenue . Two Frenchmen named Charles Lalance and Florian Grosjean launched the village as a manufacturing community in 1863, by opening a tin factory and improving
2106-562: A non-fatal assault rate of 43 per 100,000 people, Woodhaven and Kew Gardens's rate of violent crimes per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 345 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole. The 102nd Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 90.2% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct reported 2 murders, 24 rapes, 101 robberies, 184 felony assaults, 104 burglaries, 285 grand larcenies, and 99 grand larcenies auto in 2018. Woodhaven
2223-570: A quartet with vocalist named after the Quality Cafe at 12th and Central in Los Angeles. Its members included Paul Howard on clarinet and tenor saxophone. Brooks recorded with the Quality Four and Howard's Quality Serenaders. He remained a member of both until 1930. Brooks was the music director for Les Hite ’s orchestra from 1931 to 1935. In this role, he worked for Hollywood film studios, composing soundtrack music. Brooks later worked as
2340-559: A relationship with the Cotton Club 's Owney Madden , who did not "date" the chorus girls . West remained close to her family throughout her life and was devastated by her mother's death in 1930. In 1930, she moved to Hollywood and into the penthouse at The Ravenswood apartment building where she lived until her death in 1980. Her sister, brother, and father followed her to Hollywood where she provided them with nearby homes, jobs, and sometimes financial support. Among her boyfriends
2457-498: A screenplay. Directed by Henry Hathaway , Go West, Young Man is considered one of West's weaker films of the era, because of the censor's cuts. West next starred in Every Day's a Holiday (1937) for Paramount before their association came to an end. The film performed below its goal. Censorship had made West's sexually suggestive brand of humor impossible for the studios to distribute. West, along with other stellar performers,
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#17327823136142574-569: A show of his own to get rid of him. She obtained a divorce on July 21, 1942, during which Wallace withdrew his request for separate maintenance, and West testified that Wallace and she had lived together for only "several weeks". The final divorce decree was granted on May 7, 1943. In August 1913, she met Guido Deiro (1886–1950), an Italian-born vaudeville headliner and piano-accordion star. Her affair, and possible 1914 marriage to him, as alleged by Deiro's son Guido Roberto Deiro in his 2019 book Mae West and The Count , went "very deep, hittin' on all
2691-772: A silent night-march from Gravesend, Brooklyn through the lightly defended " Jamaica Pass " actually located in Brooklyn, to win the Battle of Long Island , Queens—the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War , and the first battle after the Declaration of Independence . Later, Woodhaven became the site of two racetracks: the Union Course (1821) and the Centerville (1825). Union Course
2808-432: A small part. The movie was intended to be deliberately campy sex change comedy, but had serious production problems, resulting in a botched film that was both a box-office and critical failure. Author Vidal, at great odds with inexperienced and self-styled "art film" director Michael Sarne , later called the film "an awful joke". Though Mae West was given star billing to attract ticket buyers, her scenes were truncated by
2925-407: A speaker concealed in her hair piece. Despite the daily problems, West was, according to Sextette director Ken Hughes , determined to see the film through. At 84, her now-failing eyesight made navigating around the set difficult, but she made it through the filming, a tribute to her self-confidence, remarkable endurance, and stature as a self-created star 67 years after her Broadway debut in 1911 at
3042-512: A story about a racy, easygoing, and ultimately very smart lady of the 1890s, became a Broadway hit and cemented West's image in the public's eye. This show had an enduring popularity and West successfully revived it many times throughout the course of her career. Three years after the initial success of Diamond Lil , West portrayed another sexually charged character, Babe Gordon, in The Constant Sinner , which opened on Broadway at
3159-849: A very active career on stage and in clubs. Among her popular new stage performances was the title role in Catherine Was Great (1944) on Broadway, in which she penned a spoof on the story of Catherine the Great of Russia, surrounding herself with an "imperial guard" of tall, muscular young actors. The play was produced by theater and film impresario Mike Todd ( Around The World in 80 Days ) and ran for 191 performances and then went on tour. When Mae West revived her 1928 play Diamond Lil , bringing it back to Broadway in 1949, The New York Times labeled her an "American Institution—as beloved and indestructible as Donald Duck. Like Chinatown, and Grant's Tomb, Mae West should be seen at least once." In
3276-666: A winner, gave way to programs consisting of several races. Match races between horses from the South against those from the North drew crowds as high as 70,000. Several hotels (including the Snedeker Hotel and the Forschback Inn) were built in the area to accommodate the racing crowds. A Connecticut Yankee , John R. Pitkin, developed the eastern area as a workers' village and named it Woodville (1835). In 1853, he launched
3393-480: A yard long" and commented, "Charles, I remember our last date, and have the splinters to prove it!" West was on the verge of being banned from radio. More outrageous still was an NBC sketch written by Arch Oboler , starring Don Ameche and West as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden . She tells Ameche to "get me a big one... I feel like doin' a big apple!" This ostensible reference to the then-current dance craze
