The Letters of Cole Porter
Page 57
Obviously stirred by the breeze of some recollection or other, Porter tacked. “I’ve been accused most of my life of being remote,” he said. “But that’s not so. I’ve been working. It’s awful to tell people things like that. I’ve done lots of work at dinner, sitting between two bores. I can feign listening beautifully and work. That’s the reason I like to go out. I have no hours. I can work anywhere. I work very well when I’m shaving or when I’m in a taxi. When this horse fell on me, I was too stunned to be conscious of great pain, but until help came I worked on the lyrics for the songs for ‘You Never Know,’ a song called ‘At Long Last Love’ in particular. When are you going to ask me which comes first, the music or the lyrics? I don’t work at a piano.
“My sole inspiration is a telephone call from a producer. If Feuer and Martin phoned me today and asked me to write a new song for a spot, I’d just begin thinking. First, I think of the idea and then I fit it to a title. Then I go to work on the melody, spotting the title at certain moments in the melody, and then I write the lyric – the end first – that way, it has a strong finish. It’s important for a song to have a strong finish. I do the lyrics like I’d do a crossword puzzle. I try to give myself a meter which will make the lyric as easy as possible to write without being banal. On top of the meter, I try to pick for my rhyme words of which there is a long list with the same ending.
“I’m becoming less and less interested in tricky rhymes. I think I used to go overboard on them. In Yale, I was rhyme-crazy. (He wrote ‘Bingo’ and ‘Bulldog’ at school.) That was due to the fact that I was Gilbert and Sullivan crazy. They had a big influence on my life. My songs are easier than they used to be, musically and lyrically. I’ve never been able to get complete simplicity the way Berlin does. Sometimes, I’ll take twenty-five minutes to write a song, sometimes two days. I can tell a bad line by watching audiences. The minute they look at a program, I know the line’s got to be thrown out. Pretty often, though, you’ve got to have a bad line so the next one’ll look good. It’s planting, you know.”
Porter thought that musical comedies were much more “musicianly” than they used to be, and, just like anybody else, that Rodgers and Hammerstein were principally responsible for the phenomenon. “The librettos are much better,” he said, “and the scores are much closer to the librettos than they used to be. Those two made it much harder for everybody else.” [. . .]
The winds of memory stepped up his pace. “I think the greatest surprise I ever had,” Porter went on at a great rate, “was in Zanzibar in 1935. We went to a little hotel with a patio. All these ivory dealers from East Africa were sitting around in their burnouses and listening to ‘Night and Day’ being played on an ancient phonograph.
“That was a shock. People like to think composers get great pleasure out of hearing their songs played. I suppose some do. I don’t, particularly. And when you tell them you don’t, their faces fall and they say, ‘You must get very little out of life.’ They’re entirely wrong. I get a hell of a lot out of life. I’ve had two great women in my life – my mother, who thought I had this talent, and my wife, who kept goading me along, in spite of that general feeling that I couldn’t appeal to the general public.”8
The interview was well received – indeed, one distinguished reader wrote a letter to the New York Times about it:
I cannot refrain from writing and congratulating Gilbert Millstein for his wonderful article, “Words Anent Music By Cole Porter” (Feb. 20). Mr Millstein’s admirable style was even more enhanced by the subject matter chosen.
If Mr. Porter has, as he suggested in talking to Mr. Millstein, written anything but “hit” songs, I have never heard them.
As modest as he is prolific, Mr. Porter says that his “sole inspiration is a telephone call from a producer.” How inspired, I wonder, would he be as a result of a telephone call from a coloratura? An opera by Cole Porter? What a divine idea!
LILY PONS*
New York.
