Mann, May
Biography
May Mann (1908-was a Hollywood columnist and feature writer.
May Mann was born September 1, 1908, in Ogden, Utah. She worked as a society columnist for her hometown newspaper, The Ogden Standard-Examiner. She began branching out into writing about Hollywood stars, making contacts as they passed through Ogden’s Union Station. In 1936, May named her daily column "Going Hollywood," which was soon syndicated to many newspapers in the Intermountain West and later across the nation through the General Features Syndicate.
May used the title "Going Hollywood" throughout her life. Between 1936 and 1981 she wrote "Going Hollywood" columns for fourteen different magazines and newspapers. In 1946, a few years after she stopped writing for her hometown paper, she registered the title as her trademark. In 1982, May was still submitting "Going Hollywood" columns to at least two publications.
May became one of the five women to have a personal interview with Mae West and the only woman, at that time, to interview her in her famed apartment atop the Beverly Hills Hotel. She also wrote about Clark Gable throughout his life. During World War II, she occasionally wrote morale-boosting articles about stars entertaining enlisted men, war heroes, or love problems that came with the war. May interviewed and wrote about Elvis Presley often during his career and developed a close friendship with him, publishing a biography on him in 1975.
May married Al Leon, a former concert singer from San Francisco, in 1945. They divorced early in 1948. Nearly a year after she divorced Leon, May married ex-boxer Buddy Baer in 1949. After five years, May filed for divorce.
May Mann died April 15, 1995, in Los Angeles, California.
Citation:
Harold B. Lee Library. Div. of Archives and Manuscripts. Register of the May Mann collection, 1982:p. 1 (May Vasta Randall, later known as May Mann) p. 64 (b. 1908)LC in RLIN, 4/18/86(hdg.: Mann, May)
Found in 28 Collections and/or Records:
May Mann papers on charities, undated
Contains materials related to Mann's activities with other charities.
May Mann papers on Hollywood Opera Reading Club, 1974-1981
Contains materials related to Mann's activities with the Hollywood Opera Reading Club.
May Mann papers on Ida B. Mayer Cummings Auxiliary, 1945-1982
Contains correspondence, newsletter, invitations, programs, agendae, souvenir ball books, publicity, and souvenirs from the Pickford Activities' Pickford Tea.
May Mann papers on Marianne Baretta, 1968
Contains materials related to Mann's charity activities with Marianne Baretta.
May Mann papers on missionary benefit and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1965
Contains materials related to Mann's charity activities on behalf of missionaries, as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
May Mann personal papers, 1910-1982
May Mann personal papers, 1974-1982
Contains correspondence, calendars, and legal documents related to Mann's later life and activities. Materials date from between 1974 and 1982.
May Mann personal photographs, undated
Contains photographs of Mann's early childhood and family, both of her weddings and husbands, herself with Donald Maloof as well as Benito Prezia, her cat Princess, her friends, homes, and surprise birthday party. 717 items.
May Mann photographs, undated
Contains photograph to accompany Mann's writing endeavors, including over 700 of these are pictures of Mann with entertainment personalities. Also includes photographs of Mann by herself as well as pictures from many of her other activities such as publications, television shows, parties, charity activities, and personal life.
May Mann photographs for Annette Funicello, undated
Contains photographs of a party at Mann's home. 20 items.
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