The Letters of Cole Porter

by Cole Porter

  Just then the telephone rang and it was Max Gordon on the wire, speaking from Philadelphia about the terrible sketches in the new Follies.‡ Sam and Max talked a long time about this, then I was called to the telephone, and a great deal of conversation went on as to whether I was having a good time in California. I told Max I was.

  During the telephone call, Sam must have found time to think, because the minute it was over, he said, “Now boys, I like this idea for your picture very much, but why couldn’t you lay it in Honolulu instead of New York?” The boys explained to him that this was impossible. So he said, “Well, anyway, give me one character and one scene that I have always clung to: the character, a female wharf rat who can sing torch songs; and the scene, two battleships, one full of boys and one full of girls, to be used as a setting for a comedy lead-up to an important march song.[”] This did not seem to upset anybody, and as I left, Sam said to McGowan and Silvers, “You boys go away now and try to bring me back an idea in two weeks.”

  That was the end of this conference.

  ****

  On the way home in the motor, I figured out, by computing the salaries of the writers engaged on this picture so far, that it had cost MGM $29,000 to decide not to do a Revue.

  TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1936

  Jack McGowan telephoned. I asked him whether they had gone away and he said no, because Sid Silvers was ill, and he wanted to make an appointment with me to go to see Sam Katz to find out “where we were at,” that he and Sid Silvers were to see Buddy De Sylva to find out whether Buddy would sell his rights to this idea for a picture for $5000.00. He replied that he had just talked to Buddy, but Buddy wouldn’t sell for less than $12,000.00. $12,000.00 seemed to me very expensive.

  2:00 p.m.

  Sam Katz telephoned me to say that he had arranged for the release of Laura Hope Crews for the Boland part in “Jubilee.”* I said, “Sam, how about my picture?”, and he said, “Don’t worry, my boy, we will find an idea in a few weeks. In the meantime, take advantage of California and get a lot of health.”

  THURSDAY, JANUARY 23[, 1936]

  Sam Katz telephoned, saying, “Cole, I have great news for you. I bought the idea for that picture from Buddy De Sylva and it only cost me $17,000.00.” That was all.

  TUESDAY, JANUARY 28[, 1936]

  I came in and found that Jack Cummings had telephoned, so I gave him a ring and asked what he wanted. He replied, “I only telephoned to find out how you liked California.” I said “How about my picture?”, and his reply was, “I don’t know anything about your picture, I just got back from Palm Springs, I’ve been there for the last ten days, why don’t you go there?” Then he rang off.

  WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29[, 1936]

  I found a message to call up Jack McGowan. I called him and asked why he had telephoned. He said “I just wanted to call you up to tell you not to be discouraged, and to say that if you wanted Sid or me to see you, we could come over anytime and say ‘hello’.” I said “Have you worked out any story yet?” He replied “No, nothing yet.” So I told him that it might be better that we not meet until they had found at least some outline of a story. This seemed to delight him and he rang off.

  FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1936

  Sam Katz telephoned and said, “Have you seen the boys lately?” I said “No, Sam, I haven’t, but I talked to McGowan on the telephone and asked him whether he and Sid Silvers had as yet found a story, and he said, ‘No, they had not.’ ” I suggested that we not meet again until they had.

  This pleased Sam very much and he said “That’s absolutely right, Cole, it would only be confusing to you, so just let them alone until they find a story, and in the meantime have a good time and get the benefits of California. Goodbye.”

  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12th, 1936

  Sam Katz telephoned and said “How are you, Cole, and do you still like California?” I told him I did, and then he added, “I think the boys have really gone to work and they might have something for you by the end of the week. Goodbye, Cole.”

  FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14th[, 1936]

  Sam Katz telephoned again to say that McGowan and Silvers wanted to meet me sometime on Monday, so we made an appointment for 2:30 next Monday, February 17th.

  MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17th, 1936

  CONFERENCE IN OFFICE OF MR. SAM KATZ

  PRESENT: Sam Katz, Jack Cummings, Jack McGowan and Max Gordon* listening in. (Max Gordon is being paid $2500 per week for 12 weeks to listen in at conferences.)

