Mae West: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Mae West built her persona out of vaudeville brass, Bowery melodrama, blues swagger and the female impersonators she watched from the wings — then smuggled all of it past the censors into Paramount's sound stages. This mix traces her from Brooklyn variety halls and Harlem drag balls through her own screenplays, and out into every performer who has since weaponized innuendo.

The Kynda mix for Mae West

• Key Influence · I Don't Care by Eva Tanguay (1922). Tanguay was vaudeville's 'I Don't Care Girl,' the brash, shimmying headliner whose unapologetic sexual self-possession defined the female variety star West came up behind on the same circuits in the 1910s. West's strut, her contralto shout-singing and her refusal to play the ingenue all descend from Tanguay's template of a woman who sells not beauty but nerve. West openly placed herself in that lineage of vaudeville's wild women.
• Influencia Obscura · You Must Come Over by Savoy and Brennan (1919). Bert Savoy was the red-wigged female impersonator of the Ziegfeld and Greenwich Village Follies whose catchphrase 'You must come over' and hip-rolling, scandal-mongering dame character were absorbed almost wholesale into West's persona. West had come up near the same revue stages before Savoy's 1923 death by lightning. The hand-on-hip swagger and leering aside that read as 'Mae West' were Savoy's inventions first.
• Local Roots · Queen of the Night Clubs by Texas Guinan (1929). Guinan ran Manhattan's loudest Prohibition speakeasies, greeting patrons with 'Hello, suckers!' and surviving repeated police raids — the same New York nightlife-versus-vice-squad war that landed West in jail in 1927 for her play 'Sex.' Both women turned prosecution into publicity and played tough, wisecracking blondes who owned the room. Guinan's club persona is West's Bowery characters' natural habitat.
• Beyond the Medium · The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1895). Wilde perfected the epigram as weapon: a polished one-line reversal that flatters the speaker and indicts respectable society. West wrote her own dialogue and worked in precisely that form — 'When I'm good I'm very good, but when I'm bad I'm better' is a Wildean inversion in Bowery drag. Both were also prosecuted by the state for offending public morals, and both treated the courtroom as another stage.
• Peer · The Bank Dick by W. C. Fields (1940). Fields and West both arrived in sound film as fully formed vaudeville monsters who wrote their own material and refused to be directed out of their rhythms. They were paired in 1940's 'My Little Chickadee,' which they co-wrote in mutual suspicion. 'The Bank Dick,' his own script, shows the comic sensibility she had to share the frame with: misanthropy against her appetite, both of them smuggling vice past the Production Code.
• From the Canon · She Done Him Wrong by Mae West (1933). Adapted by West from her own banned-adjacent Broadway hit 'Diamond Lil,' this is the picture whose grosses are credited with pulling Paramount back from bankruptcy. As Lady Lou she runs a Bowery saloon, collects diamonds and men, and delivers 'Why don't you come up sometime and see me?' to Cary Grant. It is the clearest surviving record of her stage act, barely transposed, before the Code closed around her.
• Key Collaborator · Only Angels Have Wings by Cary Grant (1939). Grant was a near-unknown contract player when West took him as her leading man in 'She Done Him Wrong' and 'I'm No Angel,' the two pictures that made him a star; she claimed credit for spotting him on the Paramount lot. Hawks's aviation drama shows what he built from there — the controlled, ironic masculinity that first found its register standing still while West circled him and did all the talking.
• Legacy · The Divine Miss M by Bette Midler (1972). Midler built her debut persona in the Continental Baths from exactly West's materials: vaudeville brass, bawdy patter between songs, Sophie Tucker jokes, and a knowing alliance with a gay male audience that had kept West's films alive as camp scripture. The Divine Miss M is a direct descendant of the self-aware sex-comic who treats her own sexuality as the best running gag in the act.

