Mae West and the Count: Love and Loss on the Vaudeville Stage

“Mae West and the Count – Love and Loss on the Vaudeville Stage” by Guido Roberto DeiroReview by R. Mark DesjardinsThis new book goes a long way toward filling in some missing chapters in Mae West’s early personal and performing history. Her memoir “Goodness Had Nothing to do with It”, published in 1959, glosses over the lean years when West was struggling in Vaudeville and doesn’t mention, for instance, her being blacklisted from theatres in 1913 for creating a disturbance on stage.Faced with otherwise limited booking potential she worked as a chorus girl. She avoided mentioning her first marriage to fellow performer Frank Wallace in 1911, and only years later, after attaining fame as a movie star, did she admit to their nuptials. A subsequent marriage in 1914 to Count Guido Deiro, a suave, musical headliner who attained popularity introducing the then unknown piano-accordion, wasn’t mentioned either.Mae wrote “When I played Detroit, I met Mr.”D” who was on the bill with me.” Strangely, although refusing to identify “Deiro” further and intentionally downplaying his importance, she devoted a whole chapter to her torrid romance with him. It is around this love affair and Deiro’s contributions to her re-appearance on stage, as well as some “bombshell” untold realities about the marriage and the reason for its failure, that this book revolves.Some hard core Mae West fans take issue with the validity of a marriage to Deiro, as no license has surfaced. The truth of the marriage is supported by mentions in Variety of “Mr. and Mrs. Deiro appearing in Hamilton, Ontario”. Walter Winchell, the famous news commentator, announced on his national radio program in 1940 that “Deiro was married to Mae West”. Joe Laurie’s definitive book “Vaudeville” states that “..it was accordionist Deiro that was married to Mae West.” and Vaudeville publicist Nils Granlund mentioning in his book, “Blondes, Bullets and Broadway” that Deiro and West were married.Guido and Mae’s divorce papers, dated Nov. 6, 1920 are on display in the Deiro Archive of the Graduate Center of City University of New York. Interesting, is that Mae’s name is listed as “Catherine Mae Belle”, a name she later used for characters in films and plays. Jim Timony, Mae’s lifelong friend and lawyer, in order to shield Mae from publicity and a possible bigamy charge, arranged to have the divorce accelerated and the alias used.Mae West placed her mother Matilda on a pedestal, and credited her with shaping her into a star. The author pulls back the curtain behind the scenes at the West home to give us glimpses of a very tough stage mother who lived vicariously through her daughter's career, and went to great lengths to ensure that nothing got in the way of her blind ambition for Mae. Count Deiro appears to be one of the few men who ever stood up to Matilda.“Mae West and the Count” is written as a novel based on actual happenings and the author describes in the book’s Preface the treasure trove of materials left him by his father, and the extent to which his father, Mae West, and family members here and abroad, furnished their recollections for him to collate into the narrative. Based on personal knowledge this reviewer cannot help but think that the events described have the absolute ring of truth to them.Two minor missteps on the part of the author will be apparent to Mae West fans. A photograph purporting to depict a twelve year old Mae, is in actuality an image of Clara Bow. This mislabeled photo has been perpetuated by repeated publication and its incorrect use can be forgiven in light of the fact that a song sheet from 1913 for "Smooch Around" depicts a drawing of Mae West in this similar pose to Clara. A second stumble is the author placing a fireplace for dramatic effect in Mae’s Ravenswood apartment where none, as serious Mae fans know has ever existed.Mae West shaped the facts of her career to be a smooth, uphill ride to the top. Many critics in the past have disputed information passed as fact. Guido Roberto Deiro has crafted a tender, honest and riveting account of his father and Mae intersecting at a time when Vaudeville was the only form of mass entertainment.For readers not familiar with the life and times of Count Guido Deiro, this work will be a revelation. Much of Deiro's music is available and is well worth seeking out. Fans of the accordion will learn truths of its introduction and popularization that are in many ways as new as those facts written about Mae.For diehard Mae West fans, not used to reading some unvarnished truths, this book may prove to be unsettling, but it relates a story that needed to be told. For the record, this reviewer has even greater respect for the tenacity and sheer will power of Mae West to hone and shape her image. A five stars out of five rating for this stunning work

This book, beautifully written by the son of Count Guido Deiro, Mae West's second husband, recounts not only their love story, but the amazing life-pathways that sent them on a trajectory to each other's arms. Count Deiro, born the scion of a noble Northern Italian family, would, but for his father's insistence he marry for a business alliance not love, have lived the luxurious, privileged life of 'landed gentry'. Instead, he dodged the arrangement by leaving to support himself using his innate (and prodigious) musical talent, expressed through the piano accordion. By comparison, Ms. West, a Brooklyn native, had a more supportive family (including a stage mother to end all stage mothers!) who encouraged her love for performing. Like the Count, Ms. West grew a career using her own natural talents, including those for self-promotion and in-your-face-sexiness! And when the Count's touring led him to the vaudeville circuit...an arena Ms. West was already involved in....a chance encounter would lead to fireworks!Unfortunately, despite explosive passion, the two lovers had different visions of the future, which eventually ended their idyll (though each seemed to hold a special place in the other's heart forever). As a reader, I’m grateful that the Count's son (the late Guido Roberto Deiro, product of his father’s fourth marriage) took the time to commit this love story to paper, for it truly is one of the greatest, if unlikeliest, real-life romances ever. Highly recommended for its conjuring of a time long gone…and its recounting of some very sexy interludes!

This not only a very good read, but I think it would also make a good film. It shows the complexities of relationships. It was written by Count Guido's son. I was touched by the revealing honesty. Also, it is rich with photos. It also provided a good window on the vaudeville era. I came to really care about both Guido and Mae West as human beings.

based novel follows the arc of Guido and Mae’s entwined lives and show business careers, during the first half of the twentieth century.________Elegantly and intimately recounted by the Count’s son, Guido Roberto Deiro, who knew them both, and with whom they shared the events of their lives.AVAILABLE ON: amazon.com(hardback, paperback, and Kindle editions);AND ON: barnesandnoble.com(hardback, paperback, and Nook editions)JUST RELEASED!An inside look at how an Italian nobleman and vaudeville headliner who, while introducing and popularizing the piano accordion, stole Mae West’s heart and launched her stage career.

Too much romance and not enough story. Only read a chapter, (maybe), did not like it. It was obvious someone helped him write the book, terrible!