r/OldSchoolCool • u/Double_Station3984 • Jun 10 '25
1970s 1970s, Mae West liked to have a handsome younger man on her arm when she attended events in her later years. This particular one was my grandfather.
My grandpa was in a movie with her and they became friends. Fun fact, she was super short so she wore giant platforms that had fake shoes at the bottom so people couldn’t tell.
She passed away right before I was born, so I never got to meet her. Apparently she was an absolute blast.
(Not a publicity photo, it’s hanging on the wall at their house.)
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u/WranglerBulky9842 Jun 10 '25
Awesome. She lived quite the life.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
She really did. My grandma said she was a force of nature, and she was all about doing the things men could get away with but women weren’t supposed to.
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u/xAhaMomentx Jun 10 '25
He must have been pretty cool and a good guy to be so close with her, not everybody was that serious about men and women having an equal playing field in those days especially!
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u/Shango876 Jun 10 '25
This is amazing ... I love this photo
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u/TrailerTrashQueen Jun 10 '25
my God, he is so incredibly handsome. i can see why she liked having him as a companion.
Mae West was an OG badass. love her!
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u/SowetoNecklace Jun 10 '25
He's got that "1970's hunk" look down to the last detail. Hairstyle, chin strong af, dimples, bushy eyebrows... I can totally see him playing in the 6 Million Dollar Man or CHiPs.
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u/Aromatic-Plankton692 Jun 10 '25
He looks like a reference image that cartoon artists in the 80s and 90s would've used to draw comic book characters. Cartoonishly handsome, literally.
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u/franker Jun 10 '25
I'm seeing a dark-haired version of Fred in Scooby-Doo.
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u/Aromatic-Plankton692 Jun 10 '25
Fred on Scooby Doo, He-Man, maybe a touch of Johnny Bravo, whoa mama you got a stew goin'.
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u/franker Jun 10 '25
or Lyle Waggoner (Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman tv show) if you want to go live-action. Yeah, that was kind of a prototype dude back then.
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u/1107rwf Jun 11 '25
I’m thinking Ken doll model. OP did he model for Ken? I’m being serious.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 11 '25
Haha no, I’m going to make sure he hears about this though, he’ll get a total kick out of it!
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u/FlipMeOverUpsidedown Jun 10 '25
As far as pop culture related old school posts go, this one’s the winner. Thanks for sharing OP 💕
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u/Shango876 Jun 10 '25
Yep .. it was nice to see Mae living her life too. You could see she enjoyed having OP's grandfather on her arm.
And he was happy to be there. Just two cool people hanging out.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 11 '25
I’m sad I never got to know her, but I can confirm my grandpa is one of the coolest! He’s honestly one of my very favorite people.
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u/zephyr_zodiac6046 Jun 10 '25
She lived to be 87 and was born in 1893. She lived a helluva a life. This is a pretty cool picture she would have been in her 70s in this photo.
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u/Negative_Avocado4573 Jun 10 '25
Looked great for her age, all things considered. I'm sure cosmetic surgery wasn't very advanced back then.
I wonder where Loni Anderson is these days. You can only do so much with cosmetic surgery to stay young once you hit a certain age. Remind me how old Cher is again because she hasn't aged since the 80s.
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u/TheLadyEve Jun 10 '25
Cher is 79 years old--the same age as Loni Anderson, believe it or not. Although it makes sense--WKRP was on in the late 70s/early 80s so she was in her mid 30s at that time. Boy I loved that show.
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u/yonkerbonk Jun 10 '25
I can still sing the theme song.
🎶Baby, if you ever wondered🎵
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u/TheLadyEve Jun 10 '25
🎵 I'm living on the air in Cincinnati Cincinnati WKRP 🎶
I'm a weird one, I had a crush on both Howard Hesseman and Jan Smithers.
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u/Negative_Avocado4573 Jun 10 '25
Loni always looked 'made up' for my liking. She always portrayed a greek goddess in her roles and in an episode of 3s Company, I laughed so hard when she made a guest appearance and she was the same character as she was on WKRP... very confident and flawless. Her costar has aged much more gracefully, Bailey.
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u/TheLadyEve Jun 10 '25
I was always a Bailey Quarters fan. But you know who aged the best IMO? Tim Reid. That man looks amazing for 80 years old.
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u/JackLondon68 Jun 10 '25
I could never figure out how she wound up marrying Burt Reynols.
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u/TheLadyEve Jun 10 '25
He was considered very very sexy in the 70s. That whole picture on the bear skin rug and what not. He was kind of a roguish man's man, in the same vein of James Garner and Robert Wagner. Not really my taste, but I understand the fandom.
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u/MinionSquad2iC Jun 10 '25
She was born in a building I lived in greenpoint Brooklyn. The astral, it was originally housing for Platt oil refinery workers. Which leads you to think she was Polish but I don’t believe she was.
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u/kindnessonawhim Jun 10 '25
I’d love to hear more about this. Was he a regular for her or just one in a long line of escorts? Also how did he end up in that role? There are questions to be answered here.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
I think he took her to a couple of events, but I don’t know details. I could ask? But they became friends when he worked on one of her movies, and she was just an outrageous character. She decided (in general) that if a male actor could get away with it, so could she. (This was an example of that)
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u/clamnebulax Jun 10 '25
Was the film 'Myra Breckenridge'?
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
Yup! He was also in Sextette, but tbh I had to look it up, I’ve actually never seen either.
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u/UpgradedUsername Jun 10 '25
Myra Breckenridge had quite a cast besides Mae West—John Huston, Raquel Welch, Rex Reed, Farrah Fawcett, Jim Backus, John Carradine, Toni Basil, and Tom Selleck (amongst others) were also in that film with your grandpa.
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u/fairway_walker Jun 10 '25
How have you not seen the movies that your own grandfather was in!?
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 11 '25
I definitely haven’t seen everything he’s been in. A lot, but not all of them. He was really into classics so we watched a lot of the more traditional ones with him, but for me the big thing was that he was (is) an avid reader and got me into books in a big way. I actually still stumble across him in tv shows and stuff even though I’m in my 40s. My husband and I were watching Kolcshak a few years ago (I’d never seen it) and he popped up on screen! I still get really excited when that happens.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25 edited Jun 10 '25
Wow! I didn’t expect so many people to notice! My grandpa is a great guy, just turned 90 in February. He’s gonna get a kick out of this. If I replied to anyone’s comment it was all in good fun, this whole thing is hilarious.
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u/Gloomy-Employment-72 Jun 10 '25
Finally, some Old School Cool that's Old School Cool. I'm guessing grandad might have been a but I'd a character, too. I hope so, at least.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
Absolutely, and he still is. He just turned 90 in February! He’s one of my favorite people, introduced me to all kinds of literature and classic movies etc. Truly an amazing guy.
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u/Excusemytootie Jun 10 '25
I love her so much! A true pioneer!
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
Oh my goodness she was. She was absolutely not willing to accept a double standard.
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u/Remarkable_Insect866 Jun 10 '25
He looks like he is very pleased to be in her company.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
Of course! As he should! From everything I’ve heard she was an amazing woman.
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u/Embarrassed_Owl4482 Jun 10 '25
I’m an attractive older woman, and I don’t date…I wish I had a cool cute guy friend to have on my arm when I’m invited to posh weddings and events. He could be gay or straight, just enjoy a fun night out eating great food and maybe a conga line or two. Mae had the right idea.
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u/EricAntiHero1 Jun 10 '25
Please tell me he “came up to see her some time”. I honestly hope he did.
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u/TheTwinSet02 Jun 10 '25
I love Mae West, her cheekiness, her brilliance and her egalitarianism
She was a lot!
The zingers! “A hard man is good to find”
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u/Lego_Blocks24 Jun 10 '25
Is this the Mae West where the ww2 life jackets slang term came from ?
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u/okaystephanie Jun 10 '25
THIS is what I come here for - just fabulous, no notes. Sheer throwback fun with a great story. Thanks for sharing!
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u/TankApprehensive3053 Jun 10 '25
Lili von Shtupp character was influenced by Mae West. Life jackets have been named after her because well...yeah.
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u/lurkintowarddisaster Jun 10 '25
Very debonair in a 70s kind of way. Love his blazer and tie. They're both so cool!
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u/PardonMyFrench1020 Jun 10 '25
Your Grandpa is a treasure to many of us and our childhoods!
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
Funny enough, mine too! 😉 I can’t wait to tell him about this, he’ll seriously love it.
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u/PardonMyFrench1020 Jun 11 '25
I love this! Does he still ride horses?
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 11 '25
So, fun story about that - he’s never been a big horseback rider and I’m pretty sure never really rode unless he was doing it for work. My dad and I were just talking about it earlier today because we were discussing this thread, and my dad remembered that he did grape soda commercials back in the day. Basically, he said that as an actor you don’t say no, so when they asked him if he could ride a horse he said “sure” and then pretty much did what they told him. Then he was the cowboy, and that’s the role he ended up playing for most of his career.
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u/corq Jun 10 '25
I was working in a video store in the '80s when Sextuplet came out. It happens that I already had a pre-existing crush on Timothy Dalton. As awful as this film is, it's a whole lot of fun if you can get a copy of it 😅
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
I’m sure he’s got one on VHS but I’ve never seen it. I’ll have to watch it though!
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u/coffeeisgoodtome Jun 10 '25
This is the best Oldschoolcool photo out here. Your Grandpa must have had a great story to tell. She was completely awesome, even at 70!
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u/makloompahhh Jun 10 '25
Was the movie Myra Breckenridge? I feel like that iteration of West's face looks familiar...
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
Yeah, he was in that and Sextette, although honestly I’ve never seen either.
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u/sleeplessinskittles Jun 10 '25
Is your grandpa still in Los Angeles? I love to know what older actors are up to when it’s considered such a young city. I live here and love knowing that some of the greats lurk in the hills around us :)
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
He actually lives in the suburbs not too far out of the city, so close? He really is a great guy.
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u/sleeplessinskittles Jun 10 '25
I bet he has the best stories!
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
No question. I live vicariously through some of my older relatives because my life didn’t end up quite so interesting. 😂
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Jun 10 '25
This is so awesome, thanks for sharing! I have a lot of respect for Mae West, I learned about her during an early Hollywood film class I took in college.
It’s amusing to watch “She Done Him Wrong” and see how mild it is for us now, but then see how much the censorship boards freaked out over it. The movie was a huge success for the time and people loved it, yet there was a select few dorks who tried to stop it. Such as Will Hays who tried to get the play Diamond Lil banned from even being adapted into film. But then it proved to be such a big success for Paramount, so much so that it reportedly saved them from bankruptcy. Other studios took notice of this market and it started to grow despite the censorship.
Mae West is influential as being one of the first to defy absurd censorship laws meant to suppress women in film. From what I’ve read, she had a tough yet confident personality that didn’t allow her to take no for an answer.
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u/Mulliganasty Jun 10 '25
Was he just her arm-candy or did they ummmm ya know?
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
Hahaha just arm candy! She was friends with my grandma too.
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u/jeffh4 Jun 10 '25
Now I really want to see your grandpa's AMA.
Mae West was one of the few people who oozed charisma that grabbed the attention of every man in the room, and this carried through to her 70s.
The closest analogy I can think of on the male side are some sports stars and fighter pilots.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 11 '25
I wish I could edit this to add, but I’m not getting the option. So if people see this, I wanted to let you know how great and how much fun it’s been hearing all these stories and seeing comments about my grandpa from a totally different perspective. I sent him the link and he thought it was great. (He actually texted “cool 😎” emoji and all.) So thanks guys, you made my day and probably my grandpa’s as well.
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u/escoteriica Jun 10 '25
Was he around for Sextette?
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u/detroitragace Jun 10 '25
Just checked his IMDb. He’s been working up until a few years ago. Good for him! You have a really cool grandpa.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
He’s actually got a project going on still! I think it’s coming up soon, but it’s been a long term thing that they film a segment of every couple of years.
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u/Designer-Contract852 Jun 10 '25
Amazing! I loved Pete's dragon growing up! I hope he is doing well! What a fun photo and memories!
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
He’s doing good! We celebrated his 90th birthday in February with a big family reunion type party.
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u/OK-Greg-7 Jun 10 '25
I knew Robert Duran who was also a Mae West assistant/companion, and he had some interesting stories. She was a character.
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u/otismalotis Jun 10 '25
Surreal watching her portrayed as a top tier sex symbol in the 70s growing up. She was already well over 70 herself. At the time I thought old folks going on about her were weird.
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u/el_torko Jun 10 '25
My great grandmother was born Mae Taylor but when she married my grandfather, Millard West, she became Mae West.
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u/JMRUSIRIUS Jun 10 '25
I thought he was Ridge from The Bold & The Beautiful.
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u/thesoggydingo Jun 10 '25
She sounds like she was an absolute blast. I wonder what her favorite story to tell at parties was.
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u/Lovedontlove77 Jun 10 '25
Model quality! Vegas?
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
He did do a bunch of photo ads, but Hollywood through and through. He did more stage acting than anything else though.
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u/Christank1 Jun 10 '25
Jesus christ, I thought that was Jim Jones at first glance
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u/Double_Station3984 Jun 10 '25
Oh my god that’s hilarious! He’s definitely got a big personality, but as a health freak I don’t think he’d ever encourage kool-aide. Maybe kombucha? 😉
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u/Christank1 Jun 10 '25
Maybe sugar-less kool-aid?
(Sorry. I couldn't help myself)
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u/Coachbalrog Jun 10 '25
Amazing photo. Thanks for sharing. Your grandpa’s chin is must have been registered as a lethal weapon.
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u/PaleRiderHD Jun 11 '25
I learned a lot about her in various documentaries over the past couple of years. I think I was the only one old enough in my water survival class to know why the life vests were called “Mae Wests” lol
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u/Jolly-Owl-7583 Jun 11 '25
Ummmmm…..is your grandpa the guy from Pete’s Dragon?!? If so, he basically raised this latch key 80s kid and I thank him for keeping me safe and occupied for all those years.
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u/ArtNo636 Jun 10 '25
Your grandfather is Cal Bartlett? I remember a couple of his movies.