Mae West: No Spotlight?

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 U • •
• • I was thrilled and anxious • •
• • Mae West wrote:  I was thrilled and anxious to get out there on that stage — in a spotlight. Who had time to feel upset or nervous? All I was thinking about was what I was going to do when I got out there.
• • Mae West wrote:  Papa had been talking to Mama about me. I didn't know until later that Father had told her, "Tonight is the test for Mae. If she gets stage-fright I don't think it would be advisable for her to continue with a stage career."
• • Mae West wrote:  Papa sat out front, watching. In the dark wings offstage right, I waited, eager, poised, to make my entrance. The act before me had used the spot and when they went off on the other side of the stage, the spotlight stayed there. It picked up the man who came on and announced my act: "Baby Mae — Song and Dance." The spotlight followed him off-stage.
• • No spotlight?  I was furious! • •  . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Sunday, 25 February 1934 • •

• • On Sunday, 25 February 1934, the Associated Press wrote: Mae West lolled back, cushioning her curves, and talked about gangsters. It was the first time the platinum blonde of the plush larnyx talked out of court about the gang that took her $17,000 worth of rocks and "three hundred four centuries in cash” — — that is to say $3,400 currency. She had just been told that Harry Voiler, charged with being the instigator of the sensational robbery of Sept. 18, 1932, when Mae was held up on the street here, had been released on bonds at Miami, Florida.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Vocalising that many audience members will enjoy the most is Mae West's rendition of the aria "My Heart Opens at the Sound of Your Voice"' from the opera ''Samson and Delilah."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "My last trouble with the police cost me a small fortune in litigation and a lot of headaches."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Buffalo, NY’s newspaper mentioned Mae West.
• • Artist with autism – and few words – lets his portraits do the talking • •
• • Scott Scanlon wrote: Young artist Chaz Buscaglia [who is autistic and in his late 20s] often chooses stage and screen subjects for his portrait work. They have included Hollywood icons Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, and Mae West, and musical artists Bob Marley, Nicki Minaj and Christina Aguilera. …
• • Source: Buffalo News; published on Wednesday, 30 January 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 4156th 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 1934 • •
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