What influenced Mae West

• Julian Eltinge. The article identifies Eltinge as a possible influence on West’s walk. (also via The Clever Mrs. Carfax) “Her distinctive walk was said to have been inspired or influenced by female impersonators Bert Savoy and Julian Eltinge” (Wikipedia)
• Bert Savoy. The article identifies Savoy as a possible influence on West’s walk. “Her distinctive walk was said to have been inspired or influenced by female impersonators Bert Savoy and Julian Eltinge” (Wikipedia)
• Helmut Newton’s photography by Helmut Newton and André Leon Talley. Talley recalls watching West’s film with Newton and says it influenced their collaborative work. “I remember when we looked at "She Done Him Wrong," we were laughing and we were screaming and we're saying, "Look at how wonderful she walks." So I'm sure that that influenced a lot of our work that we did together, we collaborated, beca…” (American Masters | PBS)
• Ned Wayburn. Wayburn is identified as West’s former dancing teacher. “West made her first appearance in a Broadway show in 1911, at age 18, in a revue titled A La Broadway staged by her former dancing teacher, Ned Wayburn” (Wikipedia)
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles) by The Beatles; Peter Blake and Jann Haworth. The album-cover guide documents West’s image on the artwork and her eventual permission. “Mae West initially refused to allow her image to appear on the artwork. She was, after all, one of the most famous bombshells from Hollywood’s Golden Age and felt that she would never be in a lonely hearts club. However, after The Beatle…” (uDiscover Music)
• Some of These Days by Sophie Tucker. Some of These Days (Sophie Tucker) — titan for Mae West “=== Compilations === Greatest Hits (1967) (Decca DL 4942) Sophie Tucker: Origins of the Red Hot Mama, 1910–1922 (Archeophone, 2009) == Influences == Tucker's comic and singing styles are credited with influencing later female entertainer…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Elsa Schiaparelli’s perfume bottle by Elsa Schiaparelli. Talley connects West’s figure to the design of a Schiaparelli perfume bottle. “It became iconic when Schiaparelli apparently used her body, her anatomy, to make the bottle for the perfume. That shape of the bottle become a very important part of fashion.” (American Masters | PBS)
• Mrs Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw (1893). Mrs Warren's Profession (George Bernard Shaw) — culture for Mae West (wikidata.org)
• The Clever Mrs. Carfax by Julian Eltinge (1917). The Clever Mrs. Carfax (Julian Eltinge) — ghost for Mae West “Her distinctive walk was said to have been inspired or influenced by female impersonators Bert Savoy and Julian Eltinge, who were prominent during the Pansy Craze.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Empty Bed Blues by Bessie Smith (1928). Empty Bed Blues (Bessie Smith) — culture for Mae West (musicbrainz.org)
• Nobody by Bert Williams (1905). Nobody (Bert Williams) — titan for Mae West (musicbrainz.org)
• The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1895). The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde) — culture for Mae West (openlibrary.org)
• You Must Come Over by Savoy and Brennan (1919). You Must Come Over (Savoy and Brennan) — ghost for Mae West
• I Don't Care by Eva Tanguay (1922). I Don't Care (Eva Tanguay) — titan for Mae West

