The Letters of Cole Porter
Page 59
Porter’s next letter to John Wharton not only asked him to do a favour for a friend, it also commented on the possibility of Porter receiving an honorary doctorate from Yale:
12 September 1955: Cole Porter to John Wharton52
Dear John:
Thank you very much for your letter. I am so glad that Colorado was so successful. I enclose a letter from the son of one of my good friends in Yale.* I have asked him to telephone to you, after having written him to say that I have asked you to do everything possible to clear that BEGIN THE BEGUINE difficulty in his revue. I should appreciate your helping him.
Regarding your sending a four page biography of me to Dean Atchison, in regard to the Yale Honorary Degree, I see no objection to this nor to a short statement about my music, written by Alex Steinert, but I must say it all sounds a little bit cold-blooded.
All my best.
Sincerely
[signed:] Cole
The correspondence about the degree continued twelve days later:
24 September 1955: Cole Porter to John Wharton53
Dear John:
Thank you for your nice letter of September 19th, 1955.
I have gone over the biography in detail and enclose herewith a corrected version. It is always strange to me how many fables are connected with the facts of anyone’s life. For years I have been haunted by being credited with having been given the Croix de Guerre. This never happened.
Also, many biographies speak about Linda and me running a night club in Venice. This must stem from the fact that I had a huge barge converted into a dance floor. I imported a negro band from London and once a week this barge was towed around the lagoons of Venice. The membership consisted of about one hundred of our friends, who paid a certain amount for the privilege of belonging to this club. All the proceeds were given to a local charity. So much for the night club!
Best.
Sincerely,
[signed:] Cole
On 1 October, John Wharton wrote to Porter to confirm that his regular amanuensis and arranger Alex Steinert had written the biography for Porter’s degree application. He also commented on Porter’s plan to reuse a song from Around the World in a new project. The composer replied:
3 October 1955: Cole Porter to John Wharton54
Dear John:
Thank you for your letter of October 1st, 1955.
I read the article written by Alex Steinert and find it very good but I suggest that you get also a letter from Dr. Sirmay, as his point of view will be more professional and less personal. He also might mention how much my music is played all over the world.
I read with horror about the song I wanted to use from AROUND THE WORLD. I shall have to completely re-write what I have just written so that there can be no legal objections.
My best.
[signed:] Cole
It would be several years before Porter received the degree.
Jean Howard had assembled a photograph album of her trip to the Greek islands with Porter, which delighted him when it arrived, paving the way for their next holiday the following year:
19 September 1955: Cole Porter to Jean Howard55
Dearest Jeannie:
When I talked to you on the telephone the beautiful album of our Greek cruise had not yet arrived. You say that this is not a work of art, but to me it definitely is and I shall always treasure it!
I miss you dreadfully.
My love to you both.*
[signed:] Cole
Porter’s Out of This World received a brief revival off-Broadway at the Actor’s Playhouse from 12 October, directed by Rick Besoyan, who went on to write the book, music and lyrics for the successful musical Little Mary Sunshine (1959).56 A review in the New York Times commented that Out of This World had appeared ‘sporadically dull’ on Broadway but now seemed ‘rather charming in a Greenwich Village basement’, adding that it contained ‘some of Mr. Porter’s best songs’.57 But Porter’s attention was on High Society. It was announced on 28 November that Grace Kelly,* Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra would star in the film, which would be directed by Charles Walters and be filmed in January 1956.58 Porter had done most of his job by this point, but a particularly rich body of correspondence survives from this period on the latter stages of preparing the music for the film. He wrote to the movie’s producer, Sol C. Siegel, and to the associated music director, Saul Chaplin, on 10 November about a song that was ultimately abandoned:
10 November 1955: Cole Porter to Sol Siegel59
Dear Sol: –
Find enclosed a copy of double number (“SO WHAT?”). This should be sung sentimentally by Mike – and rather sarcastically by Dexter.
Best,
[unsigned]
P.S. – I enclose a note for Saul Chaplin.