3510-528: Is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens . It is bordered on the north by Park Lane South and Forest Park , on the east by Richmond Hill , on the south by Ozone Park and Atlantic Avenue , and the west by the Cypress Hills neighborhood of Brooklyn . Woodhaven, once known as Woodville, has one of the greatest tree populations in the borough and
3627-490: Is about the same as the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 78% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", equal to the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Woodhaven and Kew Gardens, there are 11 bodegas . The nearest major hospitals are Long Island Jewish Forest Hills and Jamaica Hospital . Woodhaven is covered by the ZIP Code 11421. The United States Post Office operates
Harvey Brooks (composer) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-634: Is known for its proximity to the hiking trails of Forest Park. Woodhaven contains a mixture of urban and suburban land uses, with both low-density residential and commercial sections. It retains the small-town feel of bygone days and is home to people of many different ethnicities. Woodhaven is located in Queens Community District 9 and its ZIP Code is 11421. It is patrolled by the New York City Police Department 's 102nd Precinct. Politically, Woodhaven
3861-417: Is lower than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Woodhaven and Kew Gardens, 23% of residents are obese , 14% are diabetic , and 22% have high blood pressure —compared to the citywide averages of 22%, 8%, and 23% respectively. In addition, 22% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Eighty-six percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which
3978-487: Is my philosophy on the subject, and I believe everybody has the right to do his or her own thing or somebody else's — as long as they do it all in private!" Between the late 1920s and early 1930s, West continued to write plays, including The Wicked Age , Pleasure Man , and The Constant Sinner . Her productions predictably aroused controversy, which ensured that she stayed in the news and often resulted in packed houses at her performances. Her 1928 play Diamond Lil ,
4095-759: Is represented by the New York City Council 's 28th, 30th, and 32nd Districts. Jamaica Avenue, the neighborhood's main thoroughfare, has its beginnings in an ancient Native American trail, the Old Rockaway Trail. The northern boundary of the Rockaway territory was the terminal moraine of the Wisconsin glacier, which formed the ridges of Forest Park . According to the New York City Parks Department, Forest Park
4212-478: Is served by three New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations: As of 2018 , preterm births are more common in Woodhaven and Kew Gardens than in other places citywide, though births to teenage mothers are less common. In Woodhaven and Kew Gardens, there were 92 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 15.7 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Woodhaven and Kew Gardens have
4329-539: Is the city's oldest bar. The establishment was owned by the Neir family from 1898 to 1967, after which it went into decline and closed in 2009. New owners bought the bar and the establishment re-opened in 2010. Woodhaven residents and other preservationists have unsuccessfully petitioned the City of New York to grant the tavern official status as a New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission . Longtime establishments on
4446-427: Is the most wonderful machine for living I have ever known—unfortunately on the screen only." To F. Scott Fitzgerald , West was especially unique: "The only Hollywood actress with both an ironic edge and a comic spark." As Variety put it, "Mae West's films have made her the biggest conversation-provoker, free-space grabber, and all-around box office bet in the country. She's as hot an issue as Hitler." By 1933, West
4563-602: The American Film Institute posthumously voted her the 15th-greatest female screen legend of classic American cinema . Mary Jane West was born in either the Greenpoint or Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn on August 17, 1893, before New York City was consolidated. She was delivered at home by an aunt who was a midwife . She was the eldest surviving child of Mathilde Delker (originally "Doelger" and later Americanized to "Delker" or "Dilker") West,
4680-536: The American Theater Hall of Fame . Mae West was noted for her "voluptuous figure". The Mae West look has been described as "a figure-hugging floor-length gown with a very low neckline and the figure to fill it." Noted features were the fishtail train and feather trim. West was married on April 11, 1911, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Frank Szatkus (1892–1966), whose stage name was Frank Wallace,
4797-586: The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice to ban any attempt by West to stage it. West explained, "The city fathers begged me not to bring the show to New York because they were not equipped to handle the commotion it would cause." West was an early supporter of the women's liberation movement , but said she was not a "burn your bra" type of feminist . Since the 1920s, she was also an early supporter of gay rights, and publicly declared against
Harvey Brooks (composer) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-532: The Royale Theatre on September 14, 1931. The influential drama critic for The New York Times , J. Brooks Atkinson , was among many reviewers at the time who bashed the play's storyline as well as West's performance. Atkinson's "scathing" assessment of her three-act production was published in The Times the day after the dramedy 's premiere: ... The Constant Sinner commits one of the major sins in
