Mae West: Had to Be Sure

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 T • •
• • "I have to have a big spotlight." • •
• • Mae West wrote:  I went to the stage manager. "I have to have a spotlight."
• • Mae West wrote:  "All right, you'll get one."
• • Mae West wrote:  I told him at least ten times, even though he agreed each time that I'd get it. I had to be sure. (All my life, casual appearing as I am, I've always double-checked and triple-checked everything.)
• • Mae West wrote:  Mother was backstage with me, rather worried as to how I would do, this being my first time in a big theatre with a large orchestra.
• • Mae West wrote:  "You've only sung and danced to a piano, or with no piano."
• • Mae West wrote:  I said, "You're more nervous than I am."
• • I was thrilled and anxious • •  . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Saturday, 22 February 1936 • •
• • Newspaper gossip columns ran this teaser: "Mae West May Go Back to Broadway."
• • The reporter said: Mae West has written a new play. It looks as if it will bring her Hollywood career to an end — — at least for the time being. Her film contracts in Hollywood terminate shortly, and she is thinking of appearing in her own play on Broadway, where she was a famous star in the "Diamond Lil" days.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Before she achieved success in her first starring picture, women had to be slim, or they were out of fashion. But Mae West has changed that.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “Come up and sue me sometime!”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The test to be an American citizen asks questions about Mae West. Yes!
• • Rick Steelhammer, Staff writer, West Virginia Gazette wrote: Citizenship test flunk rate should send most USA citizens packing for border (if we can find it). . . .
• • Note: It will make all Mae mavens smile to learn that an exam that newcomers to the USA are expected to pass in order to become citizens mentions Mae West.  Don’t you love it?
• • Source: West Virginia Gazette; published on Saturday; 16 February 2019

• • 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 4155th 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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