  Once we were settled in our very comfortable chairs, Sam said to Jack McGowan, “Now, Jack, tell Cole the story you worked out.” Then Jack began, “Well, we open our picture with a shot of the New York harbor, where three sailors (Allan Jones, Sid Silvers and Buddy Ebsen†) are being given an important letter by the captain of their boat, to deliver to an admiral in Washington.” Then he stopped a moment and said, “Hell, Sam, that’s all wrong.” And Sam said, “Yes, that isn’t the opening that you told me the other day, at all.” There was a short silence until Jack said, “I’m sorry, Cole, but I can’t remember any of it. Sid is in bed with the flu and you’ll have to wait until he gets out, and then we’ll tell you the story.”

  So Sam suggested that Jack McGowan give me a list of the characters they plan to have in this picture. As the list progressed, I was suddenly very surprised to hear that there would be a troupe of Japanese acrobats in the Lonely Hearts Club, but as the scene of acrobats with Silvers was described it sounded very funny. Sam didn’t laugh with the rest of us, and I couldn’t understand why, until he said, “Jack, you can’t make those acrobats Japanese, on account of the danger of political trouble, make them ‘Arabs’.” Jack said, “Sam, they’re supposed to be spies.” To which Sam retorted, “Then make them ‘Arab’ spies.”‡

  When we had discussed the characters a bit, Sam said to me “Now, Cole, my boy, Sid will be out of the hospital by the end of the week, and I will give you a ring and you can talk with him before we go away.” I said, “Sam, what do you mean, ‘go away’?” He replied, “Well, I am taking the boys and their wives, on Saturday, for a little trip to Panama. We will get back about the tenth of March and by that time I think we ought to have an outline of the story.”

  Jack McGowan had been very silent during the last few moments, and suddenly he leaped to his feet saying, “I have a great idea. Instead of making them sailors on a battleship, why not make them sailors on a submarine?” This caused great enthusiasm, especially as we had all been secretly thinking that this picture was going to be singularly reminiscent of “FOLLOW THE FLEET”,* but Sam didn’t like this idea at all, and he said, “You know, Max, I always wanted to have a scene showing two battleships, one covered with boys and one covered with girls.” Jack Cummings immediately stifled him by saying, “Sam, we can get just as good an effect if you have those three sailors on a submarine, because we can get the entire Atlantic fleet to put on a parade for us and have the submarine at the tail end of it.” This calmed Sam, and, from now on, it’s agreed that the three sailors will be “three sailors on a submarine.”

  That was the end of the conference.

  TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1936

  The following radio was forwarded from Sam Katz’s secretary to me:

  “Advise Cole Porter our story line complete. Stop. Our opening song must approximate traditional stirring navy song to be sung by male chorus in beginning and reprise for final.† Stop. Cole Porter can begin working on this now and try to have same ready for us on our return. Regards.”

  TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1936

  Arthur Lyons telephoned saying: RKO wanted to borrow me from MGM and start me working within two weeks on the next Fred Astaire picture,* and asked if I was interested. Of course, I was interested, and when about ten minutes later Sam Katz telephoned and said, “Hurry out to the studio, I want to read you the story we have for you”, I was very downhearted, thinking that I had to throw up a great job for a mediocre picture. But once I arrived in his office and sat with Max Gordon and Jack
Cummings, as Sam read the scenario and a great deal of the dialogue of the picture which McGowan and Silvers are writing for me, all qualms left and I realized that I had fallen on a wonderful film.

  When it was over, I played the opening number (which he had wirelessed me about) and they were so delighted with it they all kissed me. Then I played another number which I had just finished, “It’s De-Lovely”, and they were equally enthusiastic about it and spotted it immediately in the story.*

  We went into details about what I would have to write, and in checking up on the musical numbers, I found that there will be a total of seven (7) numbers at most, three (3) of which I have written.

  *This was later thrown out.†

  TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1936

  We discussed casting, and I heard to my great joy that the picture will be played by Allan Jones opposite Eleanor Powell, Sid Silvers opposite Una Merkel, Buddy Ebsen opposite Judy Garland, and Frances Langford to play the jilted society girl.‡

  At the end of the conference, Sam said to me, “You will notice there is no mention of one battleship covered with boys and another battleship covered with girls, but Jack McGowan and Sid Silvers are doing their best to work it in.”

  THURSDAY, MARCH 12th, 1936

  Conference in the office of Sam Katz. Present: Sam Katz, Jack McGowan, Sid Silvers, Jack Cummings.

  McGowan read aloud the outline of the story and the dialogue that they had finished so far, and once more I was convinced that they have presented me with a great picture.

  I played them all the numbers which I had finished, including a new one that I wrote last night for Frances Langford. It’s called “Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye.” This number seemed to have much greater success than I could have ever expected. They sang it over and over again, and at the finish Sam Katz said to me, “You know, Cole, that song is beautiful, it’s – why it’s Jewish.”

  FRIDAY, MARCH 13th, 1936

  As the result of “Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye”, Major Zanft* asked me to come to see him at his office. He told me that people in the Katz unit had dined last night with the powers at Paramount and they raved so over this new song that Paramount had asked him to offer me $50,000. for two months’ work on the next Crosby picture.† I refused, first, because it was a Crosby picture; second, because the locale was Hawaii, and third, on account of the California tax law.‡

  Arthur Lyons called me up to tell me about the excitement “Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye”* had caused on the MGM lot, and added that the Katz outfit had hinted to him that they would like to have me back next year for the same length of time, but for $100,000, instead of the paltry $75,000 that I am struggling along with now.

  *This was later thrown out.*

  MONDAY, MARCH 16th, 1936

  Conference in the office of Mr. Sam Katz. Present: Sam Katz, Jack McGowan and Sid Silvers.

  I arrived to find Jack and Sid very excited over having thought of a title for our picture, to wit: “GREAT GUNS.” I didn’t like it, nor did Sam, especially, but the boys were so enthusiastic that we let them rave on.

  They also had an idea that the reprise of the opening song of the picture should be used as the entrance for Langford, which would mean throwing out “Rolling Home.” I said nothing about this, but after they left I told Sam I was going to fight them on it.

  THURSDAY, MARCH 19th, 1936

  Conference in office of Mr. Sam Katz. Present: Sam Katz, Max Gordon, Jack Cummings, Jack McGowan, Sid Silvers.

  McGowan read aloud a lot of new dialogue, and it was grand. Then I played them a Honky-Tonk-Waltz-Clog, “Hey, Babe, Hey”, and it was a thundering success.

  Then Sam led in a tubercular-snore specialist, called Robert Wildhack,† who proceeded to amuse us a great deal with a new routine showing the different ways of saying “yes”.

  Then a boy of sixteen was led in, a waif from West Virginia, who performed on the harmonica, and gave one of the greatest performances I had ever heard, especially when he used his nose instead of his mouth. After the two performers had left, Sam explained that he was using them in the boys’ next picture and wanted me to hear them.

  We all parted very exuberant.

  TUESDAY, MARCH 31st, 1936

  CONFERENCE IN OFFICE OF MR. SAM KATZ

  Present: Sam Katz and Max Gordon.

  I played them a new rhythm song which I had just finished for Eleanor Powell called “RAP TAP ON WOOD.”

  Sam Katz was so pleased with it that he began talking to me about planning from now on to come back every year on January 1 and work for him until June 1, and he added “Next January will be especially interesting for you, because that is when we are going to shoot your present picture.” This scared me a little bit, knowing as I do so well how quickly songs date.

  Also on 31 March, during his stay in Hollywood, Porter wrote to Monty Woolley, congratulating him on his success in Rodgers and Hart’s On Your Toes:

  31 March 1936: Cole Porter to Monty Woolley32

  Beardie –

  The notices arrived from the Boston papers, & how grand they were. And today – Variety, + I cried. And the show* sounds so attractive + I’m so happy for you. And bless that dear Dwight [Deere Wiman] for realizing what the rest of us only feared, that, from your cradle you were destined to be a magnificent ham.

