Mae West

Known for her bawdy double entendres, West made a name for herself in vaudeville and on the stage in New York City before moving to Hollywood to become a comedian, actress, and writer in the motion picture industry.

Her first starring role on Broadway was in a 1926 play she entitled Sex, which she wrote, produced, and directed. Although critics panned the show, ticket sales were good. The production did not go over well with city officials, and the theater was raided, with West arrested along with the cast. She was taken to the Jefferson Market Court House, (now Jefferson Market Library), where she was prosecuted on morals charges and, on April 19, 1927, was sentenced to ten days for “corrupting the morals of youth.” While incarcerated on Welfare Island (now known as Roosevelt Island), she dined with the warden and his wife; she told reporters that she had worn her silk panties while serving time. (source Wikipedia)

Entries in “1927: The Diary of Myles Thomas”

The Weekend  (April 18, 1927)

Sex in the City  (May 31, 1927)
Mae West is an intimidating dame. She just got finished doing a short stint in prison because of a play she wrote and acted in.
The play was called “Sex” — that’s the whole title, and most of the plot. It’s about a prostitute played by Mae (of course) who falls in love with a young well-to-do from Southampton. The details are hard to follow — since Mae’s not exactly George Bernard Shaw — but eventually it turns out that in Mae’s world being a whore, while nobody’s first choice, isn’t the worst thing a gal can do with her life.