Mae West

Mae West first started entertaining crowds as a vaudeville performer in talent contests as a youth in New York City. In in her 20s, she began writing plays under the pen name Jane Mast. In 1918, West stared in the hit Broadway play Sex, which she also wrote, produced, and directed. This performance led to her arrest on “morals” charges. West began her movie career at age 38, starring in Night After Night in 1932 and She Done Him Wrong in 1933, as well as several other hit films of the 1930s. After her cinema career faded, West returned to the stage. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honors West’s achievements.