Mae West: Impudently Stared

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 W • •
• • I stepped onstage and I stamped my foot! • •    
• • Mae West wrote:  I stamped it again and the spotlight moved across stage onto me and caught me in the act of demanding my light. The audience saw me and laughed and applauded. The angry expression on my little face as I impudently stared up at the spotlight man, and my exasperated stamping of dancing shoes, explained my delayed entrance. Anyway, they seemed to think my song and my little tiptoeing dance were cute.
• • Mae West wrote:  I wore a pink and green satin dress with gold spangles, and a large white lace picture hat with pink buds and pink satin ribbons, the buds' leaves matched the green of the dress, and pink kid slippers and pink stockings, bought at a costumer's, as mother was too busy with my sister and brother to make my costume.
• • I did my skirt dance. • •  . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Thursday, 27 February 1936 • •

• • Joseph Breen wrote to Will Hays about Mae West and "KIondike Annie." His letter is dated for Thursday, 27 February 1936.
• • Newsmen were aware of the bickering and chaos. The Los Angeles Herald printed a news story on page 4 about the censorship issues on Thursday, 27 February 1936. It was never easy being Mae West.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Actress Mae West frequently played sexually hungry, assertive and witty characters.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I never minded losing my mother's exclusive attention. I had already been concentrating on myself, developing my own personality, and becoming more and more interested in the stage.”
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Desert Sun mentioned Mae West.
• • "Hollywood Revisited — A Glamorous Musical Theater Extravaganza:" This audience favorite from revered classic movie costume collector Greg Schreiner, which features costumes worn by the likes of Julie Andrews, Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Mae West and others.
• • It took place 6 o'clock, Feb. 20 at Annenberg Theater, 101 N. Museum Dr., Palm Springs, CA . . .
• • Source: Desert Sun;  published on Wednesday, 20 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 4158th 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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