10 November 1955: Cole Porter to Saul Chaplin60
Dear Saul: –
Please study this SO WHAT? number before you play it for Sol Siegel.
Please note that the first two measures are legato; the second two measures are staccato and hot; the third two, legato; the fourth two, staccato and hot; continuing until measure fourteen, when all the notes are staccato except for slurs. This should be observed not only instrumentally, but vocally.
All my best,
[unsigned]
He wrote again to Siegel later in the month:
23 November 1955: Cole Porter to Sol Siegel61
Dear Sol: –
I enclose a verse to Who Wants to be a Millionaire? I know you don’t want it for the picture, but we need it for published copies. Therefor, [sic] will you kindly have this verse joined to the refrain and have the usual number of copies sent to Chappell, and three copies sent to me personally.
Best,
[signed:] Cole
Siegel gave the letter to Johnny Green, one of the film’s two musical directors, who responded with the copies on 9 December and asked him to ‘address such purely musico-mechanical matters as this directly to [him]’ in the future.62
Porter responded on 12 December:
12 December 1955: Cole Porter to Johnny Green
Dear Johnny: –
Thank you very much for your note of December 9, 1955, enclosing the copies which I requested of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?
In the future, I shall take your advice and address all musical-mechanical matters to your department directly. Thanks for the tip.
Yours sincerely,
[signed:] Cole
(Cole Porter)
Nevertheless, Porter continued to correspond with Siegel:
14 December 1955: Cole Porter to Sol Segal [sic]63
Dear Sol: –
In regard to the French lyric and the refrain of Little One, I called Dr. Sirmay at Chappell asking him to have the head of the Chappell Publishing House in Paris find a French lyracist [sic] to make a French lyric of this song, and the type of lyric which would be commercially valuable when the numbers from High Society are published in France. I should receive this shortly, and will forward it to you. Naturally, if there is any expense connected with this, it will be my own expense.
I can’t tell you how happy your telephone call made me. Writers all like an occasional tap on the back, and yours was so welcome.
Best,
[unsigned]
He also continued to send music to Chaplin for preparations for the movie:
15 December 1955: Cole Porter to Saul Chaplan [sic]64
Dear Saul: –
I am sending with this note, an ink copy of the extra refrain of Now You Has Jazz. The reason is because I wish you would get to know it well before Sol Siegel receives his copy of the same. I am not sending his copy until Saturday.
Best,
[unsigned]
The following letter to Siegel is typical of Porter’s advocacy for charitable causes:
17 December 1955: Cole Porter to Sol Segal [sic]65
Dear Sol: –
I realize the following is perhaps far too early a request:
A very old and
very dear friend of mine, Mrs. Lytle Hull, is the head of an organization named the HOSPITALIZED VETERANS SERVICE. What she would like to do is get a Preview of High Society as a Benefit for this organization.
I have always been interested in this organization myself, and contributed to it for years. It is part of the Musicians Emergency Fund. I enclose the descriptive leaflet which may interest you.
Will you be good enough to communicate with Mrs. Hull directly concerning this? Her address is:
MRS. LYTLE HULL
860 Fifth Avenue
New York, N.Y.
