Actress, writer, flamboyant- these are just the start to a long list of words that describe Mae West. She not only enticed but challenged morality through movies and plays. Her actions and words were anything but the norm during the years of the Great depression. Mae West was a controversial actress and play writer for her time and opened up views to scandalous topics which changed the face of media today. Mae West made a debut on Hal Clarendon’s theatrical company. This company was located in New York. Mae began here in 1901. In the early years if her career she was known for her adolescent roles. Starting at the early age of fourteen, she was performing on the national Vaudeville. She made her career here by being an acrobatic dancer and performing as a singer. (Mae West) …show more content…
Starring in her first play, she played the role of a prostitute. The play ran for over three hundred performances. Mae soon was jailed for obscenity and corruption of public morals. Due to all of the publicity she was receiving for her ten days spent in jail, her next two plays had much success. Her career boomed. She was in screenplays with varying leading men, was offered a large quantity of money in a contract from Paramount, and stole the show in everything she stared in. Her success was based on her risqué actions. Slogans such as "Here's Mae West. When she's good, she's very good. When she's bad, she's better," became