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1、美国名人演员编剧歌手剧作家梅韦斯特MaeWest,1893-1980:TheWildWomanofFilmandStageplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:28repeatByDanaDemange2008-11-22VOICEONE:mBarbaraKlein.VOICETWO:AndImSteveEmberwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutfilmactressMaeWest.Shewasalsoawriter;producerandbusinesswoman.Thesexualnatur
2、eofherlifeandartrepresentedherliberalandoftendisputedideas.HerfunnyjokeshavebecomepartofthelanguageofAmericanpopularculture.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:MaeWestMaeWestwasborninBrooklyn,NewYorkineighteenninety-three.Herfather,JohnWest,hadseveraljobsbutstartedhiscareerasacompetitivefighter.Maesmother,Matilda,playe
3、danimportantroleindevelopingherdaughterscareerasanentertainer.Maestartedtoperforminlocaltheatergroupsasayoungchild.Bynineteen-oh-sevenshewaspartofanationalvaudevilletourthatperformedacrossthecountry.Vaudevillewasatheatricalshowwithseveralentertainersperformingsongs,dancesandjokes.Vaudevillewasverypo
4、pularintheUnitedStatesduringtheearlynineteenhundreds.WhenMaeWestwasabouteighteenyearsoldshestartedperformingonBroadway,thefamoustheaterareaofNewYorkCity.SheappearedinmanymusicalshowssuchasHello,ParisandAIaBroadway.ForthenextfifteenyearsshesanganddancedinbothBroadwayandvaudevilleshows.VOICETWO:Inthem
5、iddlenineteentwenties,MaeWeststartedtowrite,produceandactinherownplays.Shealsostartedtocreatethesexualjokesthatwouldmakeherfamous-andalsogetherintotrouble.HerfirstBroadwayplaywascalledSex.Theplaywasverypopular;butsoonclosedtemporarily.CityofficialsputMaeWestinjailformorethanaweek.Thepolicearrestedhe
6、rbecausetheysaidtheplaywasnotmoral.MaeWestknewthatthisincidentwouldmakeheranationalsuccess-anditdid.ServingtimeinjaildidnotstopWestfromwritingmoreplaysorcausingnewdisputesovertheirsexuallysuggestivesubjectmatter.Infact,shesaidthatshelearnedfromherjailexperience.Shesaidthepeopleshemetinjailinfluenced
7、thecharactersshelatercreated.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:MaeWestwrotemanykindsOftheatricalproductions,butsomedetailsremainedthesame.Herhumorwasoftensexual.Butherjokeshadtwomeanings.Herstatementswerehumorousandintelligentbecausetheycouldbeunderstoodintwodifferentways.Shewasalsofunnybecauseshegreatlyoverstatedher
8、sexynatureandloveformen.MaeWestalwaysplayedtheroleofayoungandstrongwoman.Shealsomadesurethatshealwayshadthebiggestrole.Shewantedeveryonetoknowshewasthestarandshewasincharge.VOICETWO:OneofhermostfamousplayswascalledDiamondLil.MaeWestmadecarefulchoiceswhenwritingthisplaysothatitwouldbepopularwithawide
9、audience.ShesettheplayinafamousNewYorkCityareacalledtheBowery.Audiencesknewthehistoryofthisdangerousarea.Westalsohadthestorytakeplaceinthelatenineteenthcentury.Sheknewthattheclothingfromthisperiodlookedgoodonherlargeandcurvybody.Shethoughtthatolderpeoplewouldlikethetimeperiod.Femaleaudienceswouldlik
10、eherrichclothing.Andyoungerpeoplewouldliketheplaysactionandsexystyle.WestplaysasingernamedLilwhoworksinasaloon,apublicdrinkingplace.Shewalksaroundinverytight,shinydresses.Shehasshiny,golden,wavyhair.Shewearsdiamondjewelsandlargehats.Shehasmanyloversandadventures.VOICEONE:DiamondLilwasabigsuccess.Itw
11、asperformedmorethanthreehundredtimesonBroadway.Thenitwasperformedalloverthecountry.LilbecamethemostrepresentativeexampleofMaeWestscharacters.Itwasaroleshewouldplaymanytimesinherlife.DiamondLilshowsthewayMaeWestappearedinmanyofherproductions,andeveninreallife.MaeWestoncesaid:ItisntwhatIdo,buthowIdoit
12、.ItisntwhatIsay,buthowIsayitzandhowIlookwhenIdoitandsayit.VOICETWO:Afterthestockmarketcrashofnineteentwenty-nine,MaeWestfacedadifficultperiod.Manytheaterscouldnolongerremainopeninthistimeofeconomicdepression.Shealsohadtodealwithlegalbattlesoverthedisputedsubjectsofherplays.Herlatestmusicalwasafailur
