West, Mae (1892-1980), was an American actress who became famous for the humorous, bawdy sexuality of her stage and motion-picture performances. The success of her films She Done Him Wrong and I’m No Angel (both 1933) resulted in the Motion Picture Production Code to regulate the content of movies. To avoid having her material banned by the film censors, West spoke in double meanings, often cleverly parodying attitudes on sex. She became famous for such suggestive lines as “Why don’t you come up sometime and see me” from She Done Him Wrong.
Mary Jane West was born on Aug. 17, 1892, in the Brooklyn, New York. She worked in vaudeville and in stage revues from the age of 5. Her hit stage appearances in the 1920’s brought her to Hollywood. In the first of her 12 films, Night After Night (1932), she displayed the wit and skill with racy wisecracks that won her world fame. Her other films include Belle of the Nineties (1934) and My Little Chickadee (1940). West wrote an autobiography called Goodness Had Nothing to Do with It (1959). She died on Nov. 22, 1980.
