A comprehensive film buff would always have at least some Mae West trivia lurking in their back pocket. Mae West is an iconic film star and actress from the early days of American film, and was a dynamic and controversial figure during her time in Hollywood. Born in 1893 and passing in 1980, Mae West enjoyed spent decades as one of the most important members of the legendary elite of Hollywood’s golden age.

            Did you know that Mae West started performing at the tender age of five? She was one of many in the early days of Hollywood to come from the authentic performing pedigree that was associated with the Vaudeville stages. Her first professional job was with a Vaudevillian company called the Hal Clarendon Stock Company which began in 1907, when West was fourteen. She performed under many different stage names, including Baby Mae and Sis Hopkins. She graduated from the Vaudeville company to begin performing in Broadway shows in 1911. And her big break came in 1918 in a show called Sometime.

            Any Mae West quiz would likely want to know if you knew that West was arrested and on what charge? She was arrested in 1927 for “corrupting the morals of youth” based on the show “Sex” which she had written and was performing in .

            Mae West Trivia should also recall the fact that she is credited by many as the savior of the Paramount movie studio. After years on broadway, in 1932 she signed with Paramount studios and starred in She Done Him Wrong which won the Best Picture Oscar and single handedly saved the studio. She would co-star in her career with such icons as Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, and W.C. Fields among others.

            Mae West was a writer, actress, director, producer, and appeared in television, film, broadway, Radio and performed on several recording albums. She was one of the most multi-talented stars of her generation and continued to perform in a variety of different ways throughout her career.

            Right from her early arrest, West had troubles with moral judges and censors taking exception to her work. She was frequently forced to see the scripts she was starring in become judiciously edited by those who wanted to ensure that there was less opportunity for her to exude her steaming sensuality on the big screen, something the establishment at large was quite uncomfortable with.

He was born with the name Ehrich Weiss on March 24^th, 1874. He lived his life as a magician, escapologist, actor, stunt performer and even a film producer. His wife Bess Rahner performed as his assistant till the day he died. They both loved to live on the wild side and amaze people. Their stunts were personal challenges and Harry never backed down from a challenge. He put the same drive he had for stunt performances into his movie career, piloting, and even his spiritual views. Any Harry Houdini quiz, quizzes and trivia you are playing will tell you that he was an avid spiritual debunker.

Becoming an American Legacy was not easy for Houdini and it did not happen overnight. It took years of stunts and performances, but he managed it. The acts he was noted for was Buried Alive, The Over Board Box Escape, The Mirror Handcuff Challenge, The Suspended Straitjacket Escape, and The Chinese Water Torture Cell.  Harry Houdini quiz games show the most famous act of all, The Chinese Water Torture Cell.

Hollywood has showed Houdini in a different light.  He was one of the first to push his limits. He was not afraid of taking his performances over the edge, and that’s what the audience liked to see. Houdini knew how to give a great show and make people going home wonder, “How did he do it?”

The book Handcuff Secrets, published in 1909, gave the public to read and find out how Houdini performed some of his secrets. Around that same year, Houdini took up his love for aviation. He flew several times but stopped shortly after.

Today he is remembered by many around the world. Every magician after him has looked up to him for inspiration and guidance. I think the magicians today would not have “magic” in their shows without Harry Houdini.

Houdini died on October 31, 1926. As a desperate act to get in touch with him on the other side, Bess Houdini held séances on Halloween. She finally gave up after ten years of trying, but the tradition stuck. Still to this day there are séances held in his honor.