The Letters of Cole Porter
Page 51
However, Metro has taken the position that they will not pay any synchronization fee to Buxton Hill. They have also hinted that, if the $7500 is not accepted, they will stand on the contract and request you to write additional songs.
It seems to me that, in this situation, we can act in one of three ways:
1. We could refuse to permit the use of the song unless Metro pays the synchronization fee to Buxton Hill. If they are not willing to pay it, we would notify them that you are prepared to write the additional songs. At that point, Metro might break down and pay the synchronization fee, but, of course, we cannot be sure of that. You should weigh the adoption of this course of action against the inconvenience which would be caused to you if they did not back down and, instead, request you to write the additional songs. I am inclined to think that it is not worth the risk and do not recommend this course.
2. We could ask Max not to demand a synchronization fee for Buxton Hill. Max has already offered to do this. I do not think it would be wise to accept Max’s offer. As I said above, I think Max has a legal right to ask this fee and I don’t think we should put ourselves in the position of asking him to do you a monetary favor. I want Max to feel that you grant whatever favors are to be granted.
3. The third alternative is to accept $7500 as full payment, with the provision that $5,000 is to be paid directly to you and $2500 is to be paid as a synchronization fee to Buxton Hill. I know that at first glance it appears that you would lose $2500 under this plan. Actually, however, the loss is insignificant and, indeed, there may even be some minor tax advantages in diverting $2500 of the income to Buxton Hill. Of the $2500 synchronization fee, you would receive $1250 as your royalty payment from Buxton Hill. Because of your 50% stock ownership of Buxton Hill you will ultimately get the benefit of one-half of the remaining $1250. Because corporation tax rates are lower than your highest bracket, you may actually receive more this way, after taxes, than in any other way.
In any event, there is no substantial difference in income (after taxes) between the second and third courses of action. The third does have the affirmative effect of making Max feel that you are a composer who stands by him and, hence, one he must always do his best for. For this reason, I suggest that we adopt it.
I will be interested to hear your reaction to this above. I hope I have made the entire situation clear to you, but if I have not, please call me.
Sincerely,
[unsigned]
John F. Wharton.
The matter was resolved on 5 May.17 Porter had obviously not received this message when he wrote the following to Wharton; the mention of a revival of Anything Goes is interesting because of Porter’s objection to having a director-choreographer (Jerome Robbins, of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I) in charge, after his bad experience on Out of This World with Agnes de Mille:
24 April 1953: Cole Porter to John Wharton18
Dear John: –
Will you please get hold of the April 22nd issue of VARIETY. Turn to page 56, right upper corner, Show Finances, Call Me Madam. This illustrates the profit distribution on Call Me Madam, and you will note that Irving Berlin gets a certain profit distribution. Why can’t I get the same thing with future shows?
The only tie-up I don’t like in the Anything Goes revival is the idea of having Jerome Robbins as a director. If I were you, I should talk with Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay regarding this also. I don’t believe any dance director is capable of directing a whole show, especially after my fatal experience with Agnes de Mille.*
Please tell Bob Montgomery that I received his check for $214.28 from the Haresfoot Club† of the University of Wisconsin.
Best regards,
[unsigned]
In preparation for the premiere of Can-Can on Broadway, Porter invited several of his old friends, including Elsa Maxwell:
24 April 1953: Cole Porter to Elsa Maxwell19
Dear Elsa: –
Do you want to go with me to the Opening of Can-Can May 7th?
Leave word with my secretary, Mrs. Madeline Smith, Apt. 41-C, Waldorf Towers.
I have also asked my cousins, Omar and Josephine Cole, Helen and Lytle Hull, Countess di Zoppola, Millicent Hearst, Duc di Verdura and Baron de Gunzburg.
I hope you can, and if “Yes”, please be at my apartment – 41C – at 6:30 for a snack. The curtain will go up promptly at 7:30.