Best,
[unsigned]
Johnny Green wrote to Porter again on 22 December, commenting that ‘Only in the last ten days have my decks been cleared for action on “HIGH SOCIETY”, which means that only in the last ten days have I had a chance to get really familiar with the score. It is perfectly wonderful!! In my view, it is really top drawer Porter! Each of the songs is so right for its spot that it is difficult for me to pick a favorite or favorites. I can tell you that I just love “Samantha”. It has that hauntingly special quality that is yours and I’m just crazy about it!’66 Green was working with Saul Chaplin on the musical direction of the film and Chaplin had written at length on 17 December to describe how the score was being treated. Chaplin reported that Siegel and the film’s director Charles Walters ‘love’ ‘High Society Calypso’ and ‘I Love You, Samantha’ and liked his new lyrics to ‘Well, Did You Evah?’ They all felt that ‘Calypso’ was ‘one verse too long’ so they eliminated one; ‘We also found that staging-wise we could get more fun out of the number by repeating the chorus . . .’ he continued. He additionally made a suggestion for a second verse of ‘Well, Did You Evah?’ He concluded: ‘As you know, Johnny Green is going to conduct the score. I had a long meeting with him yesterday during which time I went through all the music with him, explaining your intentions regarding each song. One of the important points I made was simplicity of orchestrations.’67 The composer responded with comments on minor changes to the lyrics:
21 December 1955: Cole Porter to Saul Chaplin68
Dear Saul: –
Your letter of December 17, 1955, made me very happy indeed, and I am so glad that you are determined that I shall see High Society without any surprises.
I understand perfectly why you cut the lyric in the CALYPSO song. Thank Heaven, it was too long rather than too short.
As far as WELL, DID YOU EVAH? goes, I think your lyric:
HAVE YOU HEARD THE STORY OF
A BOY, A GIRL, UNREQUITED LOVE?
is difficult to understand unless Crosby pauses after “Boy” and after “Girl”. How would you like this line?:
HAVE YOU HEARD THE STORY OF
DEXTER BOY’S UNREQUITED LOVE?
If everyone prefers your line, it’s O.K. with me.*
I am so sorry you didn’t get that extra week here, but maybe one day I shall get another job at Metro and can wangle a longer visit for you in the wilds of New York.
A happy Christmas to you.
All my best,
[signed:] Cole
At the end of the year, Porter wrote to Irving Lazar, his agent in Hollywood, to update him on current projects. Although Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin were keen on a further collaboration, Sol Siegel was willing to offer Porter another movie after High Society, called Les Girls:
31 December 1955: Cole Porter to Irving Lazar69
Dear Irving: –
Thank you for your letter of Dec. 28, 1955. I am not an idiot child. I do not call Sol “Saul”, nor do I call Saul “Sol”. These are two different people. There is a producer named Sol Siegel – and an assistant producer name Saul Chaplin. Sol sent Saul to be with me here for ten days while I wrote new material. This was done in order that I make no mistakes as to what was required in detail. Since Saul (not Sol) returned to Culver City, I have received charming telephone calls from Sol, and a most enthusiastic letter from Saul.
Feuer & Martin are changing ideas every day about our new show. I cannot say yet that I shan’t do whatever they find, but I am very tempted to tell them, in case this goes on, that I have decided to accept a commitment from Sol Siegel. This would solve my working life perfectly, as I go abroad toward the end of February, will be back in New York on June 1st, and plan to start the usual summer in California at 416 North Rockingham Ave. What you write about Les Girls sounds most interesting, and I do hope you can come up with more detailed news about this.
This letter may be forwarded to you in Moscow. Answer me when you have time.
A very Happy New Year to you.
Your devoted,
[unsigned]
Two further letters from Porter to Chaplin reveal additional discussion on the adaptation of ‘Well, Did You Evah?’, an old Porter song from Du Barry Was a Lady, for High Society:
31 December 1955: Cole Porter to Saul Chaplin70
Dear Saul: –
I tried to telephone you a few nights ago to wish you a happy New Year. I was up in the country and did not have your ‘phone number, so I telephoned to Mary Kidd, who quickly gave me a wrong number. Then I telephoned her back, got your correct number and you were out. This is merely to register the fact that I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
In reference to your letter or [sic] December 23, 1955, I don’t understand your routine in Well, Did You Evah? You write: “We timed it and found it ran two minutes and thirty seconds, which is long as picture numbers go, but it is such fun that it feels short. As a result we are doing something bold: At the end of the number the boys walk out into the ball room (at Uncle Willie’s party), look at all the squares dancing, go right back into the library and do a planned encore which runs about another minute.” What does this mean? Do they repeat the lyrics they have already used, or do you need new lyrics?
