Watch an extraordinary woman, Mae West, on wqln pbs June 16th at 8pm. #trailblazers #pbs #wqln #womenempowerment #women #film #americanmasterspbs #dirtyblonde . Mae West achieved great acclaim in every entertainment medium that existed during her lifetime, spanning eight decades of the 20th century. A full-time actress at seven, a vaudevillian at 14, a dancing sensation at 25, a Broadway playwright at 33, a silver screen ingénue at 40, a Vegas nightclub act at 62, a recording artist at 73, a camp icon at 85 – West left no format unconquered.