Love,
COLE
On 4 May 1953, Porter’s secretary Madeline P. Smith wrote to Sam Stark with advance clippings of Can-Can and commented: ‘On Thursday, this week, the SHOW GOES ON, and we are agog with excitement over it.’20 Meanwhile, Porter was preparing to fly straight to California after the opening of the show:
[May 1953]: Cole Porter to Sam Stark21
DELIGHTED TO DINE WITH YOU PERINOS* MONDAY MAY ELEVENTH[.] MAY I BRING ALONG EITH[ER] ROBERT [RAISON?] OR STANLEY [MUSGROVE]? LOVE=COLE=
[May 1953]: Cole Porter to Sam Stark22
PLEASE LET ME OFF DINING WITH YOU MONDAY NIGHT MAY ELEVENTH[.] I CANT [sic] FACE CAROUSEL[.]† I WILL CALL YOU WHEN I ARRIVW [SIC] AND WE CAN EASILY MAKE ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT[.] LOVE=COLE=
Just before the opening of Can-Can on Broadway, the New York Times ran an extensive feature on the show. Seymour Peck’s article contains some brief but revealing remarks from Porter: ‘“I hate to have the New York curtain go up,” he said. “Then the show is on, and the whole thing’s over for me.” Porter smiled a faintly melancholy smile. “I lose a friend,” he said quietly.’23 The show opened on Broadway on 7 May. Porter reported the reception to Jean Howard:
8 May 1953: Cole Porter to Jean Howard24
DEAR JEANNIE SHOW WENT WONDERFULLY LAST NIGHT AND PUBLIC ATE IT UP[.] SOME NOTICES NOT GOOD ENOUGH BUT MAJORITY VERY NICE INDEED. LOVE=COLE=
Brooks Atkinson’s review was a little dismissive of Porter’s contribution: ‘Nor is the score one of Mr. Porter’s most original works, for there are some recognisable clichés in both the music and the lyrics. But the music is gayer than the book. Mr. Porter has composed it in several styles from good hurdy-gurdy music to Parisian balladeering, with some joyful part singing in the Arthur Sullivan style.’25 Nevertheless, the score was well received by other reviewers and plans were made to record the songs:
13 May 1953: Cole Porter to Capitol Records, Inc.26
Gentlemen:
I am the author of the music and lyrics of the play CAN-CAN and I am advised that you have agreed to make a musical recording of the play with the original Broadway cast.
This will serve as my consent and permission to you to use and publicize my name, signature and likeness as composer and lyricist for advertising and trade purposes in connection with the said album, subject, however, to such billing provisions as are contained in my agreement with Feuer & Martin.
Very truly yours,
[signed:] Cole Porter
Cole Porter.
Although the album was released by his rivals Capitol rather than his company Columbia, Goddard Lieberson wrote to praise Porter’s efforts: ‘I just wanted to tell you that you have written a beautiful score “à la manière Français”, with at least three lovely, and in my opinion, permanent songs. I think I have some experience in the matter of show-music. I do not think that the critics have. Some of the songs from “Can-Can” will be praised by them, nostalgically, several years hence when they will conveniently have forgotten what they once said.’27 As ever, though, the show’s greatest fan was Irving Berlin, Porter’s most constant admirer among the Broadway community, who wrote the following flattering words after he finally saw the show in late July:
30 July 1953: Irving Berlin to Cole Porter28
Dear Cole:
Elizabeth (my youngest) and I went to see “Can-Can” last night and along with a packed house of satisfied customers, we loved it.
It’s a swell show and I still say, to paraphrase an old bar-room ballad, “anything I can do, you can do better”.*
Love,
[
signed:] Irving
From within the production, too, there was enormous affection and admiration, as the following two letters from Burrows to Porter show:
5 June 1953: Abe Burrows to Cole Porter29
Dear Cole:
I had to write you today because I spent most of last night talking about you. I had dinner with Gar and Ruth Kanin.† We ate at a charming little bistro on the Left Bank. In Paris today “a charming little bistro” means a place where you can eat for less than 9,000 francs. Anyway, we spent a good deal of the evening discussing you. It seems we all love you. This fact, of course, makes for pretty dull conversation because things never get interesting at the dinner table unless people are knocking someone, but we managed to have a good time.
We are going to stay here until June 10th and then we go back to London. We’ll stay in London until June 30th and then we sail for home on the LIBERTE.*
As you may have heard, GUYS AND DOLLS went very well in London. Incidentally, thanks for your opening night wire. It was very thoughtful.
