Mae West: Pretty Things

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 O • •
• • Mother dressed me in dainty light clothes • •
• • Mae West wrote: She loved pretty things about her. The parlor of our three-story brownstone house was furnished with good, and some fine, pieces upholstered in pastel shades of turquoise, peach and yellow. A round rug of the same colors covered the floor, and there were airy lace curtains at the long windows.
• • Mae West wrote: In an age of dark rooms and even darker decoration, our house was unique for its light and color. Mother dressed me in dainty light clothes and fabrics, much like the clothes she herself wore. She made these herself, having studied fashion design to become a modiste.
• • Mae West wrote: For a time, it looked as if I might be an only child.
• • They were both beautiful babies • •  . . .  
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Tuesday, 15 February 1927 in Manhattan • •
• • In New York City on 15 February 1927 there had been a hearing against "Sex" in the Magistrate's Court, closely followed by The New York Times and other newspapers.
• • It was on that Tuesday in mid-February that Mae West's obscenity trial officially began.

• • "Courting Mae West" is a stage play that dramatizes these events in Mae West's life.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • "I'm No Angel" — Not a romantic comedy by contemporary standards, notes Jimi Izrael of NPR.org.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "Keep a diary and one day it'll keep you."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A California tiki bar and eatery attracted Mae West.
• • Donn Beach opened Don the Beachcomber, a small café and bar at 1722 N. McCadden Place, where he concocted powerful rum drinks for his customers.
• • With his business growing in popularity, Donn had his eye on a larger space across the street, at 1727 N. McCadden.
• • After a couple of lucrative years, Donn added food to the menu. It became an exclusive restaurant with a dress code, filled with Hollywood elites including Rudy Vallee, the Marx Brothers, Mae West, Howard Hughes and Charlie Chaplin.  . . .
• • Source: combined articles; published in 2016—2018

• • 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 4150th 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 • • "Courting Mae West" in Australia • •
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