Mae West in "Go West Young Man", a film directed by Henry Hathaway 1936. Public Domain.
Mae West was an actor, singer, and playwright who courted controversy during her career. She was mostly known for salacious scripts and provocative outfits, but she also wrote plays with gay characters which drew fire from many quarters.
West’s career started in Vaudeville. She eventually made it to Broadway, but continued performing in night clubs as well. In 1926 “Sex,” a play she wrote, produced, and starred in, premiered and had a successful but controversial run. The New York “Society for Suppression of Vice” was not pleased and petitioned city officials and police to shut the show down.
On April 19, 1927 West was arrested with the cast of the play and sentenced to 10 days in jail for “corrupting the morals of the youth”. She served 8 days and was released for “good behavior.” West continued performing on stage and broke into films in the 30s. While they were successful, her work was scrutinized closely by censors as the film industry grew.
One of West’s most famous quotes was “I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it.”
Sources:
The Self-Created Immortality of Mae West- Criterion
Her Perfect Refuge- Life