Wednesday, November 02, 2016

Mae West: Only Regret

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 c-c.
• • "Me and My Past" by Mae West • •
• • As Told to Leicester Wagner United Press Staff Correspondent • •
• • The Only Woman I Could Trust • •
• • For my mother — — of French and German parentage, and born in France [sic] — — was the one woman in this world who I knew I could trust, who did everything in her life to help me get ahead in the only profession I ever cared about — — entertaining.
• • Her death nearly four years ago is the one sad spot in my life. My mother's grave is in the East, but I still can't realize she is gone. It was her desire that I put my Broadway stage play, "Diamond Lil," on the silver screen. And it is my only regret that she did not live long enough to see that daughter of hers get to Hollywood and turn "Diamond Lil" into "She Done Him Wrong" — — a picture that rocked the show world — — and to see "I'm No Angel" and my next one, "The Belle of the Gay Nineties" [sic].
• • Hollywood, Here I Am! • •
• • Which brings me to Hollywood, California. We'll go back and trace the path later . . .
• • This has been excerpt c-c. Tomorrow's post will be d-d — — 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. This was a year of anti-German, anti-Nazi sentiment. Therefore, Mae changed details about her mother's Bavarian heritage, saying she was born in France.
• • On Sunday, 2 November 1969 • •
• • An article was printed in  The N.Y. Times Magazine on Sunday, 2 November 1969: "76 — — and Still Diamond Lil" written by Steven V. Roberts and punctuated with several photos of the Brooklyn Bombshell at various career points. The first portrait showed Mae costumed by Edith Head for her role as Leticia Van Allen.
• • From Hollywood, Steven V. Roberts's interview with Mae West produced this sentiment: "I hold records all over the world. That's my ego, breaking records. So don't say they put me in someone else's room."
• • On Friday,  2 November 1990 • •
• • Musician Klaus Schulze recorded a long track "Face of Mae West" [08:04] for a sampler CD titled "Dalí: The Endless Enigma" and this cut was first released on Friday, 2 November 1990 on the Coriolis label.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • In due time, Mae is moving to a beach house she recently purchased to escape the smog. 
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said:  "How do I keep my figure?  With yoga exercises, Iong walks, specially prepared fat-less foods."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • A California paper mentioned Mae West.
• •  But if your fat is your fortune, as in the case of Mae West, that’s a different story! . . .
• • Source: Item in Sausalito News; published on Friday, 2 November 1934
• • 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 3565th 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 1969

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