Mae West: Lusty Yell

In September 1934, MAE WEST sat down for a series of "Me and My Past" talks with the United Press syndicated reporter Leicester Wagner.  We will post excerpts from Chapter #2 in several installments.  This is Chapter 2, excerpt a-a.
• • "Me and My Past" by Mae West • •
• • As Told to Leicester Wagner United Press Staff Correspondent • •
• • This is the first excerpt from the 2nd article in a series entitled "Me and My Past," as told by Mae West to Leicester Wagner, United Press staff correspondent in Hollywood.
• • It was a warm evening of a hot month — August 17th, to be exact — that I made my first public appearance. It was In Brooklyn. N. Y. home of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack West, that I announced my arrival with a lusty yell — so they told me. I wonder now when my father first took me in his arms, whether he thought, "This is a girl and we'll just let it go at that."
• • For my father was a fighting man — — not a big one, but he had a punch in either hand and knew how to use 'em both. He did, in fact, punch his way to fame as one of the fastest Irish featherweights of the time.
• • Grateful to Her Parents for Aiding Her Career • •
• • I thank him for giving me a strong body, an alert mind and a good heart. As I recall this, he sits across the room, reading a newspaper — the sports page — about the new champ. He's in Hollywood now with me. He's able — because of using his head as well as his fists — to retire and let the other boys do the battling.
• • Still the Head of the Family • •  . . .
• • This has been excerpt a-a. Tomorrow's post will be b-b — —  the continuation of Chapter #2.
• • NOTE: This is the 2nd chapter of Mae West's life story as told to Leicester Wagner, United Press.  This syndicated series was reprinted in American newspapers during September 1934.
• • On Friday, 31 October 1919 • •
• • In the write-up of Ned Wayburn's "Demi-Tasse Revue" at the Capitol Theatre, Variety mentioned Mae West on 31 October 1919, noting that she "also scored as a single with a burlesque 'shimmy' number."
• • On Friday, 24 October 1919 Mae West also sang "Oh, What a Moanin' Man."
• • On Monday, 31 October 1932 • •

• • Mordaunt Hall reviewed two motion pictures starring Mae West: "Night after Night" [NYT, 31 October 1932] and "I'm No Angel" [NYT, 13 October 1933] and loved both.  Actor George Raft said, "She stole everything but the cameras."
• • On Tuesday, 31 October 1933 in New York World-Telegram • •
• • Mae West told Douglas Gilbert, a vaudeville reporter, "Women much prefer to be feminine, believe me."
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • King-siding at Mae's sensational nightclub debut in Las Vegas was laughing boy, Johnny Ray — — once again with his ex — — Marilyn Morrison.
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "Hang on to your curves."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A columnist mentioned Mae West.
• • Mike Connolly wrote:  Mae West and Steve Cochran are paging Peter Ustinov to do a rewrite job on their new play, "Klondike Lou," and act in it, too.
• • Source: Item in Desert Sun; published on Friday, 31 October 1958
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 12th anniversary • •
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past twelve years. The other day we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 3,500 blog posts. Wow!   
• • By the Numbers • • 
• • The Mae West Blog was started twelve years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 3563rd 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 1932 • •
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