Saturday, June 30, 2012

Mae West: Greenpoint, Nope

Movie Queen MAE WEST made the Brooklyn accent well-known worldwide. Due to the influx of immigrants to this borough, however, the local accent is an endangered hallmark, according to broadcast legend Joe Franklin, who claims he hears the native New York speech pattern far less frequently. "It is imperiled," adds Franklin, with a nostalgic intake of breath. "It's disappearing like all the other great things that New York was once known for — —  like vaudeville and home delivery of seltzer." 
• • Yes, it's vanishing faster than proofreaders.
• • Rick Karr Is Misinformed about Greenpoint and Mae West • •
• • Oh, where have all the fact checkers gone?  Since out-of-town journalists seem to believe whatever you tell them about NYC (as long as you say you lived there), let's set the record straight.
• • NOT: Mae West was not born in Woodhaven, Queens, NY.  When she was an adult, however, her family lived on Boyd Avenue for awhile.
• • NOT: Mae West was not born in Williamsburg at  96 Berry St., Brooklyn, NY.  Moreover, she never ever lived on Berry Street at all.
• • NOT: Mae West was not born in Greenpoint at 184 Franklin St., Brooklyn, NY. Moreover, she never ever lived on Franklin Street at all.
• • Bushwick, Bushwick • •
• • The building where Mae was born in Bushwick has been mentioned in numerous reputable biographies such as "Becoming Mae West" by Emily Wortis Leider, "Mae West: An Icon in Black and White" by Jill Watts, and other books.  In numerous interviews Mae West often spoke about Bushwick.
• • Okay, now read this utter foolishness below.
• • Charlotte Observer reporter John Bordsen writes: Broadcast journalist Rick Karr is intrigued by the various overlays time has brought to his densely populated neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  Franklin Street, which he describes as a “gentrified stretch” with boutiques and wine shops, is also where, by many accounts (sic), actress Mae West was born (the gothic residence is at 184 Franklin, between India and Java streets).  ...
• • Source: Article: "Touring Greenpoint by Karr" written by John Bordsen for The Charlotte Observer; posted on Friday, 29 June 2012; you can reach John here: jbordsen@charlotteobserver.com
• • Sheesh!  Will the misinformation ever cease?  Will fact checkers return? 
• • Heard of any other wrong addresses cited as the "birthplace" of Mae West?  Let's list all the errors once and for all.
By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started seven years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2347th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.
 
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo:
• • Mae West • 1934
• •
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  Mae West.

1 comment:

  1. There is mention of Mae in a book titled, "Change At Ozone Park" by Herbert George. The book is about the history of a commuter rail line in NY that existed up to 55 years ago in Queens, NY. There was a railroad station in a town called Brooklyn Manor (in Woodhaven) that was a few blocks from the house where Mae West resided. She would often catch the train at that station to Penn Station in New York whenever she was in town. I grew up in Queens about 2 miles away from that same location and have passed by the house where she lived a few times (it's a neighborhood landmark these days). You're right - she wasn't born there, she lived there later at some point in her life. I hope this helps to clear things up.

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