5031-514: The Shubert Brothers revue Sometime , opposite Ed Wynn . Her character Mayme danced the shimmy and her photograph appeared on an edition of the sheet music for the popular number "Ev'rybody Shimmies Now". Eventually, West began writing her own risqué plays using the pen name Jane Mast. Her first starring role on Broadway was in a 1926 play entitled Sex , which she wrote, produced, and directed. Although conservative critics panned
5148-421: The pre-Code films of the early 1930s and for decades before on Broadway, but which was now being broadcast into American living rooms on a popular family-friendly radio program. The groups reportedly warned the sponsor of the program they would protest her appearance. NBC Radio scapegoated West for the incident and banned her (and the mention of her name) from their stations. West would not perform in radio for
5265-399: The 1950s, West starred in her own Las Vegas stage show at the newly opened Sahara Hotel , singing while surrounded by bodybuilders. The show stood Las Vegas on its head. "Men come to see me, but I also give the women something to see: wall to wall men!" West explained. Jayne Mansfield met and later married one of West's muscle men, former Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay . When casting for
5382-500: The 54,149 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 853.08 acres (345.23 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 66.4 inhabitants per acre (42,500/sq mi; 16,400/km ). The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 17.3% (9,798) White , 6.1% (3,458) African American , 0.4% (250) Native American , 17.4% (9,856) Asian , 0.0% (23) Pacific Islander , 2.4% (1,371) from other races , and 2.8% (1,612) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53.5% (30,306) of
5499-577: The Broadway stage, even in these frank and forward times... However creditable an impersonator of scarlet roles Miss West may be, variety of attack is not among her qualifications as an actress.... Her peculiar slouching about the stage, which seems to provide firsthand evidence that, as the program says, she originated the shimmy dance, her vocal stunts, her exploitation of blond buxomness—all these grow pretty tiresome through repetition.... Other prominent reviewers in 1931, like Atkinson, roundly criticized
5616-742: The Jamaica Line. Some Queens transit advocates are pushing to reopen the Rockaway Beach Branch of the LIRR, including the Brooklyn Manor station in Woodhaven, at Jamaica Avenue and 100th Street. An alternate proposal has been to leave the naturally reforested tracks untouched or to convert them into a rail trail similar to Manhattan's High Line . The scene in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film " Goodfellas ", where members of
5733-635: The LIRR constructed permanent tracks. The Union Course station was opened April 28, 1905. In 1911, the platform was widened to four tracks, and Atlantic Avenue was mostly closed to other traffic. The four tracks split the community and become the border between Woodhaven and Ozone Park. Elevated transit service to Williamsburg and Lower Manhattan began in 1918 with the operation of the BMT Jamaica Line above Jamaica Avenue. Meanwhile, service on Atlantic Avenue's surface tracks and seven stations between Jamaica and Brooklyn ended on November 1, 1939, and
5850-490: The Mae West menace?" Paramount executives felt they had to tone down the West characterization or face further recrimination. "I was the first liberated woman, you know. No guy was going to get the best of me. That's what I wrote all my scripts about." Around the same time, West played opposite Randolph Scott in Go West, Young Man (1936). In this film, she adapted Lawrence Riley 's Broadway hit Personal Appearance into
5967-644: The Mafia showed up after robbing the airport showing off mink coats and pink Cadillacs, took place at Neir's Tavern located on 78th Street. There is an historical marker placed outside the establishment. Justin Timberlake and Juno Temple filmed a scene filmed in 2017 for the Woody Allen movie Wonder Wheel at Jamaica Avenue and 80th Street. The opening scenes of the 1984 film The Flamingo Kid were filmed at 96th Street and Jamaica Avenue. Tom Holland filmed
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#17327823136146084-606: The Woodhaven Station at 86-42 Forest Parkway. Forest Park is the third largest park in Queens. The Wisconsin Glacier retreated from Long Island some 20,000 years ago, leaving behind the hills to the north of Woodhaven that now are part of Forest Park. The park was home to the Rockaway, Delaware and Lenape Native Americans until Dutch West India Company settlers arrived in 1634 and began establishing towns and pushing
6201-487: The Woodhaven branch at 85-41 Forest Parkway. In 1836, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) cars were pulled by horses along Atlantic Avenue . The cars traveled with other traffic at street level and stopped at all major intersections, much as a bus does, except that people would often hop on and hop off while the car was moving. The 1848 LIRR schedule shows an intersection called Union Course (serving that racetrack) and another called Woodville (farther east). With electrification,
6318-566: The age of 18. Time magazine wrote an article on the indomitable star entitled "At 84, Mae West Is Still Mae West". Upon its release, Sextette was not a critical or commercial success. The diverse cast included some of West's first co-stars such as George Raft ( Night After Night , 1932), silver screen stars such as Tony Curtis , Timothy Dalton and Walter Pidgeon , plus contemporary pop stars such as Ringo Starr and Alice Cooper , and television favorites such as Dom DeLuise and gossip queen Rona Barrett . It also included cameos of some of