Despite what he claimed in the interview about attending the opening of Silk Stockings on Broadway on 24 February, Porter in fact was away in Europe for it. Albert Sirmay wired him the reaction of the critics:
25 February 1955: Albert Sirmay to Cole Porter9
OPENING GIGANTIC SUCCESS[.] BROOKS ATKINSON RAVING ESPECIALLY ABOUT WORDS AND MUSIC[.] ALL OTHER PAPERS SIMPLY WONDERFUL[.] ABE BURROWS AND CY [FEUER] HAVE ACHIEVED A THEATRICAL MIRACLE[.] AUDIENCE MOST ELEGANT IN YEARS[.] GRETCHEN WYLER† STOPPED SHOW TWICE WITH JOSEPHINE AND STEREOPHONIC[.] YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO BE HAPPY AND PROUD[.] LOVE AND KISSES=SIRMAY
As Sirmay reported, Brooks Atkinson’s review was especially glowing: ‘Everything about “Silk Stockings”, which opened at the Imperial last evening, represents the best in the American musical comedy emporium.’ He also said it was ‘on a level with’ Guys and Dolls and remarked that the subject matter had put Porter ‘back in his best form’.10 Evidently the composer was boosted by the news: his valet Paul Sylvain wrote to Sam Stark from St Moritz on 2 March to report that ‘Mr. C.P. is in good health and spirits . . .’11 A day later, Porter’s secretary, Mrs Smith, also reported to Stark that Silk Stockings was ‘a great hit’.12 Porter himself wrote to Stark on 6 March, with sarcastic comments on a relation’s reaction to the show:
6 March 1955: Cole Porter to Sam Stark13
Dear Sam,
Thanks for your letter of February 25th. I was awfully amused to read in your letter about one member of your family in Philadelphia who hadn’t been to the theater since My Maryland* played there.
I also was delighted with your relative who liked Stereophonic Sound and Yvonne Adair. She must have excellent ears and wonderful eyesight as Yvonne Adair did not go into the show until Boston and Stereophonic Sound made its first appearance in Detroit.
How awful that Johnny Smithson is returning to Los Angeles to live. That means that Stannie [Musgrove] will begin fighting with me as soon as I arrive to persuade me to invite Smithson for Sunday lunch.
Love to you and Harriet[te].
[signed:] Cole
(Cole)
Stark responded defensively: ‘According to my Phila program of Silk Stockings Yvonne Adair sang Satin + Silk and a number “There’s a Hollywood That’s Good”.’14
Business continued too. Porter wrote to his lawyer Robert Montgomery from St Moritz:
8 March 1955: Cole Porter to Robert Montgomery
Dear Bob,
Thanks a lot for your letter of March 4th, 1955.
I shall keep strict notes on our trip to Greece and its beautiful islands and see to it that you get them.
What is the cable-address of:
PAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND, WHARTON & GARRISON?
If there is none please invent one!
Best
[signed]: Cole
Cole
He received a detailed letter from his other lawyer, John Wharton, about the film adaptation of Can-Can. The show was still running on Broadway and would not close until 25 June before going on a national tour:
11 March 1955: John Wharton to Cole Porter15
Dear Cole:
This is in the nature of a progress report on the history of the CAN-CAN motion picture contract. The story of this contract is getting as long as War and Peace; only most of it is war. Mr. Moscowitz* is still being as difficult as ever but I think we may be able to finish it when [Darryl] Zanuck returns from his vacation.
Irving Lazar, Bob [Montgomery] and I have, of course, been patiently but persistently insisting on the clauses that are necessary for your protection. We have been getting them conceded one by one and there are now only two left, which I think Moscowitz will give in on in the near future.
There is one other clause, affecting both you and the producers, but primarily their problem, which has become the subject of great dispute. That is the clause which covers the release date of the picture. We have felt all along that Moscowitz was trying to get an unwarranted early date, but we felt we should let Cy [Feuer] and
Ernie [Martin] make the final decision, since it rested on their judgement as to how long they could tour the production. As you know, prior to the opening of SILK STOCKINGS, Cy and Ernie were sending messages to me that they were willing to concede anything to get the contract signed and they even criticized me to you for any delay occasioned by my insistence on getting proper protective clauses for you. However, since the opening of SILK STOCKINGS, Cy and Ernie have become much more aggressive about the whole contract and indicate that they want to make a fight about the clause on the release date. This is all right with me but I do disagree with their proposed method. As usual, with their abounding energy, their first suggestion was for Irving Lazar to fly to Europe and break in on Zanuck and work the deal out right there. Irving feels that this might irritate Zanuck immensely and the proper thing to do is to wait until his return. When Irving took this position their next suggestion was to call up Moscowitz, tell him that the deal was off and that they were bringing suit against Fox immediately. We pointed out that they could not sue Fox; any suit would have to be brought by you and Abe Burrows; and that we were certainly not going to get you into any lawsuits, particularly one in which they could give no basis that would afford a hope of winning.
