Mae West: City of Churches

MAE WEST dictated a fanciful retelling of her life to her secretary Larry Lee. The material was reshaped by ghostwriter Stephen Longstreet and published as "Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It" in 1959. For Mae mavens interested in a factual, insightful account, The Mae West Blog recommends the riveting biographies written by Jill Watts and Emily Wortis Leider. Meanwhile, enjoy these (uncorrected) excerpts below from the pen of Mae West.
• • "Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It" by Mae West • •
• • Chapter 1: Take the Spotlight — — Part A • •
• • Mae West wrote: The Brooklyn I was born in, near the end of the 19th century, was still a city of churches, with their great bronze bells walloping calls to the faithful from early dawn, and a city of water- front dives where the old forest of the spars of sailing ships was rapidly being replaced by funnels and the Sand Street Navy Yard already had a reputation for girl chasers. Gentlemen, and deer, ran wild in Prospect Park.
• • Mae West wrote: I was born into a world of much more sunlight and less smoke than now, a world of ringing horse cars, ragtime music, cake-walks and Floradora Sextets, and a sense that the coming new century would be the biggest and the best. The final score is not yet in, but I think this one will make it among the centuries to treasure.
• • Mae’s ever-lasting love for Brooklyn, NY • •  . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West  [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Thursday, 28 January 1937 in Maryland • •

• • "At the Tivoli today and tomorrow!" announced the paid notice in the Frederick News-Post, covering the arts and entertainment scene for Frederick, Maryland. "Mae West in Paramount's 'Go West Young Man' with Warren William, Randolph Scott, Alice Brady." This bold-faced stand-alone ad stood out in the Frederick News-Post on Thursday, 28 January 1937.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Lillian Schlissel wrote: "The vulgarity of Mae West plays was meant to disrupt the standards of propriety. The speech was intended to sow the seeds of revolution.”
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Men are my hobby. If I ever got married, I'd have to give it up."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Motion Picture Daily mentioned Mae West.
• • “Victor Shapiro to Make Tour” • •
• • Hollywood, Oct. 30. — Victor Shapiro, chief of publicity for Major Pictures, will accompany Mae West on her personal appearance tour which opens Nov. 6 in Chicago. Dates for other engagements have not been set, but Miss West will be gone for at least four weeks. …
• • Source: The Motion Picture Daily; published on Saturday, 31 October 1936

• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 14th anniversary • •  

• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past fourteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 4,100 blog posts. Wow!  

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started fourteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 4136th 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/
________
Source: https://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xml   
Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1936 • •
• • Feed — — http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWest
NYC  Mae West