Customer Reviews

Mae West

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This lavishly printed coffee table picture book was put together with great care by Tim Malachosky, Mae West's personal assistant of 10 years. Tim draws upon his conversations with Miss West and keeps his comments on the upbeat and positive side. There are no startling or profound observations to be found here, however Tim has reproduced several photographs that have never been published before. The photographs alone are worth the purchase price of the book. While Miss West had several other "personal" secretaries over the years - all male, there are many other stories that can be told and ultimately will. However, until they are, this pictorial tribute to the memory of Miss West will keep fans and West fanatacs happy.

In the ensuing ten years since I originally published this review several revelations have come to light which I feel must be shared. Tim Malachosky was approached by James Greene who convinced him that he should utilize the vast photographs in his private archive. Greene was not a film historian, as originally stated, but an ardent Mae West fan. Malachosky had originally envisioned text to accompany many of the never before published photographs written in the voice of West herself. Greene bristled at this suggestion and the end result fell far short of Malachosky's vision for the project.

During a recent interview, Malachosky stated that he felt pushed into publishing such a project on a grand scale. Several publishers were approached, but all declined due to the potentially great cost of the undertaking. Eventually, Malachosky decided to take the risk and self publish the book under his own imprint, Empire Publishing. The finished project was beautifully printed at a cost of $55 per book with an initial press run of 1,000 books.

Unfortunately for Malachosky, the timing for this venture was off, as he was not fully versed in using the internet to properly promote his book which could have possibly sold out its initial press run to die hard Mae West fans. Compounding this problem. James Greene suffered a concussion and died very suddenly, leaving Tim with a very serious cash flow problem. He was only able to pay off the printer when he made a sale, and at a selling price of $85 dollars a copy, quite expensive at the time, but well worth the cost, sales were hard come by. The printer threatened to destroy the remaining 900 or so unsold copies, but they eventually were placed in storage and were eventually sold at great loss and are currently popping up on eBay from a vendor who purchased the entire set of unsold copies.

Although this experience did not have the happy ending Tim Malachosky had envisioned, he still takes pride in the fact that he was able honor Mae West on the 100th anniversary of her birth. Some reviewers of Malachosky's tribute have focused on the shortcomings of his prose, but in the very near future he will be given the forum to expand upon his recollections being in close contact with Miss West.

Whilst the text is slight this is easily forgiven for the amazing impact of the presentation and scale of this must-have book for every Mae West fan. I love this book and return to it often. It is huge, beautifully produced and full of the most marvellous photographs of Miss West, many in full colour. Tim clearly adored her and this shines through in the text. Having met him I know his love was and still is very real and his efforts on Miss West's behalf have continued long after her passing. I have also met a number of those who knew Tim in his days when he served Miss West and they have all paid tribute to his unstinting love and devotion. Well done, Tim, and thanks for everything, including this lovely tribute book. Thanks too for your kindness and generosity to me on my various trips to LA.

This book is simply a wonderful and personal tribute to the fabulous Miss Mae West - it is packed with the most sin-sational photographs you are ever likely to see, and is a glorious over-sized coffee table extravaganza... it is simply a delight to own and leaf through. Tim should not only be praised for his book, but for his commitment to Miss West and her memory. His exhibits at the Hollywood History Musuem need to be seen to be believed, and having met Tim and others who knew him during his work with Miss West I would recommend this book to ANYONE with an interest in this special star. As she herself said 'It is better to be looked over than overlooked' and I for one am so glad Tim has taken the time to look over his own photographs and memories to share them with us all. Well done Tim - hope to see you again sometime soon!

Do not be swayed by reviewers with personal agendas or call yourself a true Mae West fan if you don't own this book! A treat for both the eye and heart, it's generously crammed with high-quality pictures of the late, great West throughout her career and in all her glamorous glory. Look closely: many of the photos were personally inscribed to the author. It's not intended as a research project or biography but as an oversized coffee-table homage to one of the most "fascinatin'" women who ever lived. If you love West, then do yourself a favor, get up off your nickels, and snag yourself a copy. As West herself once said, "He who hesitates is last".

The voluptuous Mae West - so famed for her ultra-hourglass figure that a World War II life jacket was nicknamed after her - was, IMHO, the first great sex symbol of cinema after sound came in and closed the curtain on the era of the silent movie. She built an image through her career on stage and screen - the lusty woman who unapologetically loves sex - that got her in trouble with bluenoses all her life and keeps her a truly iconic figure to this day.

People looking for "dirt" on West will have to look somewhere else, as Tim Malachosky, West's private secretary for some ten years, wrote this book as a tribute to his employer and friend. The text is affectionate and entertaining, though, as other reviewers have also noted, no startling revelations are contained herein. The heart and soul of the book, however, is the photograph collection - which is truly dazzling, from the stunning front cover (depicting West in a reprise of her famous "Diamond Lil" role in 1946) to the back cover. Many of these pictures have never before been published, and they display Ms. West, in color and black-and-white, from beginning to end of her life and career. The limited-edition format (only 2,000 copies, with each copy numbered and signed by the author and his collaborator) presents the imagery in a hugely oversize format (something like 12" x 15"), printed on high-quality paper, and truly does justice to the photographs, many of which are reproduced in full-page format.

There will probably never be another printing of this book, so if you can afford the price, buy it today.

This book is spectacular. Tim did a great job and I treasure it. I think the one bad review of this that I read was by some "damon" guy, who must have multiple personalities or be off medication. Everybody knows who Tim is! :) Just ignore the fool, and consider yourself lucky if you have this great book!

This book will embarrass the reader, as it is written in such a juvenile manner. All info in it is erroneously written as if it were told directly to the author by Mae West, when in reality it is a simple combination of research taken from several other Mae West bios. The author claims to have been a close personal friend and secretary of Mae Wests, which has since been wildly refuted by readers and many of Wests real secretaries of the time. Some very rare photos, but most can be found in any store on Hollywood Blvd. The book is incredibly over priced as well.