I feel we should follow Irving’s advice. Ever since we retained him on the original KISS ME KATE negotiations* we have gotten everything we wanted if we allowed Irving to negotiate it in his own way and on his own time schedule. Therefore I am going to continue to follow Irving’s advice. He may fail this time, but I see no reason to think that he will fail if he is left alone, and by the way, with the money that will come in now from SILK STOCKINGS, it will make very little difference to you after taxes whether the CAN-CAN contract goes through or not. But of course we shall do everything to put that contract through. In the meantime, if Cy or Ernie want to fly to Europe and see Zanuck that is their privilege. They should not, however, try to get Irving to do this, particularly since he is not their agent and is getting no payment from them.
Do not bother to answer this letter unless you feel that you want to overrule my decision to follow Irving’s advice in this matter. As I said in the beginning, it is merely a progress report on facts which you should have before you.
Hope the vacation continues to go as well as the run of SILK STOCKINGS. I have suddenly been swamped with work again but I am feeling in pretty good shape.
As ever,
[unsigned]
John F. Wharton
22 March 1955: Cole Porter to John Wharton16
Dear John,
Thank you for your letter of March 11th, 1955.
I read with great interest the progress of the Can-Can Motion picture contract. I do hope that it can be worked out, if only for the sake of Cy and Ernie.
We are having a wonderful time in ideal weather. I have fallen in love again with Europe and I want to come back every year.
All my best,
Sincerely,
[signed:] Cole
COLE PORTER
In March, Porter’s trip to Switzerland extended into a tour of Europe, including Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece. Much of the journey was recorded in diaries by Porter’s friend Jean Howard and by Porter himself; they were also joined by Robert Bray and Paul Sylvain, and Howard Sturges and Charles Feldman (Jean Howard’s ex-husband) came on parts of the trip. On 14 March, Howard wrote: ‘Cole and Sturges return [from Paris, where they went for a few days when the rest of us got sick] tomorrow in time to depart for Monte Carlo.’17 The tour was packed with activity: for example, in Milan, they saw Maria Callas at La Scala in Bellini’s opera La Sonnambula, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. In another entry, Howard remarks: ‘I don’t mean to make Cole out to be inhuman, although there were many times that I did think just that . . .’18
Porter continued to write to friends such as George Eells during his journey:
15 March 1955: Cole Porter to George Eells19
Dear George. I’m very grateful for your letter dated Mar 1st telling me the details of Those Old Silk Stockings. By the way, nine anonymous bitches sent me the Hawkins notice, blasting the whole show.*
We’re well organized for our trek to the West (Portugal). For touring, there is the 1955 red-leather lined Cadillac. (I suddenly realized, day before yesterday that I had ordered it red-leather lined because when Pep and Berthe [Porter’s dogs] make spots from their privates, it’s so easy to wash the leather. But Pep isn’t here, nor is Berthe.) There is also a Pontiac station wagon. In this goes the luggage, so far 37 pieces – with Luigi & Paul [Sylvain] on the front seat. On the top of the Cadillac, there is a super-rack for extra luggage & it’s a super, super-rack because it’s held on by suction. This means that when one arrives somewhere & doesn’t want one’s Cadillac to have a super-rack, one presses a button, there’s no more suction & everything is respectable again, no more rack. I don’t understand this.
To continue, in the trunk of the Cadillac is my collapsible wheel-chair. This means, what with the aid of Luigi, the chauffeur, Paul & Bob Bray, I can be carried up & down all the stair-cases & then be wheeled around & around. The result is, as we have been sight-seeing every day, that Luigi, Paul & Robert all come back to the hotel exhausted wrecks. I’m still fresh & rarin’ to go.
This Luigi is a great chauffeur from Rome & highly recommended but when I first saw him, I was shocked by his clothes and also because he looked so much like Jackie Gleason.* Sturges & I took him to a chauffeur’s shop to get him the proper outfit to the last detail. He still looks like Jackie Gleason.