6435-516: The age of seven. She often won prizes at local talent contests. She began performing professionally in vaudeville in the Hal Clarendon Stock Company in 1907 at the age of 14. As a young child, West had first performed under the stage name "Baby Mae" ( the baby may behave like this ), and a bit later tried various personas, including a male impersonator . She used the alias "Jane Mast" early in her career. Her trademark walk
6552-632: The ages of between 0–17, 30% between 25 and 44, and 27% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 17% and 7% respectively. As of 2017, the median household income in Community Board 9 was $ 69,916. In 2018, an estimated 22% of Woodhaven and Kew Gardens residents lived in poverty, compared to 19% in all of Queens and 20% in all of New York City. One in twelve residents (8%) were unemployed, compared to 8% in Queens and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or
6669-597: The books Sex, Health, and ESP (William Allen & Sons, publisher) and Pleasure Man (Dell publishers) based on her 1928 play of the same name. Her autobiography, Goodness Had Nothing to Do with It , was also updated and republished in the 1970s. Mae West was a shrewd investor, produced her own stage acts, and invested her money in large tracts of land in Van Nuys , a thriving suburb of Los Angeles. With her considerable fortune, she could afford to do as she liked. In 1976, she appeared on Back Lot U.S.A. on CBS, where she
6786-484: The brick exterior has remained largely the same for more than 100 years. Betty Smith , author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , wrote most of the book in Woodhaven, at Forest Parkway near 85th Drive (though the story is set in nearby Cypress Hills). The Woodhaven Post Office has a New Deal mural by Ben Shahn . The Brooklyn Royal Giants , a professional Negro Baseball League team, played in Dexter Park , which
6903-471: The broadcast "vulgar and indecent" and "far below even the minimum standard which should control in the selection and production of broadcast programs". Some debate existed regarding the reaction to the skit. Conservative religious groups took umbrage far more swiftly than the mainstream. These groups found it easy to make West their target. They took exception to her outspoken use of sexuality and sexual imagery, which she had employed in her career since at least
7020-493: The cameras." For her next role for Paramount, West brought her Diamond Lil character, now renamed "Lady Lou", to the screen in She Done Him Wrong (1933). The film was one of Cary Grant 's early major roles, which boosted his career. West claimed she spotted Grant at the studio and insisted that he be cast as the male lead. She claimed to have told a Paramount director, "If he can talk, I'll take him!" The film
7137-516: The censorship guidelines of the film industry's Production Code began to be meticulously enforced. As a result, West's scripts were subjected to more editing. She, in turn, would often intentionally place extremely risqué lines in her scripts, knowing they would be cut by the censors. She hoped they would then not object as much to her other less suggestive lines. Her next film was Belle of the Nineties (1934). The original title, It Ain't No Sin ,
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#17327823136147254-463: The church is the separately listed Wyckoff-Snediker Family Cemetery . The distinctive St. Anthony's Mansion (which later became St. Anthony's Hospital) stood on a seven-acre tract of land on Woodhaven Boulevard between 89th and 91st Avenues. The hospital significantly helped the scientific community in the creation of breakthroughs in Pulmonary and Heart treatments. The hospital was demolished in
7371-503: The drama at first, but was appeased when she was allowed to rewrite portions of her character's dialogue. One of several revisions she made is in her first scene in Night After Night , when a hat-check girl exclaims, "Goodness, what beautiful diamonds", and West replies, "Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie." Reflecting on the overall result of her rewritten scenes, Raft is reported to have said, "She stole everything but
7488-496: The emotions". According to the American Masters documentary Mae West: Dirty Blonde , West aborted Deiro's child on the advice of her mother, the procedure nearly killing her and leaving her infertile. The younger Deiro said that his father was devastated when he learned about the abortion and ended the relationship. West later said, "Marriage is a great institution. I'm not ready for an institution." In 1916, when she
7605-608: The exhibitors. This did not stop producer David O. Selznick , who next offered West the role of the sage madam Belle Watling, the only woman ever to truly understand Rhett Butler , in Gone with the Wind , after Tallulah Bankhead rejected the role. West also turned down the part, claiming it was too small for an established star and that she would need to rewrite her lines to suit her own persona. The role eventually went to Ona Munson . In 1939, Universal Studios approached West to star in
7722-676: The experience and by her years of struggling with the strict Hays Code censorship office, that she would not attempt another film role for the next quarter-century. Instead, West pursued a successful and record-breaking career in top nightclubs , Las Vegas, nationally in theater and on Broadway, where she was allowed, even welcomed, to be herself. On December 12, 1937, West appeared in two separate sketches on ventriloquist Edgar Bergen 's radio show The Chase and Sanborn Hour . Appearing as herself, West flirted with Charlie McCarthy , Bergen's dummy, using her usual brand of wit and risqué sexual references. West referred to Charlie as "all wood and
