Mae West: Life of Banging

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 D • •
• • A fancifully painted family tree • •
• • Mae West wrote:  My father's mother, Mary Jane Copley, was Irish, and came to this country at an early age. She was related to the well-known Copleys of Boston and Pittsburgh.
• • Mae West wrote:  Unlike his brothers, who went through college, my father, a wild, laughing man, preferred a life of banging physical action. When he married my mother he was known as "Battling Jack West, Champion of Brooklyn, New York."
• • Mae West wrote:  My father was an epic figure in Brooklyn. I remember all the stories about him: the gay time when he was courting my mother, and had taken her to a social club outing. He had resented the attentions a club member paid her. A fight started and my father, all knobby with muscles, knocked the rival out with one punch.
• • When provoked, John West had a savage temper • • . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West  [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Monday, 31 January 1921 on Broadway • •

• • On 31 January 1921, the Cort 63rd Street Theatre was opened on Broadway and West 63rd. In 1922, the theater was renamed Daly's 63rd Street Theatre, in honor of Augustine Daly. Four years later, Mae West premiered her show "Sex" right there. The limousine line was long and the box office burned up in 1926.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Vaudeville star Elsie Janis dated her synopsis for a "Mae West Talking Picture" for Tuesday, 31 January 1933 — — but the project was deemed unsuitable for Mae.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "What I mean is I was coming to the conclusion that boys made much better playmates than girls."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A Kansas daily mentioned Mae West.
• • In Hollywood, police raided an alleged "indecent" stage show and arrested the business manager for Mae West, along with 13 of the cast of "Ladies by Request." The play had run for several weeks in  Los Angeles and was produced by Jim Timony, Mae's manager.  . . .
• • Source: The Hutchinson News [Hutchinson, Kansas]; published on Friday, 31 January 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 4139th 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 1926 • •
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