美国名人 女演员编剧、歌手、剧作家 梅·韦斯特.docx

美国名人女演员，编剧、歌手、剧作家梅韦斯特MaeWest:TheWildWomanofFilmandStageplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-17:26repeatByDanaDemange2006-4-22(THEME)VOICEONE:mBarbaraKlein.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmberwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutfilmactressMaeWest.Shewasalsoawriter;producerandbusinesswoman.Thesexualnatureofherlifeandartrepresentedherliberalandoftendisputedideas.HerfunnyjokeshavebecomepartofthelanguageOfAmericanpopularculture.(THEME)VOICEONE:MaeWestwasborninBrooklyn,NewYorkineighteenninety-three.Herfather,JohnWest,hadseveraljobsbutstartedhiscareerasacompetitivefighter.Mae,smother,Matilda,playedanimportantroleindevelopingherdaughter'scareerasanentertainer.Maestartedtoperforminlocaltheatergroupsasayoungchild.Bynineteenohsevenshewaspartofanationalvaudevilletourthatperformedacrossthecountry.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.Shehasshin½golden,wavyhair.Shewearsdiamondjewelsandlargehats.Shehasmanyloversandadventures.VOICEONE:"DiamondLil"wasabigsuccess.ItwasperformedmorethanthreehundredtimesonBroadway.Thenitwasperformedalloverthecountry.LilbecamethemostrepresentativeexampleofMaeWest'scharacters.Itwasaroleshewouldplaymanytimesinherlife."DiamondLil"showsthewayMaeWestappearedinmanyofherproductions,andeveninreallife.MaeWestoncesaid:"Itisn'twhatIdo,buthowIdoit.Itisn'twhatIsay,buthowIsayit,andhowIlookwhenIdoitandsayit."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.Inthisscenefromthemovie,MaeWestmakeshermostfamousstatement.Hercharacter;LadyLou,isinlovewithCaptainCummings.Sheistryingtogethimto"comeupandseeher."(SOUND)1.adyLou:Youknow,Ialwaysdidlikeamaninauniform.Thatonefitsyougrand.Whydon'tyoucomeupsometimeandseememhomeeveryevening.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:Wellzl1.adyLou:Don'tbeafraid,Iwon'ttell.Comeupzlltellyourfortune.VOICEONE:ThismoviemadeMaeWestagreatsuccess,"Whydon'tyoucomeupandseemesometime"becameoneofthemostfamousstatementsinfilmhistory.Foraperiod,shewasoneofthehighestpaidfemaleentertainersinAmerica.SomeexpertssayhermovieshelpedsavetheproductioncompanyParamountPicturesfromfinancialruin.Audiencesallovertheworldeitherlovedorhatedthiswildwoman.MaeWestbothstarredinandwrotehernextfilm,"I'mNoAngel."Sheplayedacircusperformer.Asalways,hercharacterdrivesmencrazywithdesire.Whenthefilmopened,itbrokerecordsforattendanceandprofits.HereisMaeWestperformingthethemesongofthismovie.(MUSIC)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.(THEME)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyDanaDemange.mSteveEmber.VOICEONE:AndmBarbaraKlein.JoinusagainnextweekforPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.