Today, we drove to Bergamo, the magic city on the hill & tomorrow we lunch in Turin where I shall be carried up-stairs & down-stairs & wheeled around & around again to see the beautiful treasures. I believe you would like seeing all these treasures. They’re all so far from Fleur Cowles.†
Maybe when I arrive at Monte Carlo I shall have news from you about Richard.‡ I have great affection for him. I also believe he has exciting possibilities but he’s so disorganized & un-equipped to buck this cruel world. I’d like to help him but mere money isn’t the answer. He needs a great nurse – a John Foster Dulles,§ or perhaps a Marlene Dietrich¶ to do this. How can we save him?
Goodnight George. Forgive me for the longest letter I have written in years but I miss your companionship. One day, we should take a trip together & see beautiful things, inanimate & animate.
Best --
Cole.
Jean Howard continued to be sick, so the party did not leave for Monte Carlo until 17 March.20 Her diary notes that on 24 March, ‘We lunched with Cole’s friend Bebino (Bepi) Salinas,* near Les Beau. We spent the night at Montpellier.’21 The following day: ‘First night in S’Agaro, a lovely place on the Costa Brava, at the Hostal de la Gavina, a heavenly spot. Lovely walk along the sea – white beaches, small, with dark green pine trees. [Salvador] Dali has a place about an hour away. We were not stopped very long at the border. On the Spanish side, one of the soldiers came out with Cole’s passport in his hand, looked in the car, and said, “Cole Porter . . . Begin the Beguine!” and kissed his fingers to the air, and began to sing the song. Cole’s music is known everywhere we go – even in remote spots.’ On 26 March, Howard wrote: ‘Tonight the village folk came up and entertained us with melodies and dances called the sardanas – it is said that they date from the time the Greeks were in Spain. All this was arranged for Cole. He was most gracious.’22
The following letter reflects Porter’s apparent immersion in the local music he encountered during his travels (also evidenced in transcriptions of folk melodies in his papers at the Cole Porter Trust). The package of seven discs seems to represent some form of research:
30 March 1955: José Ensesa Gubert in Barcelona to Cole Porter at the Hotel Fenix, Madrid23
Dear Mr. Porter:
I hope you had a good trip to Madrid and that in your arrival at the hotels of Zaragoza and Madrid you were fully attended as you deserve.
I send you to-day to the Fenix Hotel, b
y “recardero”, which means a firm that takes messages and parcels from one town to another, (a more sure and quicker way than the State Railways or Post Offices), 7 discs in which are recorded 36 sardanas of various authors, old and modern.
The oldes, whose melodies takes us, people of the sixties, back to our youth, and perhaps for this motive gives us a greater thrill, together with Morera and Garreta, who all died long ago.
I could not find the sardana “Marinada”* which was played twice in S’Agaró, but I will continue my search and I hope to discover some disc of that melody. If you are still at Madrid I will send it to you to the Fenix Hotel and if not I hope I shall have the opportunity to hand it to you when you come again to Barcelona on your journey to Italy and Greece.
I wish you every enjoyment during your visit to Spain and please remember me as
Yours truly,
[signed:] José Ensesa Gubert†
[Handwritten by Porter at bottom of page:]
Show me this when I return, please.
Howard notes that in Spain the party encountered Edgar Neville (1899–1967), the Spanish playwright and director: ‘Neville gave a dinner for Cole, but Cole was ill and couldn’t (simply wouldn’t) go. Poor Neville – the dinner was an awful bust . . . The fact was that Cole had had enough of Edgar Neville, who was trying too hard to please.’ She also claims: ‘It was somewhere along here (between Barcelona and Madrid, I believe) that Cole looked back from the front seat and hummed the melody of “True Love”. I told him that I thought that song would be one of his biggest hits. He said, “You’re crazy.” ’24 Howard’s ex-husband, Charles Feldman, joined them in Spain.
On 9 April they arrived in Lisbon,25 and on 10 April they dined with José Ferrer.26 Two days later, Howard reports: ‘Lunched with Cole and Bob Bray. Later went sightseeing . . . Enjoyed Cole today more than any time since we started out.’27 A Fado party, focusing on the local music of Lisbon from the nineteenth century, took place on 15 April in Porter’s honour, and he dined with Eddie Fisher,‡ Debbie Reynolds§ and her mother, Fisher’s piano accompanist, and his agent. Howard also notes: ‘After dinner the ex-king of Italy, Umberto,* came to greet Cole.’28