Hollywood (Jan - Oct 1934)

Mae West's Persona A fascinating revelation of the private life and character of the screen's most glamorous personality by the one who knows her best ! To Begin With, Libby Taylor isn't just an ordinary personal maid. She's an actress, and although Mae West pays Libby a maid's salary, she would be the first to tell you that Libby is an actress, and a good one! Years ago, before Mae West became MAE WEST, Libby worked with her on the stage. It is true that it was Mae West's company but Mae isn't the type to ever say "She worked for me" — it's always "with me." Not so long ago, Libby needed a job and Mae needed a maid so they merged their wants and Libby went to work for Mae. Whether or not Libby is a good maid is hard to say. It isn't easy to imagine that the efficient Mae would even need a maid. Can you imagine Mae going hungry because the cook walked out? Neither can you imagine Mae going uncoiffed because the hair dresser failed to show up. But, we weren't discussing the virtues of a maid. We were letting the maid discuss the virtues of a mistress, or "Muh Madam" as Libby fondly calls Mae West. Mae West designed every bit of furniture in her bedroom. A color scheme of gold, green and a very delicate shade of pink is carried out in everything in the room, pillows, drapes, counterpane, upholstery— even the picture frames and toilet articles. Although Mae is very tiny and dainty, she does not surround herself with dainty articles. She likes big things, "Something you can get your hands on," she explains. She has large perfume bottles, large cream jars, large powder boxes. Her daintiness running to materials and colors only. Mae West always has her breakfast in bed, dressed in one of her many pretty negligees, with lacy pillows behind her back. "An' is she a pitcha foh ya eye?" Don't ask Libby unless you really want to know, "Yes suh!" • Libby explains that her greatest task in the morning is to keep Mae in a good mood, because if "Ah don't she kain't think up funny things to say, an' you knows she says funny things." For breakfast Mae, according to Libby, has mostly fruits, a little toast, maybe a little egg or creamed chicken and coffee. She always has a good appetite and is not particular about how the tray looks provided there's plenty on it. After breakfast, she wise-cracks all the way to the bathroom. She prefers a tub bath with plenty of hot water, scented soap and oodles of bath salts. And Libby thinks that's all right, "Ah likes 'em mah self 'couse they smells so good." Libby is worried about one thing, though, and that is how anyone can take a bath every morning and never say the same things twice, and yet say such smart and original things. We go Libby one better and wonder how anyone can keep up such an original line of wise-cracks— bath or no bath! If Mae is to spend the morning at home, she doesn't dress. She wears a negligee and we take Libby's word for it that it's "Moah comfoble like and relaxin'." And Libby's Madam never puts on makeup unless she is going out. "She doan need none to make huh pretty. She's jes natchurally beautiful, she is, like peaches with cream poared ovah 'em." In this negligee, Mae does her home work of okaying bills, dictating letters or writing. At one time she wrote all her own material and only let the secretary copy it. That proved to be too slow and too hard work. Now she dictates everything — stories, novels and even the dialogue for her picture. This gives her much more time and she also says that it makes it a little more natural just to "talk it off" than it does to sit down with a pencil and try to figure it out. Don't we, who think we can write, wish we had a gift like that? It's a gift given only to a favored few! • When I asked Libby what Mae does in her spare time, I received what I call a dirty look— and I deserved it. With a lifted eye-brow Libby replied, "Dat woman ain't got no spah time. If she ain't makin' a pitchah, den she's writin' huh next one, and if she ain't writin' a pitchah, she's writin' a story or a book or some dialogue or somethin.' Sometimes she likes to go ridin' in huh cah, or to a show and everyone knows how she dotes on prizefights, but that ain't spah time — that's jes time! Ah couse, she goes to church, an' to see sick folks a lot an' tries to hep folks get work but she doan call that wastin' huh time." Libby Taylor, Mae West's persona! maid, also is an actress. She appears with Mae (at the right) in I'm No Angel \ 32 HOLLYWOOD