7839-464: The film, but after actor, director and friend Gregory Ratoff (producer Max Fabian in All About Eve ) pleaded with her and claimed he would go bankrupt if she could not help, West relented as a personal favor. Censors curtailed the sexual burlesque of the West characterization. The studio had orders to raise the neck lines and clean up the double entendres. This was the only film for which West
7956-580: The heavy censorship, with religion and hypocrisy. Some critics called the film her magnum opus , but not everyone agreed. Press baron and film mogul William Randolph Hearst, ostensibly offended by an off-handed remark West made about his mistress, Marion Davies , sent a private memo to all his editors stating, "That Mae West picture Klondike Annie is a filthy picture... We should have editorials roasting that picture, Mae West, and Paramount... DO NOT ACCEPT ANY ADVERTISING OF THIS PICTURE." At one point, Hearst asked aloud, "Isn't it time Congress did something about
8073-482: The house was owned by a German immigrant named Albert Voigt. Neir's Tavern , founded in Woodhaven in 1829 and in nearly continuous operation since then (except during Prohibition ) is one of the older bars in the United States. The bar is sometimes rumored to be haunted. The Crystal Manor Hotel building, once considered a refined hotel for businessmen, survives at Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue and
8190-507: The inexperienced film editor, and her songs were filmed as though they were merely side acts. Mae West's counterculture appeal (she was dubbed "the queen of camp"), included the young and hip, and by 1971, the student body of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) voted Mae West "Woman of the Century" in honor of her relevance as a pioneering advocate of sexual frankness and courageous crusader against censorship. In 1975, West released
8307-399: The late 1990s. A historical marker has been placed on the site, which is now a residential area known as Woodhaven Park Estates. The Beaux-Arts Fire Command Telegraph Station at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Park Lane South, sits in the midst of Forest Park and has an octagon crowned with a cupola at its center. The fire department commenced operations there in 1928. One of
8424-403: The many different backgrounds the residents of Woodhaven originate. Writers, artists, musicians, actors, and filmmakers have been drawn to and emerged from the area. Woodhaven has been called "one of the epicenters of NYC's metal landscape" (with Greenpoint as the other epicenter) due to a recording studio located in the neighborhood. The area has a tattoo and piercing parlor run by women that
8541-541: The morals of youth". Though West could have paid a fine and been let off, she chose the jail sentence for the publicity it would garner. While incarcerated on Welfare Island (now known as Roosevelt Island ), she dined with the warden and his wife; she told reporters that she had worn her silk panties while serving time, in lieu of the "burlap" the other girls had to wear. West got great mileage from this jail stint. She served eight days with two days off for "good behavior". Following her release, West told reporters that her play
8658-608: The musclemen from her 1950s Las Vegas show, such as the still remarkably fit Reg Lewis . Sextette also reunited Mae West with Edith Head , her costume designer from 1933 in She Done Him Wrong . For her contribution to the film industry, Mae West has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street in Hollywood . For her contributions as a stage actor in the theater world, she has been inducted into
8775-650: The neighborhood's main thoroughfare, Jamaica Avenue, include Popp's Restaurant, which opened in 1907; Manor Delicatessen, which opened in 1914; and Schmidt's Candy , which opened in 1925 and is run by the granddaughter of its founder. An annual motorcycle parade on Woodhaven Boulevard commemorates the bravery of war veterans and collects donations for the Salvation Army and holiday toys for needy children. An annual street fair also takes place on Jamaica Avenue with live music, and other festivities for children; this event enables residents to appreciate diversity from
8892-544: The northern section of the neighborhood are mainly Victorian and Colonial and many are over 120 years old. In the southern section many houses are also Victorian. The area is considered more affordable than many in the city. On Jamaica Avenue, there are a large number of stores and restaurants, most being small and locally owned. One of the oldest was Lewis of Woodhaven, which had two locations and closed its doors in 2004. Many longtime businesses remain. Neir's Tavern first opened in 1829, and some historians argue that it
9009-470: The oldest homes in Woodhaven is located on 87-20 88th Street. It was first located on Jamaica Avenue. In 1920, the entire house was forced to move to its current location on 88th Street due to the construction of the BMT Jamaica Line . The house was built about or prior to 1910. The first house number in Queens (from the borough's renumbering under the Philadelphia Plan), was also in Woodhaven and
9126-413: The park. Dexter Park , a baseball field which once occupied 10 acres (40,000 m ) in Woodhaven just east of Franklin K. Lane High School , contained the first engineered lighting system for night games, which was installed in 1930. Woodhaven and Kew Gardens generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018 . While 34% of residents age 25 and older have
9243-464: The percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 55% in Woodhaven and Kew Gardens, higher than the boroughwide and citywide rates of 53% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , Woodhaven and Kew Gardens are considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying . Woodhaven is ethnically diverse but is majority Hispanic/Latino. It also consists of small number of African Americans, and
9360-416: The police brutality that gay men experienced. She adopted a then "modern" psychological explanation that gay men were women's souls in men's bodies, and hitting a gay man was akin to hitting a woman. In her 1959 autobiography Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It , a memoir compiled by ghostwriter Stephen Longstreet, West strongly objects to hypocrisy while also disparaging homosexuality: I have always hated
9477-399: The population. The entirety of Community Board 9, which comprises Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven, had 148,465 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 84.3 years. This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 22% are between
9594-500: The process of tin stamping. As late as 1900, the surrounding area, however, was still primarily farmland, and from Atlantic Avenue one could see as far south as Jamaica Bay , site of present-day John F. Kennedy International Airport . Since 1894, Woodhaven's local newspaper has been the Leader-Observer . Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of Woodhaven was 56,674, an increase of 2,525 (4.7%) from
9711-583: The role down, and Barbara Stanwyck was cast in her place. West was also approached for roles in Federico Fellini 's Juliet of the Spirits and Satyricon , but rejected both offers. On March 26, 1958, West appeared at the live televised Academy Awards and performed the song " Baby, It's Cold Outside " with Rock Hudson , which received a standing ovation. In 1959, she released an autobiography, Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It , which became
9828-457: The role of Norma Desmond for the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard , Billy Wilder offered West the role. Still smarting from the censorship debacle of The Heat's On , and the constraints placed on her characterization, she declined. The theme of the Wilder film, she noted, was pure pathos, while her brand of comedy was always "about uplifting the audience". Mae West had a unique comic character that
9945-514: The same time period. Woodhaven and Kew Gardens's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is less than the rest of New York City. In Woodhaven and Kew Gardens, 17% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , lower than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 79% of high school students in Woodhaven and Kew Gardens graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%. Public schools include: Private schools include: The Queens Public Library operates
10062-474: The screenplay, My Little Chickadee was a box office hit, outgrossing Fields's previous film, You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939) and the later The Bank Dick (1940). Despite this, religious leaders condemned West as a negative role model , taking offense at lines such as "When I'm caught between two evils, I generally like to take the one I never tried". West's next film was Columbia Pictures ' The Heat's On (1943). Initially, she did not want to do
10179-490: The show, ticket sales were strong. The production did not go over well with city officials, who had received complaints from some religious groups, and the theater was raided and West arrested along with the cast. She was taken to the Jefferson Market Court House (now Jefferson Market Library ), where she was prosecuted on morals charges, and on April 19, 1927, was sentenced to 10 days for "corrupting
10296-504: The stage production, calling it a "clumsy drama", "deliberately outlandish", and labeling West herself as an "atrocious playwright". Ultimately, the elaborate play closed on Broadway after just eight weeks and 64 performances. When compared to Diamond Lil , which had run for nine months with 323 performances, The Constant Sinner was critically, financially, and personally a disappointment for West. Nevertheless, its notoriety and even its negative reviews further enhanced her public image as
10413-400: The theatre; it is dull. This is a sin which is common to all of Miss West's wonderworks except Diamond Lil , but because of the luridness of the hokum plot and the highly colored melodramatic backgrounds of the new piece, it has seldom been more in evidence..."The Constant Sinner" is also, as might be expected, vile as to speech.... Seldom, come to think about it, has fouler talk been heard on
10530-543: The tribes out. The park contains the largest continuous oak forest in Queens. Inside the park, the Forest Park Carousel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The park also contains playgrounds, Strack Pond , a barbecue area, a bandshell, a nature center, a dog run, and hiking trails. Therapeutic horseback riding for people with special needs is also available in
10647-417: The two-faced, the smoother-over folk — the people who preach loudly one way of life, and then do something in private that they're against in public. In many ways homosexuality is a danger to the entire social system of western civilization. Certainly a nation should be made aware of its presence — without moral mottoes — and its effects on children recruited to it in their innocence. I had no objections to it as
10764-591: Was "a work of art". Media attention surrounding the incident enhanced her career, by crowning her the darling "bad girl" who "had climbed the ladder of success wrong by wrong". Her next play, The Drag , dealt with homosexuality, and was what West called one of her "comedy-dramas of life". After a series of try-outs in Connecticut and New Jersey, West announced she would open the play in New York. However, The Drag never opened on Broadway, owing to efforts by