The reports I get on CAN-CAN sound very good and, of course, the Rodgers and Hammerstein notices† made ours sound wonderful. I’m still gathering together my thoughts on our show. It’s interesting to be able to do it from a distance. I think about things that I did wrong, things that I did right, things that I left undone – but, all in all, I guess we all did the best we could. Doing a show is not unlike bringing up a child. The child develops a life of its own. The parents do their best but certain things remain immutable, and the child is what he is – cantankerous, attractive, disobedient, intelligent, annoying – but still your child. Anyway, now that it’s over, it seems to me that it was a very happy experience, and it was wonderful working with you.
I will be here until June 10th and after that I can be reached at the Savoy in London. I’d love to hear from you. I hope you’re well and happy. Let me know how “Kate”‡ is going.
Carin sends her love.
Love,
[signed:] Abe
6 June 1953: Abe Burrows to Cole Porter30
Dear Cole:
I wrote you yesterday. You must have the letter by now. In that letter I forgot something. What I forgot was to apologize for forgetting something else.
I suddenly realized, to my horror, that, in the excitement of opening night and the madhouse preparations for my trip to Europe, I never really said anything to you about the magnificent painting you sent me. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. When the picture came and I unwrapped it, I just stared at it. I was numb. Nothing like that had ever happened to me. The thrill of having a beautiful work of art, the subject of which was personal to me. When I think of the trouble you must have gone to in order to arrange it and the thought that it took, I’m flabbergasted. Perhaps that’s why it took me so long to really thank you properly for it. Sometimes, a gesture is so big and so great that the recipient unconsciously feels that there is no way he can say “Thanks” sufficiently. However, let’s forget all these philosophical and psychological nuances and let’s just say that I was a louse not to have thanked you sooner.
The weather has turned lovely in Paris. For a few days, it was cold and raining and miserable, but now it’s warm and delightful. As I told you, we will be here until June 10th. On June 9th, we are attending Edward Molyneux’* first exhibition and we are looking forward to that.
I’ll write you again from London.
Love,
[signed:] Abe
In June, Porter was in California, where he was involved in the filming of Kiss Me Kate. He wrote to John Wharton to share his feelings on it:
8 June 1953: Cole Porter to John Wharton31
Dear John:
Thank you a lot for your letter of June 5th. I am enjoying this place tremendously, what with the perfect weather and a lot of old friends.
KISS ME, KATE of Metro seems to be progressing quickly and from the rushes that I have seen I believe we can expect a good picture but, of course, that new economy move on everywhere might make the final results look a bit skimpy. To my regret, it is being done in wide screen, 3-D but they are also making a flat version which can be seen in theatres which do not have the new equipment. The silence elsewhere on the great lot of MGM is a bit terrifying!
All my best.
Sincerely,
[signed:] Cole
Also in June, Porter sent his usual regular messages to the Starks, including two telegrams of thanks, the second of which is especially unusual:
10 June 1953: Cole Porter to Sam and Harriette Stark32
MANY MANY THANKS FOR THE MAGNIFICENT FLOWERS FOR THE GEMINI CARD AND FOR THE CLIPPINGS LOVE==COLE
[n.d.] 1953: Cole Porter to Sam and Harriette Stark33
DEAR HARRIETT [sic] AND SAM THE BEAUTIFUL TOILET SEAT ARRIVED AND I HAVE INSTALLED IT AT THE POOL IT WILL GIVE JOY TO MANY ALL MY GRATITUDE AND LOVE=COLE=
A further message from Saul Chaplin (of MGM’s music department) shows Porter’s participation in the adaptation of his score of Kiss Me, Kate for the screen:
18 June 1953: Saul Chaplin to Cole Porter34
Dear Cole Porter:
We tried to reach you by telephone yesterday, but found that you were out of town.
We are doing “Always True To You In My Fashion” as a duet between Bianca and Bill. Following are the lyrics:
[lyrics reproduced in letter]
Of course we shall welcome any suggestions, and will give you a call Friday.
