Mae West: Brooklyn Native

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 B • •
• • Mae’s ever-lasting love for Brooklyn, NY • •  . . .
• • Mae West wrote: Brooklyn was a city of neat horse-plagued, tree-lined streets, connected by a brand new bridge to Manhattan. Men of affairs, business and otherwise, still drove a pair of horses in a fancy rig, and while manly beards were still in fashion, the well dressed man-about-town was already waxing the ends of his English Guardsman's mustaches and learning to point them with a twist of his ruby-cuff-linked wrist.
• • Mae West wrote: There were Brooklyn picnics in the many groves of oak and elm that still existed, and the great iron-wheeled beer drays pulled by four to six large-rumped horses in their polished harnesses were a sight to cheer. There was a fine theatre audience — high and low. Girls in tights, and girls without them, and the rag- time beat and the first stirrings of jazz from faraway Storyville were already coming out of the places soon to use Mr. Edison's new electric-light signs.
• • The sports were beginning to appear • • . . .
• • To be continued on the next post.
• • Source: The Autobiography of Mae West  [N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959].
• • On Monday, 29 January 1917 in Brooklyn • •
• • Mae West was a witness at her younger sister's wedding, which took place on a weekday, Monday, 29 January 1917 in Brooklyn City Hall, not far from the West family's Brooklyn residence.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Mae West, who says she writes but really dictates, does her composing in between the violet silk sheets of her enormous, and elaborately decorated white bed.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: “I'm never dirty, dear. I'm interestin' without bein' vulgar. I have taste. I kid sex. I was born with sophistication and sex appeal. But I'm never vulgar, and I don't like obscenity. I just suggest."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An obituary mentioned Mae West.
• • Carol Channing, 1921 — 2019 • •

• • Philip Terzian wrote: But it was her pioneering version of Lorelei Lee's famous anthem, "A kiss on the hand may be quite continental/ But diamonds are a girl's best friend," sung in Carol Channing's melodiously raspy mezzo-soprano, that fixed her face and voice in the American pantheon. It was, at once, comic and sexy-farcical as well, a little like her Broadway precursor Mae West. 
• • Philip Terzian wrote: Carol Channing was an attractive, even conventionally pretty, woman, but she was also smart enough, and sufficiently sure of herself and her spacious appeal, to play up her google eyes and oversized mouth and always appear as if her bottle-blonde hair had just emerged from a hurricane.   . . .
• • Image Source Archive: Peter C. Borsari Photography
• • Source: Washington Examiner; published on Friday, 18 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 4137th 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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Mae West: Three Oaks, Michigan

MAE WEST as a guest — — performing on Judy Garland's TV show — — is the frame around Michael Holmes's mischievous portrait of classic Hollywod.
• • At the heart of his celebrity impressions is curly-locks Holmes's impersonation of the old "Judy Garland Show," her 1964 television variety show during which she played host to some of the greatest stars of Hollywood — — also portrayed by Mr. Holmes.
• • Judy's glamourous line-up includes Mae, Carol Channing, Bette Davis, and others, singing popular standards such as "Hello Dolly," "Stormy Weather," "I left my Heart in San Francisco," and many more as well as Judy's trademark number "Over the Rainbow."
• • WHERE: The Acorn Theater | 107 Generations Dr., Three Oaks, MI | 269-756-3879
• • Tell them you heard about it on the MAE WEST BLOG.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Michigan Mischief

This weekend Michigan-based impressionist Michael Holmes will delight audiences as MAE WEST, Peggy Lee, Pearl Bailey, and — — most especially — — as Judy Garland.
• • This Friday and Saturday the Illinois-native, who fell in love with the theatre arts as a high school boy, will take to the stage at The Red Barn [Saugatuck, MI 49453], after being transformed by wigs and wizardry to resemble Judy Garland. “The Judy Show” builds its concept around Garland’s signature 1960’s TV series; the theme gives Holmes the flexibility to portray a rainbow of glammed-up celebrity guests including Mae West, "Hello, Dolly!" star Carol Channing, songbird Peggy Lee, bewitching Pearl Bailey, and others.
• • Unlike Mae, who wrote "The Drag" in 1926 and who was delighted by drag queens, the talented Mr. Holmes dislikes the label "drag" and is offended when people label him a "drag queen." His perspective is this: “What I do is theater. I just happen to do female characters. My show is a completely theatrical production with audience interaction and improvisational comedy, so every show is different. It’s really a celebration of the glory days of Hollywood.”
• • After this weekend's finale, Holmes will pack up his heel heels and wig boxes and head to the West Coast for an extended supper club engagement in Palm Springs. For details about his Red Barn extravaganza, telephone (269) 857-5300.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West: Michigan

Thanks to Michael Holmes and his amusing new show — — "Holmes for the Holiday" — — MAE WEST will be onstage in Michigan this month.
• • Scripted for this year's Mason Street production, “Holmes for the Holidays” features all the traditional red-and-green musical favorites and more than a dash of gender-bending.
• • Holmes portrays a wickedly funny Judy Garland and has her host this performance along with her Hollywood cohorts Carol Channing and Bette Davis. And then this threesome is joined by an all-new character in the voluptuous shape of Mae West.
• • These comedic capers will be available at Mason Street Warehouse only on Saturday at 8:00 PM, 29 November 2008.
• • The Saugatuck Center for the Arts seems to be the only equity theatre in western Michigan. For ticket information, please phone the Mason Street Warehouse in Saugatuck, MI at 269-857-4898.
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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