# Can anyone confirm this Mae West anecdote? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2016, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389 "2016-02-07T05:28:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/1 "2016-02-07T05:28:17Z")
Years ago, an mature/elderly gay man (the type of guy who WOULD know all about Mae West) told me an anecdote about her that I’ve never seen corroborated anywhere else. It certainly does sound like a stunt Mae West would pull, so I am hesitant to just dismiss it as a mere story. But I’ve never seen an account that would corroborate it. Did anyone else hear this story? Any cites for it? Anyway, a reporter from a prestigious magazine is doing a profile on her. This would be the 40s or early 50s, when Mae was well-established as a cultural icon. The reporter arrives at her manor in the Hollywood Hills. A secretary greets him at the door and informs him that “Ms. West is expecting you. She will be ready to see you in just a few moments. Won’t you come this way?” The secretary ushers the reporter into a small waiting room, informs him she’ll come to get him when Ms. West is ready and shuts the door. The only furnishing in the room is a single bench along one wall. As he sits, he sees the only decoration in the room - a life-sized photographic portrait of the one and only Ms. West, framed and hung on the wall directly opposite the bench. In this enormous photographic print, Ms. West is wearing a huge southern belle style hat, a smile…and nothing else. Nada, not a stitch. The reporter spends ten minutes seated on the bench before this very risqué (for its time) portrait. Finally the secretary opens the doors and announces “Ms. West is ready for you now.” Without a word about the portrait, the secretary leads the reporter into a parlor, where Mae is awaiting. The secretary leaves them. The reporter sits across from Mae. Mae looks the reporter in the eye, smiles, and says… “So what did you think of the hat???” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/2 "2016-02-07T22:26:33Z")
I guess not. Pity. I so wanted this to turn out to be true.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/3 "2016-02-07T23:59:01Z")
That West displayed a nude portrait of herself seems to be well-documented. I found this in _Mae West: Empress of Sex_, by Maurice Leonard, page 114-15. > [@](#): > > She liked the Ravenswood apartment and had no plans to abandon it for a Bel Air mansion. She did, however, refurbish it. It was carpeted in white and furnished with French-style gilt and ormolu. A few pieces were genuine, other reproductions; who cared so long as it all looked right? She installed a grand piano, and had it repainted white and gold, with pastoral scenes brightened its panels. She commissioned a nude portrait of herself - her body so streamlined by the artist that the only link with reality was certain resemblance to her face. This was hung in the living room. > > The portrait was in Spanish style and a monkey is included in the composition, squatting near Mae and erotically contemplating her. She had heard that some of the grand Spanish ladies of the past had kept monkeys as pets, the theory being that the ugliness of the monkey would enhance her own beauty. I also found this: > [@](#): > > the first time - Page 280 > karl fleming & anne taylor fleming - 1976 - ‎Snippet view - ‎More editions > Mae West entertainer Born August 17, 1892, Brooklyn, N. Y. The living room of the capacious apartment she has lived in … white walls; and a white-framed Rubenesque nude portrait of herself, done in 1934, that hangs above the white sofa. The time period appears to be early, after her first success in Hollywood. No reason why she wouldn’t keep the portrait around; but if I were going to feature the portrait in an anecdote I sure wouldn’t have left out the monkey. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/4 "2016-02-08T00:28:24Z")
Speaking of Mae West, why is “come up and see me sometime” such a famous line? I’ve always wondered. The other oft-quoted ones I understand, for the most part. I read her autobio recently (nothing about the hat story there, btw) and I didn’t understand any better afterward. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/5 "2016-02-08T00:35:46Z")
A single woman in 1933 did not invite unescorted men up to her room at night. “See me” is a euphemism for “have sex.” It’s quite clear from her looks and intonation that that’s what it meant (the fact that it was Cary Grant she said it to made it even more risque in retrospect). It was adapted from her original play “Diamond Lil,” which got her arrested in New York and was scandalous. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/6 "2016-02-08T00:44:27Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > “So what did you think of the hat???” He should have said “What hat?” ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/7 "2016-02-08T00:54:44Z")
> [@AppallingGael](#): > > Speaking of Mae West, why is “come up and see me sometime” such a famous line? I’ve always wondered. The other oft-quoted ones I understand, for the most part. Trivia note: One of Mae West’s most popular catchphrases, _“Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”_ was never spoken by her in any film prior to the 1970’s. She did speak the line in the 1978 film _Sextette_ (her final performance) but that was long after the phrase had become an established meme. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/8 "2016-02-08T01:24:58Z")
For the record, here’s what she really said: “Why don’t you come up some time and see me?” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/9 "2016-02-08T01:37:44Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > He should have said “What hat?” No he shouldn’t have, as that’s her implication. If he said it, it deflates the creativity of the joke, it’s one step too far. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/10 "2016-02-08T02:49:00Z")
Tallulah Bankhead was known to naked when people visited her home so it is possible facts about the two women are merged into one story. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/11 "2016-02-08T03:35:03Z")
And apparently liked to do it well past the age she should’ve stopped, ifyouknowwhatImean. I read (Hollywood Babylon, IIRC, so take it with a some salt) that one of those times a lady friend said, “Tallulah, dear, you have such lovely frocks. Perhaps you could put one on.” I’ve heard the MW story in the OP before, but I like trashy rumors. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/12 "2016-02-08T03:36:20Z")
It sounds like a Joan Crawford anecdote. Except a Joan Crawford anecdote would end with Crawford fucking the reporter right there on the floor. – Ukulele Ike, _channelling Bette Davis_ ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-this-mae-west-anecdote/745389/13 "2016-02-08T04:50:30Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > And apparently liked to do it well past the age she should’ve stopped, ifyouknowwhatImean. I read (Hollywood Babylon, IIRC, so take it with a some salt) that one of those times a lady friend said, “Tallulah, dear, you have such lovely frocks. Perhaps you could put one on.” I’ve heard the MW story in the OP before, but I like trashy rumors. Favorite quote from Tallulah Bankhead. While performing the play “Skin of Our Teeth” with Montgomery Clift, a reporter asked Ms. Bankhead if Clift was gay. Bankhead’s answer: “Gee, I dunno! He never tried to suck MY dick!”