  We are proud of you + the wire I sent you about Marie Dressler is barely an exaggeration.

  Linda talks of you all day long. I think the thing that has impressed her most is that you had a manicure. She said to me tonight “You know, in time, he might even eat fruit.”

  But there’s no kidding about all this. You have landed + beautifully + I only beg you to behave + not vomit on Luella.†

  You might even give her my love.

  Goodnight, Edgar

  Potah

  He continued his diary on 2 April 1936:

  THURSDAY, APRIL 2nd, 1936

  CONFERENCE IN OFFICE OF MR. SAM KATZ

  Present:

  Sam Katz, Max Gordon,

  Jack Cummings, Jack McGowan

  Sid Silvers.

  I played the authors “RAP TAP ON WOOD”, and they were delighted with it. So that means another number in the bag.

  Then McGowan read aloud the love scene leading up to what I thought would be “I’VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN”, but as he read it, I realized that this song would be entirely unfitting.* So I left, promising to write another one.

  MONDAY, APRIL 13th, 1936

  CONFERENCE IN OFFICE OF MR. SAM KATZ

  Present: Sam Katz and Max Gordon.

  I took in a number on which I had been working very hard for the past week, called “WHO BUT YOU”, and played it for them. Even as I was playing, they walked away from the piano and looked out the window, and at the finish of it they told me it was absolutely no good.†

  Then the authors came in and read me some new material, which was excellent. Sam suggested that I play them the number that I had brought in, but I refused, as I knew there was no chance of its going over his head. So we discussed putting back “I’VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN”. They all decided they wanted that song, but when I left I knew it was wrong, and much too romantic a number for this character to sing.

  TUESDAY, APRIL 14th, 1936

  Conference in office of Mr. Sam Katz

  Present: Sam Katz, Max Gordon, Jack McGowan, Sid Silvers, Jack Cummings and Seymour Felix (Dance Director)‡

  I played them a song which I had resurrected and rewritten last night, called “EASY TO LOVE”.* The response was instantaneous. They all grabbed the lyric and began singing it, and even called in the stenographers to hear it, their enthusiasm was so great. When the singing was finally over, Seymour Felix got on his knees in front of Sam, Katz and said, “Oh, please Mr. Katz, let me stage that song when the picture is shot.”!

  So left once again very happy.

  MONDAY, APRIL 20th, 1936

  CONFERENCE IN OFFICE OF SAM KATZ

  Present:

  Sam Katz<
br />
  Jack McGowan

  Sid Silvers

  Jack Cummings

  I took in “I’VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN” and they all liked it very much. Sam Katz asked me to get hold of Frances Langford at once and coach her for the song so she could come out and demonstrate it as soon as she was ready.

  WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22nd, 1936

  CONFERENCE IN OFFICE OF SAM KATZ

  Present: Sam Katz, Sid Silvers, Jack McGowan, Jack Cummings, Roy Del Ruth (who is to direct the picture).†

  McGowan read the entire script, and I played all the numbers finished up to date. Del Ruth, who is supposed to be a very taciturn person, was most enthusiastic and told us he thought we had a great picture.

  FRIDAY, APRIL 24th, 1936

  CONFERENCE IN OFFICE OF SAM KATZ

  Present: Sam Katz, Sid Silvers, Jack McGowan and Jack Cummings.

  I took in the verse to “EASY TO LOVE” and they seemed to feel that it would fit perfectly.

  Then the discussion began as to who would play the lead, as Allan Jones had just opened in the Show Boat‡ and is so bad that Sam Katz doesn’t want him any more.

  After I returned home, I began thinking about James Stewart* as a possibility for the male lead. I talked to Sam Katz about this on the telephone and he thought the idea was most interesting, if Stewart could sing. The next day Stewart came over to the house and I heard him sing. He sings far from well, although he has nice notes in his voice, but he could play the part perfectly.