13、eonBroadway.And,innineteenthirtyhermotherdied.ItwassoontimeforMaeWesttomakeachange.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Innineteenthirty-twoMaeWestmovedtoHollywood,Californiatostartherfilmcareer.HerfirstfilmwascalledNightAfterNight.Atfirst,MaeWesthadrefusedtobeinthefilmbecauseshewasnotsatisfiedwithhercharacter.Butthepro
14、ducerallowedhertorewritepartsofthestory.Westhelpedgivethefilmaspecialhumorandexcitement.ThenextyearshestarredinthemovieSheDoneHimWrong.Thiswasthefilmversionofhersuccessfulplay,DiamondLil.Butmakingthismoviewasnoteasy.TheHaysOfficehadforbiddenseveralofMaeWestsplayssuchasDiamondLilfrombeingmadeintomovi
15、es.TheHaysOfficewasinchargeofenforcingasevereproductioncode.ThiscodecontrolledwhatwasconsideredmorallyacceptablesubjectmatterforAmericanmovies.VOICETWO:Tomakethismovie,theproducerschangedthenameoftheplayanditscharacters.AndMaeWestbroughtherintelligencetothefilm.ShecreatedsexystatementsthattheHaysOff
16、icehadtoaccept.Insteadofdirectsexualcomments,sheperfectedhersexuallysuggestivejokes.Inthisfilm,CaryGrantplaystheroleofMaeWestsmainloveinterest,CaptainCummings.ThisisoneofCaryGrantsearliestroles.HesoonbecameabigHollywoodstar.InthisscenefromthemoviezMaeWestmakeshermostfamousstatement.Hercharacter;Lady
17、LouzisinlovewithCaptainCummings.Sheistryingtogethimtocomeupandseeher.1.ADYLOU:Youknow,Ialwaysdidlikeamaninauniform.Thatonefitsyougrand.Whydontyoucomeupsometimeandseeme.mhomeeveryevening.CAPTAINCUMMINGS:mbusyeveryevening.1.ADYLOU:Busy?Sowhatareyoutryingtodo,insultme?CAPTAINCUMMINGS:Whyno!Notatall.mju
18、stbusy,thatsall.Yousee,wereholdingmeetingsinJacobsensHalleveryevening.Anytimeyouhaveamomenttospare,dbegladtohaveyoudropin.Youremorethanwelcome.1.ADYLOU:Iheardyou.Butyouaintkiddingmeany.Youknow,vemetyourkindbefore.Whydontyoucomeupsometime,huh?CAPTAINCUMMINGS:Well,I.1.ADYLOU:Dontbeafraid,Iwonttell.Com
19、eup,lltellyourfortune.VOICEONE:ThismoviemadeMaeWestagreatsuccess,Whydontyoucomeupandseemesometimebecameoneofthemostfamousstatementsinfilmhistory.Foraperiod,shewasoneofthehighestpaidfemaleentertainersinAmerica.SomeexpertssayhermovieshelpedsavetheproductioncompanyParamountPicturesfromfinancialruin.Aud
20、iencesallovertheworldeitherlovedorhatedthiswildwoman.MaeWestbothstarredinandwrotehernextfilm,TmNoAngel.Sheplayedacircusperformer.Asalways,hercharacterdrivesmencrazywithdesire.Whenthefilmopened,itbrokerecordsforattendanceandprofits.HereisMaeWestperformingthethemesongofthismovie.(MUSIC:ImNoAngel)VOICE
21、TWO:MaeWestcontinuedtomakefilms-andtrouble-throughoutthenineteenthirtiesandearlyforties.Criticssaythiswasthemostexcitingpartofhercareer.Theysaythatafterthisperiod,sheonlyrepeatedherself.Whileshehadoffersforfilms,sherefusedtoplaytheroleofanolderorweakwoman.Westcontinuedtoactonstage,wrotebooksandappea
22、redontelevision.Attheageofeighty-fiveshestarredinafilmcalledSextette.Notsurprisingly,MaeWestplayedasexywomanthatmencouldnotresist.Somecriticsdismissedthefilm.Otherspraisedherspiritforneversurrenderingtooldageonfilm.Twoyearslater,MaeWestdiedatherhomeinCalifornia.Shewaseighty-seven.VOICEONE:MaeWestrem
23、ainsoneofthemostfamousandliberatedactressesinAmericanfilmandstagehistory.Sheusedheryellowhair,playfulvoice,andshapelybodytocreateawholenewkindofHollywoodstar.Shewasastrongwomanwhokeptcarefulartisticcontroloverherwork.Herindependence,humorandsexynaturecontinuetoinfluenceperformerstoday.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyDanaDemange.mSteveEmber.VOICEONE:AndmBarbaraKlein.JoinusagainnextweekforPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.