My lawyer received a very heavy letter from the head office of Metro, mentioning certain names and asking whether they were based upon live people or not, – for instance, Professor Munch, Countess Krupp and Mimsey Starr. I answered that, as far as I knew, these people were my own invention.* I don’t think you will get into any trouble about these names, except possibly Mimsey Starr. Perhaps it is dangerous to use a Christian and a family name together – in which case, I suggest “Grandma Starr”. I wouldn’t think of causing MGM any extra expense.
The only thing that terrifies me about your letter is that you register such a tidal wave of happiness as you start to work with the different actors. I have always found that when this happened during rehearsals of a show, the moment the show opens all the actors hate one another’s guts.
All my best,
[signed:] Cole
11 January 1956: Cole Porter to Saul Chaplin71
Dear Saul: –
Your detailed letter explaining the encore of Well, Did You Evah? arrived, and calmed me.
As for Now You Has Jazz, it sounds wonderful; I can’t wait to hear the recording. Please continue to keep me posted. Your letters give me great joy.
All my best,
[signed:] Cole
Porter wrote again to Lazar on 11 January to ask his advice:
11 January 1956: Cole Porter to Irving Lazar72
Dear Irving:
How can the following be solved without my coming to Hollywood:
Sol Siegel telephoned me last week asking if I couldn’t go out to have publicity pictures taken with the cast. It would be most difficult for me to come out, as I am very busy here now trying to settle a show with Feuer & Martin.
So many people have spoken to me about the lack of publicity I am getting on High Society. Everyone else connected with it gets almost daily publicity, including Sol Siegel. Maybe you have some Irving Lazar method by which this could be solved?
Feuer & Martin are being very nice, so that if Sol Siegel comes through with a picture in June, I can do both the picture for Sol and the show for Feuer & Martin.
I am so glad you are not going to Moscow. It’s much better that you
stay at home and make lots and lots of money.
Love,
[unsigned]
Curiously, it appears that rights for the use of ‘Well, Did You Evah?’ had not formally been cleared with Max Dreyfus at Porter’s publisher Chappell, and the composer was concerned that this might affect his current negotiations with Siegel and MGM to write Les Girls:
13 January 1956: Cole Porter to Irving Lazar73
Dear Irving: –
Your letter of Jan. 10, 1956 arrived with my breakfast. I can’t tell you how happy I am that this new [Sol C.] Siegel deal looks so posible. I waited at 4:30 yesterday afternoon for your call in regard to [Well,] Did You Evah? rights. Before that I had called Bob Montgomery at Wharton’s office, to ask him to talk to you, and telling him that Max Dreyfus’ insistence upon his being paid might endanger my next picture deal with Metro. I hope this has been settled. It is a slight worry to me.
I am off on February 19th with my same travelers, Jean Howard and Bob Bray. We plan to be back in New York the first week of June. Say nothing – but there is a possibility that Yale will give me an honorary degree this Summer, in which case I could not be in Hollywood until around the middle of June. But this honorary degree may easily not be forthcoming.
I was shocked that you weren’t at the opening of The Great Sebastians.* You would have looked so lovely in your fur coat.
Love,
[unsigned]
A further letter to Chaplin mentions the recent engagement of High Society’s star Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier III of Monaco:
19 January 1956: Cole Porter to Saul Chaplin74
Dear Saul: –
Thank you very much for your detailed letter of January 12, 1956 – and I was delighted to read how well Grace Kelly is turning out. What God-given publicity!
Please keep me posted when you have time. I deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Best,
[signed:] Cole
Porter heard again from Johnny Green on 28 January, his letter also enclosing the pre-recordings of all the songs from High Society apart from ‘True Love’, which had not yet been recorded. Green advised: ‘I wish to call to your attention that these recordings are standard groove 78 rpm. Please, dear Cole, play them on a real good up-to-date machine. We’re all kinda proud of them and would like to feel that you are listening to them under fine acoustico-electronic conditions.’75 Porter responded: