美国名人演员编剧歌手剧作家梅·韦斯特.docx

美国名人演员编剧歌手剧作家梅韦斯特MaeWest,1893-1980:TheWildWomanofFilmandStageplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:28repeatByDanaDemange2008-11-22VOICEONE:mBarbaraKlein.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmberwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutfilmactressMaeWest.Shewasalsoawriter;producerandbusinesswoman.Thesexualnatureofherlifeandartrepresentedherliberalandoftendisputedideas.HerfunnyjokeshavebecomepartofthelanguageofAmericanpopularculture.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:MaeWestMaeWestwasborninBrooklyn,NewYorkineighteenninety-three.Herfather,JohnWest,hadseveraljobsbutstartedhiscareerasacompetitivefighter.Mae'smother,Matilda,playedanimportantroleindevelopingherdaughter'scareerasanentertainer.Maestartedtoperforminlocaltheatergroupsasayoungchild.Bynineteen-oh-sevenshewaspartofanationalvaudevilletourthatperformedacrossthecountry.Vaudevillewasatheatricalshowwithseveralentertainersperformingsongs,dancesandjokes.VaudevillewasverypopularintheUnitedStatesduringtheearlynineteenhundreds.WhenMaeWestwasabouteighteenyearsoldshestartedperformingonBroadway,thefamoustheaterareaofNewYorkCity.Sheappearedinmanymusicalshowssuchas"Hello,Paris"and"AIaBroadway."ForthenextfifteenyearsshesanganddancedinbothBroadwayandvaudevilleshows.VOICETWO:Inthemiddlenineteentwenties,MaeWeststartedtowrite,produceandactinherownplays.Shealsostartedtocreatethesexualjokesthatwouldmakeherfamous-andalsogetherintotrouble.HerfirstBroadwayplaywascalled"Sex."Theplaywasverypopular;butsoonclosedtemporarily.CityofficialsputMaeWestinjailformorethanaweek.Thepolicearrestedherbecausetheysaidtheplaywasnotmoral.MaeWestknewthatthisincidentwouldmakeheranationalsuccess-anditdid.ServingtimeinjaildidnotstopWestfromwritingmoreplaysorcausingnewdisputesovertheirsexuallysuggestivesubjectmatter.Infact,shesaidthatshelearnedfromherjailexperience.Shesaidthepeopleshemetinjailinfluencedthecharactersshelatercreated.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:MaeWestwrotemanykindsOftheatricalproductions,butsomedetailsremainedthesame.Herhumorwasoftensexual.Butherjokeshadtwomeanings.Herstatementswerehumorousandintelligentbecausetheycouldbeunderstoodintwodifferentways.Shewasalsofunnybecauseshegreatlyoverstatedhersexynatureandloveformen.MaeWestalwaysplayedtheroleofayoungandstrongwoman.Shealsomadesurethatshealwayshadthebiggestrole.Shewantedeveryonetoknowshewasthestarandshewasincharge.VOICETWO:Oneofhermostfamousplayswascalled"DiamondLil."MaeWestmadecarefulchoiceswhenwritingthisplaysothatitwouldbepopularwithawideaudience.ShesettheplayinafamousNewYorkCityareacalledtheBowery.Audiencesknewthehistoryofthisdangerousarea.Westalsohadthestorytakeplaceinthelatenineteenthcentury.Sheknewthattheclothingfromthisperiodlookedgoodonherlargeandcurvybody.Shethoughtthatolderpeoplewouldlikethetimeperiod.Femaleaudienceswouldlikeherrichclothing.Andyoungerpeoplewouldliketheplay'sactionandsexystyle.WestplaysasingernamedLilwhoworksinasaloon,apublicdrinkingplace.Shewalksaroundinverytight,shinydresses.Shehasshiny,golden,wavyhair.Shewearsdiamondjewelsandlargehats.Shehasmanyloversandadventures.VOICEONE:"DiamondLil"wasabigsuccess.ItwasperformedmorethanthreehundredtimesonBroadway.Thenitwasperformedalloverthecountry.LilbecamethemostrepresentativeexampleofMaeWest'scharacters.Itwasaroleshewouldplaymanytimesinherlife."DiamondLil"showsthewayMaeWestappearedinmanyofherproductions,andeveninreallife.MaeWestoncesaid:"Itisn'twhatIdo,buthowIdoit.Itisn'twhatIsay,buthowIsayitzandhowIlookwhenIdoitandsayit."VOICETWO:Afterthestockmarketcrashofnineteentwenty-nine,MaeWestfacedadifficultperiod.Manytheaterscouldnolongerremainopeninthistimeofeconomicdepression.Shealsohadtodealwithlegalbattlesoverthedisputedsubjectsofherplays.HerlatestmusicalwasafailureonBroadway.And,innineteenthirtyhermotherdied.ItwassoontimeforMaeWesttomakeachange.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Innineteenthirty-twoMaeWestmovedtoHollywood,Californiatostartherfilmcareer.Herfirstfilmwascalled"NightAfterNight."Atfirst,MaeWesthadrefusedtobeinthefilmbecauseshewasnotsatisfiedwithhercharacter.Buttheproducerallowedhertorewritepartsofthestory.Westhelpedgivethefilmaspecialhumorandexcitement.Thenextyearshestarredinthemovie"SheDoneHimWrong."Thiswasthefilmversionofhersuccessfulplay,"DiamondLil".Butmakingthismoviewasnoteasy.TheHaysOfficehadforbiddenseveralofMaeWest'splayssuchas"DiamondLil"frombeingmadeintomovies.TheHaysOfficewasinchargeofenforcingasevereproductioncode.ThiscodecontrolledwhatwasconsideredmorallyacceptablesubjectmatterforAmericanmovies.VOICETWO:Tomakethismovie,theproducerschangedthenameoftheplayanditscharacters.AndMaeWestbroughtherintelligencetothefilm.ShecreatedsexystatementsthattheHaysOfficehadtoaccept.Insteadofdirectsexualcomments,sheperfectedhersexuallysuggestivejokes.Inthisfilm,CaryGrantplaystheroleofMaeWest'smainloveinterest,CaptainCummings.ThisisoneofCaryGrant'searliestroles.HesoonbecameabigHollywoodstar.InthisscenefromthemoviezMaeWestmakeshermostfamousstatement.Hercharacter;LadyLouzisinlovewithCaptainCummings.Sheistryingtogethimto"comeupandseeher."1.ADYLOU:"Youknow,Ialwaysdidlikeamaninauniform.Thatonefitsyougrand.Whydon'tyoucomeupsometimeandseeme.mhomeeveryevening."CAPTAINCUMMINGS:mbusyeveryevening.1.ADYLOU:"Busy?Sowhatareyoutryingtodo,insultme?"CAPTAINCUMMINGS:"Whyno!Notatall.mjustbusy,that'sall.Yousee,we'reholdingmeetingsinJacobsen'sHalleveryevening.Anytimeyouhaveamomenttospare,dbegladtohaveyoudropin.You'remorethanwelcome."1.ADYLOU:"Iheardyou.Butyouain'tkiddingmeany.Youknow,vemetyourkindbefore.Whydon'tyoucomeupsometime,huh?"CAPTAINCUMMINGS:"Well,I."1.ADYLOU:"Don'tbeafraid,Iwon'ttell.Comeup,lltellyourfortune."VOICEONE:ThismoviemadeMaeWestagreatsuccess,"Whydon'tyoucomeupandseemesometime"becameoneofthemostfamousstatementsinfilmhistory.Foraperiod,shewasoneofthehighestpaidfemaleentertainersinAmerica.SomeexpertssayhermovieshelpedsavetheproductioncompanyParamountPicturesfromfinancialruin.Audiencesallovertheworldeitherlovedorhatedthiswildwoman.MaeWestbothstarredinandwrotehernextfilm,'TmNoAngel."Sheplayedacircusperformer.Asalways,hercharacterdrivesmencrazywithdesire.Whenthefilmopened,itbrokerecordsforattendanceandprofits.HereisMaeWestperformingthethemesongofthismovie.(MUSIC:"I'mNoAngel")VOICETWO:MaeWestcontinuedtomakefilms-andtrouble-throughoutthenineteenthirtiesandearlyforties.Criticssaythiswasthemostexcitingpartofhercareer.Theysaythatafterthisperiod,sheonlyrepeatedherself.Whileshehadoffersforfilms,sherefusedtoplaytheroleofanolderorweakwoman.Westcontinuedtoactonstage,wrotebooksandappearedontelevision.Attheageofeighty-fiveshestarredinafilmcalled"Sextette."Notsurprisingly,MaeWestplayedasexywomanthatmencouldnotresist.Somecriticsdismissedthefilm.Otherspraisedherspiritforneversurrenderingtooldageonfilm.Twoyearslater,MaeWestdiedatherhomeinCalifornia.Shewaseighty-seven.VOICEONE:MaeWestremainsoneofthemostfamousandliberatedactressesinAmericanfilmandstagehistory.Sheusedheryellowhair,playfulvoice,andshapelybodytocreateawholenewkindofHollywoodstar.Shewasastrongwomanwhokeptcarefulartisticcontroloverherwork.Herindependence,humorandsexynaturecontinuetoinfluenceperformerstoday.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyDanaDemange.mSteveEmber.VOICEONE:AndmBarbaraKlein.JoinusagainnextweekforPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.