Peers and kindred spirits

• W. C. Fields. West starred opposite Fields in My Little Chickadee. (also via The Bank Dick) “In 1939, Universal Studios approached West to star opposite W. C. Fields in My Little Chickadee (1940).” (Wikipedia)
• Elsa Schiaparelli (1890). Schiaparelli's collaboration with Mae West inspired later perfume bottle design. (also via Elsa Schiaparelli’s perfume bottle) “She famously dressed Mae West for Every Day's a Holiday (1937) using a mannequin based on West's measurements, which inspired the torso bottle for Shocking perfume.” (Wikipedia)
• Edith Head by Edith Head. Head worked with West on Sextette after working on She Done Him Wrong. “The film reunited her with costume designer Edith Head , who had worked on She Done Him Wrong in 1933.” (Wikipedia)
• Cary Grant. West and Grant appeared in She Done Him Wrong, with West claiming she sought his casting. (also via Only Angels Have Wings) “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.” (Wikipedia)
• George Raft (1901). West appeared with Raft in Night After Night, and he suggested her for the part. “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.” (Wikipedia)
• Arch Oboler. West performed in a radio sketch written by Oboler. “Another controversial sketch aired the same night on NBC , written by Arch Oboler , and featured Don Ameche and West as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden .” (Wikipedia)
• Mike Todd. Todd produced West’s play Catherine Was Great. “Produced by theater and film impresario Mike Todd , the play ran for 191 performances before going on tour.” (Wikipedia)
• Gregory Ratoff. West starred in The Heat’s On as a favor to its director, Ratoff. “She only agreed to star as a personal favor to director Gregory Ratoff .” (Wikipedia)
• The Bank Dick by W. C. Fields (1940). The Bank Dick (W. C. Fields) — peer for Mae West “In 1940 he co-starred with Mae West in My Little Chickadee, which was awaited eagerly by movie fans.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Ian Whitcomb. Whitcomb wrote tracks included on West’s album. “Great Balls of Fire , which included covers of songs by The Doors and tracks written by English songwriter-producer Ian Whitcomb” (Wikipedia)
• Don Ameche. West and Ameche performed together as Eve and Adam in a radio sketch. “Another controversial sketch aired the same night on NBC , written by Arch Oboler , and featured Don Ameche and West as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden .” (Wikipedia)
• Edgar Bergen. West performed sketches on Bergen’s radio show. “On December 12, 1937, West appeared in two separate sketches on ventriloquist Edgar Bergen 's radio show The Chase and Sanborn Hour .” (Wikipedia)
• Rock Hudson. West performed a song with Hudson at the Academy Awards. “West appeared at the live televised Academy Awards and performed the song " Baby, It's Cold Outside " with Rock Hudson” (Wikipedia)
• Duke Ellington (1899). West arranged for Ellington and his orchestra to accompany her musical numbers. “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” (Wikipedia)
• Ed Wynn. West and Wynn starred opposite one another in Sometime. “In 1918, West gained significant attention in the Shubert Brothers revue Sometime , starring opposite Ed Wynn” (Wikipedia)
• Randolph Scott. West and Scott appeared opposite one another in Go West, Young Man. “West played opposite Randolph Scott in Go West, Young Man (1936), adapting Lawrence Riley 's Broadway hit Personal Appearance” (Wikipedia)
• Shanghai Express by Travis Banton (1932). Shanghai Express (Travis Banton) — collaborator for Mae West “Ultimately, Banton may be best remembered for forging the style of Carole Lombard, Marlene Dietrich, and Mae West.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Only Angels Have Wings by Cary Grant (1939). Only Angels Have Wings (Cary Grant) — collaborator for Mae West “The film was one of Cary Grant's early major roles, which boosted his career.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Queen of the Night Clubs by Texas Guinan (1929). Queen of the Night Clubs (Texas Guinan) — geography for Mae West “Fictional characters based on Guinan 1920s – Miss Missouri Martin, Damon Runyon's short stories about Broadway 1932 – Maudie Triplett played by Mae West, Night After Night 1939 – Panama Smith played by Gladys George, The Roaring Twenties…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Baby Face by Barbara Stanwyck (1933). Baby Face (Barbara Stanwyck) — peer for Mae West “West turned down other film roles: Vera Simpson opposite Frank Sinatra in Pal Joey (1957), played instead by Rita Hayworth; a part alongside Elvis Presley in Roustabout (1964), taken by Barbara Stanwyck; and offers from Federico Fellini …” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Man Who Came Back by Jimmy Durante (1931). The Man Who Came Back (Jimmy Durante) — geography for Mae West
• The Gay Divorcee by Edward Everett Horton (1934). The Gay Divorcee (Edward Everett Horton) — collaborator for Mae West
• My Man by Fanny Brice (1921). My Man (Fanny Brice) — geography for Mae West
• Red-Headed Woman by Jean Harlow (1932). Red-Headed Woman (Jean Harlow) — peer for Mae West

