History Daily — Saturday Matinee: Art of Crime

Episode Date: September 20, 2025
Host: Lindsay Graham (History Daily); Gavin Whitehead (Art of Crime)

Episode Overview

This compelling crossover matinee spotlights the infamous story of Mae West—Broadway provocateur, playwright, and future Hollywood icon—whose 1926 play "Sex" titillated audiences, outraged censors, and ultimately landed the star in jail. Through a vivid narrative crafted by Gavin Whitehead, the episode traces West's early career, her ambition to shock and challenge societal norms, and the broader context of censorship in 1920s New York. It’s a rich, engaging journey through art, controversy, and the price of daring to defy convention.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Mae West’s Provocation (03:00–08:00)

• Early Inspiration:

  • Mae West’s desire to depict marginalized figures, especially after witnessing a sex worker in 1924, led her to craft “Sex,” which would serve as both her vehicle to stardom and her entry into controversy.
  • Quote (Mae West recalling the encounter):
    • “I kept thinking 50 cents. How many guys would she have to have to pay her rent, buy her food?” (04:24)

• Rise to Fame:

  • West’s stage debut as "Baby Mae" revealed her innate fearlessness and talent for mimicry, setting her on a trajectory toward provocative stardom.

2. Vaudeville, Broadway, and the Infamous Shimmy (08:00–15:30)

• Broadway Antics & Disaster:

  • Her penchant for upstaging led to the notorious Hyperion Theatre riot, confirming that controversy, for West, was both occupational hazard and calling card.
  • Notable quote capturing her self-awareness:
    • “When I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better.” (~15:00)

• Cultural Influence:

  • West popularized the "shimmy" on Broadway—previously considered too risqué—merging her appreciation for Black art forms with her talent for provocation.
  • “She touched off a shimmy sensation in 1918 when she performed it on Broadway.” (~15:18)

3. Writing "Sex": Scandal and the Struggle to Stage It (21:59–33:40)

• Play Development:

  • West, fueled by curiosity and personal experience, adapted an outline about a sex worker into “Sex”—a mixture of drama and comedy, tackling taboos but relatively modest by modern standards.
  • The protagonist, Margie Lamont, is empowered—a nuanced portrayal that asks the audience to root for her ingenuity and survival.
  • Memorable monologue from Margie, subverting victimhood:
    • “Why, ever since I've been old enough to know sex, I've looked at men as hunters... I began to hate every one of them, hated them, used them for what I could get out of them, and then laughed at them.” (29:28)

• Obstacles to Production:

  • No established actors or directors wanted to be associated with such a play; West largely self-financed and cast unknowns, eventually landing a small venue willing to risk it.

• Reception:

  • While critics panned the writing as “street sweepings and cabaret sentimentality” (~34:45), West’s performance drew raves and shocked audiences.
  • Variety’s Jack Conway called her, “the Babe Ruth of stage prosties,” urging, “Grab a look see. And don’t forget to bring along your sweatshirt. You’ll need it.” (~35:00)

4. Moral Crusaders and the Battle for Broadway (33:40–46:20)

• Broadway’s “Dirt Plays”:

  • "Sex" was part of a larger trend that alarmed authority figures, like John Saxton Sumner of the Society for the Suppression of Vice.
  • The city’s solution was the creation of a theater "plagiary"—twelve citizens who reviewed shows for moral acceptability.

• Dodging Censorship:

  • West cleverly prepared two versions of her play: a tamer "jury" version and the real, riskier version for everyone else. She barely made it through the review process.

5. Sex, The Drag, and Escalating Crackdowns (39:26–53:07)

• West and Gay Culture:

  • Inspired by the “pansy craze,” West wrote “The Drag,” a play about homosexuality that, through its drag ball centerpiece, celebrated gay nightlife but stoked moral panic.

• Final Straw for Authorities:

  • The city’s moral authorities connected “Sex” and “The Drag,” seeing both as part of Broadway’s decadence.
  • All three major “dirt plays” (“Sex,” “The Captive,” “The Virgin Man”) were raided on February 9, 1927.

• The Raid and Arrest:

  • Police shut down “Sex” mid-performance, arresting West, her managerial team, and cast.
  • Mae West’s theatrical defiance:
    • She asked for a moment to change costumes, then greeted the assembled crowd outside with waves and blown kisses. (~49:11)

6. The Trial, Conviction, and Mae West’s Time in Jail (53:07–60:00)

• The Trial:

  • Prosecutors claimed the immorality lay in West’s performance—especially her Trinidad “shimmy.”

  • Memorable courtroom moment:

    • Prosecutor: “[West] moved her navel up and down and from right to left.”
    • Defense: Could the sergeant perform the dance for the jury? (Objection sustained.) (~56:00)

  • The jury, urged by the judge to convict if they found even a single obscene act, found West guilty after initial deadlock.

  • West’s response:

    • “You've got to fight in this world. You've got to fight to get there and fight to stay there.” (~58:30)
    • On her sentence: “I expect it will be The Making of Me.” (~59:40)

• Incarceration:

  • West was treated as a celebrity by fellow inmates and enjoyed certain privileges, such as her own cell and visits with the warden.
  • She donated her $1,000 Liberty Magazine fee to improve the prison’s library.

7. Aftermath: Censorship, Legacy, and West’s Resilience (60:00–63:41)

• The Wales Padlock Act:

  • Spurred by the controversy, New York quickly passed a law barring "immoral drama," which would haunt artists and producers for years.

• On Profiting from Censorship:

  • West, characteristically irreverent:
    • “I believe in censorship. After all, I made a fortune out of it.” (~63:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I kept thinking 50 cents. How many guys would she have to have to pay her rent, buy her food?” — Mae West, reflecting on the sex worker that inspired "Sex" (04:24)

• “When I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better.” — Mae West (~15:00)

• “Why, ever since I've been old enough to know sex, I've looked at men as hunters... I began to hate every one of them, hated them, used them for what I could get out of them, and then laughed at them.” — Margie Lamont, Mae West’s character in "Sex" (29:28)

• Review quote: “We were shown not sex but lust. Stark naked lust.” — Play critic (34:45)

• Variety’s Jack Conway: “The Babe Ruth of stage prosties... Grab a look see. And don’t forget to bring along your sweatshirt. You’ll need it.” (~35:00)

• “You’ve got to fight in this world. You’ve got to fight to get there and fight to stay there.” — Mae West after sentencing (58:30)

• “I expect it will be The Making of Me.” — Mae West on her impending jail sentence (59:40)

• “I believe in censorship. After all, I made a fortune out of it.” — Mae West, reflecting on her controversial fame (~63:30)

Suggested Listening Timestamps

• Mae West’s First Encounter with a Sex Worker & Inspiration for “Sex” — 03:00–07:00
• Stage Antics & Riot at the Hyperion Theatre — 12:00–17:00
• Development, Staging, and Content of “Sex” — 21:59–33:40
• The “Dirt Play” Backlash & Launch of Censorship — 33:40–46:20
• Creation and Reception of “The Drag” & Broadway Panic — 39:26–53:07
• Mae West’s Arrest, the Spectacle, and Trial — 53:07–59:40
• Mae West in Jail and the Aftermath — 59:40–63:41

Summary Takeaway

Through the saga of "Sex," Mae West harnessed scandal to cement her cultural legacy, exposing the hypocrisies of moral guardians and laying bare society’s discomfort with female sexuality and artistic freedom. Her story—by turns comic, tragic, and inspiring—remains a study in how art, controversy, and censorship shape public life and personal destiny. As West herself noted, the battle for visibility and voice remains a fight: “You’ve got to fight to get there and fight to stay there.”