10881-449: Was 30 years younger than she, and later changed his name to Paul Novak. He moved in with her, and their romance continued until her death in 1980 at age 87. Novak once commented, "I believe I was put on this Earth to take care of Mae West." West would sometimes refer to herself in the third person and speak of "Mae West" as the entertainment character she had created. West was a Presbyterian . Woodhaven, Queens Woodhaven
10998-415: Was a box office hit and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture . The success of the film saved Paramount from bankruptcy, grossing over $ 2 million, the equivalent of $ 46 million in 2023. Paramount recognizes that debt of gratitude today, with a building on the lot named after West. Her next release, I'm No Angel (1933), teamed her again with Grant. The film was also a box-office hit and
11115-403: Was a nationally famous racetrack situated in the area now bounded by 78th Street, 82nd Street, Jamaica Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. The Union Course was the site of the first skinned —or dirt—racing surface, a novelty at the time. These courses were originally without grandstands. The custom of conducting a single, four-mile (6 km) race consisting of as many heats as were necessary to determine
11232-414: Was a vaudeville actress, West had a relationship with James Timony (1884–1954), an attorney nine years her senior. Timony was also her manager. By the time that she was an established movie actress in the mid-1930s, they were no longer a couple. West and Timony remained extremely close, living in the same building, working together, and providing support for each other until Timony's death in 1954. West had
11349-422: Was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned over seven decades. Considered a sex symbol , she was known for her breezy sexual independence and her lighthearted bawdy double entendres , often delivered in a husky contralto voice. She was active in vaudeville and on stage in New York City before moving to Los Angeles to begin a career in the film industry . West
11466-521: Was boxing champion William Jones, nicknamed Gorilla Jones (1906–1982). The management at her Ravenswood apartment building barred the African American boxer from entering the premises; West solved the problem by buying the building and lifting the ban. She became romantically involved at age 61 with Chester Rybinski (1923–1999), one of the muscle men in her Las Vegas stage show—a wrestler, former Mr. California, and former merchant sailor. He
11583-521: Was by then nearly 40 years old, an unusually late age to begin a film career, especially for women, although Paramount certainly never had the slightest intention of casting her as an ingénue . She nonetheless managed to keep her age ambiguous for some time. She made her film debut in the role of Maudie Triplett in Night After Night (1932) starring George Raft , who had suggested West for the part. She did not like her small supporting role in
11700-569: Was changed because of censors' objections. Despite Paramount's early objections regarding costs, West insisted the studio hire Duke Ellington and his orchestra to accompany her in the film's musical numbers. Their collaboration was a success; the classic "My Old Flame" (recorded by Duke Ellington) was introduced in this film. Her next film, Goin' to Town (1935), received mixed reviews, as censorship continued to take its toll by preventing West from including her best lines. Her following effort, Klondike Annie (1936), dealt, as best it could given
11817-545: Was closed in 1977. The Woodhaven Junction station was also highly used among beachgoers and commuters, who would transfer to the aboveground LIRR station for trains to Rockaway Beach and Far Rockaway. The Woodhaven Junction station was taken out of service when this section of the Rockaway Beach Branch was abandoned in 1962. Today, MTA Regional Bus Operations Q11 , Q21 , Q24 , Q52 SBS , Q53 SBS , Q56 , QM15 and BM5 bus routes serve Woodhaven. The New York City Subway 's J and Z trains serve
11934-437: Was considered bottom of the barrel but gave her experience. She was encouraged as a performer by her mother, who, according to West, always thought that anything Mae did was fantastic. Other family members were less encouraging, including an aunt and her paternal grandmother. They are all reported as having disapproved of her career and her choices. In 1918, after exiting several high-profile revues, West finally got her break in
12051-546: Was featured in the documentary Feminine Ink. The former St. Matthew's Episcopal Church , a church at 85-45 96th Street now known as All Saints Episcopal Church, has a parish hall dating to 1907. The church was built between 1926 and 1927 in the Late Gothic Revival style, designed by the architect Robert F. Schirmer. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Located behind
12168-616: Was inhabited by the Rockaway and Lenape Native Americans "until the Dutch West India Company settled the area in 1635." Native Americans in the area used the arrowwood stems prevalent in Forest Park for arrow shafts. European settlement in Woodhaven began in the mid-18th century as a small town that revolved around farming, with the Ditmar, Lott, Wyckoff, Suydam and Snediker families. British troops successfully flanked General George Washington 's Continental Army by
12285-451: Was interviewed by Dick Cavett and sang " Frankie and Johnny " along with " After You've Gone ." That same year, she began work on her final film, Sextette (1978). Adapted from a 1959 script written by West, the film's daily revisions and production disagreements hampered production from the beginning. Because of the near-endless last-minute script changes and tiring production schedule, West agreed to have her lines signaled to her through
