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Truly a star ahead of her time, Mae West was born in New York in 1893. She began as a playwright and courted scandal for her play called Sex, released in 1926. Her film career began in 1932, with a bit part in Night After Night. However, after West had rewritten her role she stole every scene in the movie. For an America going through the 30s depression, West's independent and risqué performances were enjoyed by the public and railed against by the censors. After her first starring role in She Done Him Wrong, each of her films was attacked more and more by the moralists. West retired from the screen after making just nine movies, but such had been their success that she had dragged a near bankrupt Paramount back into profit.