[signed:] Sincerely,
Saul Chaplin
In the following letter to the singer George Byron (who married Jerome Kern’s widow), Porter answers questions about the inspiration for eight of his songs:
30 June 1953: Cole Porter to George Byron35
Dear George:
Under separate cover, by Registered mail, I return the sheet music which you so kindly sent to me. The following are the stories which I can remember concerning the numbers included, and most of these stories are very dull.
1. HOT HOUSE ROSE. Fanny Brice visited Venice in 1926, when my wife and I were living in the Palazzo Rezzonico. At this time in my life I had given up all hope of ever being successful on Broadway and had taken up painting but Fannie, [sic] whom we grew to know very well, asked me to write a song for her. This was the reason for HOT HOUSE ROSE. When I finished it I invited her to the Rezzonico to hear it and afterwards she always told friends how wonderfully incongruous it was, that I should have demonstrated to her this song about a poor little factory girl as she sat beside me while I sang and played it to her on a grand piano that looked lost in our ballroom, whose walls were entirely decorated by Tiepolo paintings and was so big that if we gave a Ball for less than one thousand people in this room they seemed to be entirely lost. She never sang the song.
2. IT’S BAD FOR ME. This I wrote for Gertrude Lawrence. The name of the show was Nymph Errant; book by Romney Brent. I did the music and lyrics and it was produced by C. B. Cochran in 1933 in London but never played New York, although it was a great success. Gertie sang this song in a train compartment to a Parisian producer who had made her acquaintance when she boarded the train in Zurich, on her way to England from a Swiss Ladies Finishing School. Gertie was supposed to have reached home by June 20th. She did reach home June 20th but a year later, due to the advice that she received from her Science teacher, who sang to all the girls as they were graduating the song, Experiment.
3. EXPERIMENT. This has been explained above.
4. GIVE HIM THE OO LA LA. This song was written at the last moment in Boston during the tryout of DU BARRY WAS A LADY, when we all suddenly realized that Ethel Merman didn’t have quite enough material, as she was so great in this show. This show was also interesting for the fact that it was the first time Betty Grable played Broadway, and she made an instantaneous hit.
5. AFTER YOU. I shall always be grateful to AFTER YOU because I had been engaged by Dwight Wiman for Gay Divorce. Our great hope was to persuade Fred Astaire to play the lead.
We were living in Paris at the time and I asked Fred over to the house to hear what I had written so far. Once I had played AFTER YOU he decided to do the show.
6. LOOKING AT YOU. I wrote LOOKING AT YOU for Clifton Webb, when I was doing a review at Les Ambassadeurs in Paris in 1927. Clifton did it so well that in 1929 I put it in the score of WAKE UP AND DREAM in London, where it was sung by Sonny Hale. Later, when Jack Buchanan starred in WAKE UP AND DREAM on Broadway he sang this song.
7. OURS. I wrote OURS for the motion picture BORN TO DANCE in 1936. It was thrown out. I put it in the score of RED, HOT AND BLUE, a Broadway show starring Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante and Bob Hope. It was thrown out.
8. WALTZ DOWN THE AISLE. I wrote WALTZ DOWN THE AISLE for a Broadway show named ANYTHING GOES. It was thrown out, so the next year I put it in the score of JUBILEE. It was thrown out.
Let me congratulate you on all three albums. I played the Kern Album and the Gershwin Album* over and over and they are delightful.
My best to you both.
Sincerely,
[unsigned]
In the middle of a positive period of work, with Can-Can set in for a long run and the Kiss Me Kate film in the middle of production, Porter wrote to his friend and copyist Dr Albert Sirmay and mentioned his next Broadway project:
9 July 1953: Cole Porter to Albert Sirmay36
Dear Doctor:
Thank you very much for your letter of June 30th. I don’t like any of Mr. Kassern’s French lyrics enough. If you think I should pay him something for his effort I should be delighted to do so and then, if later I change my mind and use the lyrics, I shall naturally pay him whatever he would ask. For the time being, however, get me out of this tactfully.
I don’t see why you continue giving flattering offers to the people connected with Kismet* as Frank Loesser tells me that he is publishing the score.