Mae West: It's an Insult

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 Z • •
• • The audience started throwing money • •
• • Mae West wrote:  Two friends of Papa's had to come out and take up the money for me in their derby hats. They held a lot, but I managed to half fill them.
• • Mae West wrote:  Father said to Mother, "What's the matter that Mae won't even pick up the money they throw her? It's an insult to the audience."
• • Mae West wrote:  "Mae just doesn't like to pick up things. She won't even pick up her own clothes. Money is no different to her."
• • Mae West wrote:  "Mae should at least acknowledge the money to the audience. She could have picked up one of the bills as a favor. She turns up her nose at it as if they're insulting her." 
• • Mae is turning up her nose • • . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Wednesday, 4 March 1936 • •

• • The flapdoodle over "Klondike Annie" was discussed in Variety's issue dated for Wednesday, 4 March 1936. Coverage appeared in Hollywood Citizen News on the same date.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • The newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst has it in for Mae West.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "When Tennessee Williams received an award as our greatest playwright, he said, 'I am not the greatest playwright, Mae West is.'  He did use some of my ideas."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • The Patch mentioned Mae West.
• • Hollywood Bad Girl Mae West's Sherman Oaks Home Listed • •
• • Paige Austin wrote: The historic Spanish villa that early Hollywood iconoclast Mae West once owned in Sherman Oaks is now for sale . . .
• • Source: The Patch; published on Thursday, 18 October 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 4161st 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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