Who Mae West influenced

• Dirty Blonde. The play centers on two fans of West. “Dirty Blonde takes its title and its inspiration from Mae West who once said, 'I made myself platinum, but I was born a dirty blonde.'” (BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour)
• Mae West Lips Sofa. Dalí’s sofa is explicitly described as inspired by West. “Around this same time Dalí and James brought dramatically to life the central part of Dalí’s work, Mae West’s Face which May be Used as a Surrealist Apartment, specifically the actress’s lips in the form of a sumptuous red sofa.” (National Gallery of Victoria)
• Mae West: Dirty Blonde. The documentary takes West as its subject. “Mae West: Dirty Blonde is the first major documentary film to explore Mae West’s life and career as she “climbed the ladder of success wrong by wrong” to become a writer, performer and subversive agitator for social change.” (American Masters | PBS)
• Face of Mae West Which May Be Used as an Apartment. Dalí’s work is explicitly described as inspired by West. “In 1934–35, Dalí created a gouache composition over a photograph of Mae West cut from a commercial magazine, which he titled Mae West’s Face which May be Used as a Surrealist Apartment, now held in the collection of the Art Institute of …” (National Gallery of Victoria)
• You're the Top. The article says the song references West. “You're a boom, You're the dam at Boulder, You're the moon, Over Mae West's shoulder, I'm the nominee of the G.O.P. Or GOP!” (All The Lyrics)
• My Dress Hangs There. The article identifies Kahlo’s painting as a reference to West. “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 …” (Wikipedia)
• The Divine Miss M by Bette Midler (1972). The Divine Miss M (Bette Midler) — legacy for Mae West “West was the subject of the 2020 PBS documentary Mae West: Dirty Blonde, part of the American Masters series and produced by Bette Midler.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. The Beatles’ album cover depicts West. “West's likeness was used on the front cover of the Beatles ' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band .” (Wikipedia)
• Wild Side Story. The musical incorporates West’s comedy lines. “Several of West's comedy lines are used in the parody musical Wild Side Story (1973–2004).” (Wikipedia)
• Stand-In. Dialogue in Stand-In explicitly invokes West. “In the 1937 film Stand-In , the stage mother ( Anne O'Neal ) who has her young daughter ( Marianne Edwards ) auditioning for Dodd ( Leslie Howard ) tells her, "Now, do the Mae West number."” (Wikipedia)
• She Done Him Right. The article lists the cartoon among contemporary references to West. “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” (Wikipedia)
• Bonnie Scotland. A line in Bonnie Scotland explicitly refers to West. “In the 1935 Laurel and Hardy film Bonnie Scotland , in response to the character Mrs. Burns saying to Mr. Miggs, "The next time you drop down to Glasgow, you must come up and see me some time", Stan comments, "It's Mae West."” (Wikipedia)
• "Shocking!" perfume bottle. Mae West's figure directly inspired the perfume bottle design. “Her best-known perfume was " Shocking! " (1936), contained in a bottle sculpted by Leonor Fini in the shape of a woman's torso inspired by Mae West 's tailor's dummy and Dalí paintings of flower-sellers.” (Wikipedia)
• Erotica by Madonna (1992). Erotica (Madonna) — legacy for Mae West “Guilty Pleasures: Feminist Camp from Mae West to Madonna.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• RuPaul's Drag Race by RuPaul (2009). RuPaul's Drag Race (RuPaul) — legacy for Mae West (themoviedb.org)
• Dolly Parton (1946). She Done Him Wrong (Mae West) — culture for Dolly Parton (via She Done Him Wrong) (themoviedb.org)