Mel, dressed as Mae West, has a devilish grin. She grabs police officer Sam's nightstick as his eyes go wide. "SEX WITH MAE WEST" is on a poster behind them..

April 19, 1927

Mae West is sentenced for writing and starring in her Broadway play "Sex." Convicted of "corrupting the morals of the youth," she serves 10 days in jail.

This piece is from the History Shapes Archive, a collection of over 60 single-panel gag cartoons going all the way back to 2018. Republished in full throughout 2023 only on historyshapes.com.
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