12402-440: Was named, Mary Jane (née Copley), was of Irish descent. Her paternal grandfather, John Edwin West, was of English and Scottish descent. West's parents married in Brooklyn on January 18, 1889, to the pleasure of the groom's parents and the displeasure of the bride's, and raised their children as Protestants. Her eldest sister, Katie, died in infancy. Her remaining siblings were a sister named Mildred Katherine "Beverly" West and
12519-584: Was one of the largest box-office draws in the United States and, by 1935, she was also the highest paid woman and the second-highest paid person in the United States (after William Randolph Hearst ). Hearst invited West to Hearst Castle , his massive estate in San Simeon , California, where Hollywood celebrities and prominent political and business figures frequently gathered to socialize. "I could'a married him," West later commented, "but I got no time for parties. I don't like those big crowds." On July 1, 1934,
12636-516: Was one of the many double entendres in the dialogue. Days after the broadcast, the studio received letters calling the show "immoral" and "obscene". Several conservative women's clubs and religious groups admonished the show's sponsor, Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company , for "prostituting" their services for allowing "impurity [to] invade the air". Under pressure, the Federal Communications Commission later deemed
12753-607: Was one of the most controversial movie stars of her day; she encountered problems especially with censorship. She once quipped, "I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it." She bucked the studio system by making comedy out of conventional beliefs, and the Depression -era audience admired her for it. When her film career ended, she wrote books and plays, continued to perform in Las Vegas and London and on radio and television, and recorded rock and roll albums. In 1999,
12870-716: Was put on a list of actors called " Box Office Poison " by Harry Brandt on behalf of the Independent Theatre Owners Association. Others on the list were Greta Garbo , Joan Crawford , Marlene Dietrich , Fred Astaire , Dolores del Río , Katharine Hepburn and Kay Francis . The attack was published as a paid advertisement in The Hollywood Reporter , and was taken seriously by the fearful studio executives. The association argued that these stars' high salaries and extreme public popularity did not affect their ticket sales, thus hurt
12987-493: Was said to have been inspired or influenced by female impersonators Bert Savoy and Julian Eltinge , who were famous during the Pansy Craze . Her first appearance in a Broadway show, at age 18, was in a 1911 revue A La Broadway put on by her former dancing teacher, Ned Wayburn . The show folded after eight performances, but West was discovered and singled out for praise by a New York Times reviewer, who wrote that
13104-502: Was subsequently replaced in 1942 by underground tracks and a single underground station between Jamaica and Brooklyn. With the removal of surface rail tracks, Atlantic Avenue was again a continuous roadway. The single station in this long tunnel was the Woodhaven Junction station (at 100th Street) on the LIRR's Atlantic Avenue Branch , providing rail service to Jamaica station and Brooklyn ( Atlantic Terminal ) until it too
13221-508: Was the most successful of her entire screen career. In the months after its release, references to West could be found almost everywhere, from the song lyrics of Cole Porter , to a Works Progress Administration (WPA) mural of San Francisco's newly built Coit Tower , to She Done Him Right , a Pooch the Pup cartoon, to My Dress Hangs There , a painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo . Kahlo's husband, Diego Rivera , paid his own tribute: "West
13338-471: Was timeless, the same as Charlie Chaplin. After Mary Pickford also declined the role, Gloria Swanson was cast. In subsequent years, West was offered the role of Vera Simpson, opposite Frank Sinatra , in the 1957 film adaptation of Pal Joey , which she turned down, with the role going to Rita Hayworth . In 1964, West was offered a leading role in Roustabout , starring Elvis Presley . She turned
13455-653: Was torn down in 1955 and today is marked with a plaque. The Lalance & Grosjean Tin Manufacturing Factory of Woodhaven produced many kitchen and household objects, some of which were featured in MOMA exhibitions on 20th Century design. Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven are patrolled by the 102nd Precinct of the NYPD , located at 87-34 118th Street. The 102nd Precinct ranked 22nd safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. As of 2018 , with
13572-635: Was used on the front cover of the Beatles ' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band . When approached for permission, West initially refused and asked, "What would I be doing in a Lonely Heart's Club?" She changed her mind after the band wrote her a personal letter declaring themselves great fans of her. After a 27-year absence from motion pictures, West appeared as Leticia Van Allen in Gore Vidal 's Myra Breckinridge (1970) with Raquel Welch , Rex Reed , Farrah Fawcett , and Tom Selleck in
13689-409: Was virtually not allowed to write her own dialogue and, as a result, the film suffered. Perhaps the most critical, ongoing challenge facing West in her career was censorship of her dialogue. As on Broadway a decade before, by the mid-1930s her risqué and ribald dialogue could no longer be allowed. The Heat's On opened to poor reviews and weak performance at the box office. West was so distraught after
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