Mae West: Invisible Ink

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 — — Acknowledgements • •
• • Mae West wrote: A book about one's life necessarily demands a tremendous amount of recollection and research, and I have never kept a diary. I once told an interviewer that if I ever kept a diary it would have to be written in invisible ink.
• • Mae West wrote: Mention must be made of my dear friends and business associates, Murray Fall and James J. Geller, who finally persuaded me to set down the events of my life.
• • Mae West wrote: Many of my records preserved through the years were hopelessly ruined in the storage room of my apartment building in Hollywood during the "unusual" floods of 1933—1935.  My important papers, copyright cards, and family photos stored there could not be replaced.
• • Mae West wrote: I am, therefore, appreciative of the assistance given me by Larry Lee, my longtime associate, in recalling to me many of the names, dates, places and events which I have recorded in this autobiography. . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Saturday, 24 January 1948 in London • •
• • "Diamond Lil" starring Mae West toured Manchester, Blackpool, Birmingham, and Glasgow before opening at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, very grandly, on Saturday night, 24 January 1948.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •

• • When filming "Go West Young Man" a.k.a. "Personal Appearance" in 1936, Mae West made sure that, when she had to punch her co-star Warren William, she made a good job of it. She invited four of her "fighting" friends to watch her work.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "If I went out as a star and flopped, I was through. If I went out as a nobody, I wouldn't be under the gun — — and I had a chance."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The United Press mentioned Mae West.
• • “Eccentricities of Movie Writers Are Startling” • •
• • United Press writer Henry Sutherland noted: Mae West, who says she writes but really dictates, does her composing in between the violet silk sheets of her enormous, and elaborately decorated white bed. . . .
• • Source: United Press syndicated column; published on Thursday, 14 May 1935

• • 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 4134th 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 • • in 1936 • •
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