Walter Macken

by Ultan Macken

  A swashbuckling stage piece about the Ireland that ran more to liquor than to leprechauns, ‘The King of Friday’s Men’ has some of the old Irish gift for words, while Dowd has some of the mighty human dimensions of folklore. And actor Macken, who first played the part at the Abbey, brings real vigour to it, and the smack and caress of Irish speech. But the play’s snatches of racy prose do not offset its stretches of lumpish play-writing. Too often both untidy and old fashioned, it closed after four performances.

  The letter telling him that the play was closing came from Michael Grace.

  The King of Friday’s Men Company.

  February 23rd 1951

  Dear Mr Macken,

  This is the advise you that ‘The King of Friday’s Men’ will terminate its run at the playhouse theatre on Friday night, February 23rd 1951.

  Yours very truly,

  Michael Grace

  However, despite this play’s failure, the excitement generated by my father’s performance on the American stage generated two substantial offers:

  Western Union to Walter Macken,

  c/o Michael Grace, Manhasset NY.

  Dear Mr Macken,

  Cecil Beaton anxious to be in touch with you immediately regarding ‘Gainsborough Girls’. Interested in you for part of ‘Gainsborough’. Rehearsals in April, play to be produced Duke of Yorks London. Sherek producing no director yet. He wants to get script to you. As he is sailing Friday, time is of the essence. Would you call him tonight Sherry Netherlands Eldorado 5 – 2800 and call me tomorrow Plaza 9 – 7500 and let me know results of your conversation.

  Edie Van Cleve, Music Corporation of America

  The second one involved a film company:

  Congratulations by Western Union,

  Burbank, California.

  Walter Macken,

  c/o King of Friday’s Men Company, Playhouse Theatre.

  Congratulations on your splendid performance. We have starring role in our next production which might be suitable for you. Please advise who we should contact for business negotiations. We urge that you delay any commitments until you have investigated our proposition.

  William Cagney of Cagney Productions INC, Burbank, California.

  It must have been difficult for my father to turn down these kinds of opportunities. I think he phoned about both the theatre offer and the film offer. My mother told me how they received an invitation from a Hollywood production company and, when they accepted, a large limousine arrived outside their hotel to take them to the New York offices. The Hollywood moguls were determined to persuade my father to go to Hollywood. My mother’s memory of the scene was very clear:

  He was surrounded by these small men in expensive suits chomping on cigars and offering him huge amounts of money to sign a contract. All I could see was him shaking his head to all of them, obviously refusing them. I was afraid he would be tempted and that he would actually take up their offers. They came over to me and they asked me what could they do. They explained that they were offering him substantial money terms and they would provide a house and they would fly the two boys over. My mother asked them then: ‘Well what did Walter say, when you made these offers to him?’ They looked shocked, ‘Walter says that he is in the middle of a novel and he has to go home to Galway to finish it, can’t you persuade him, Mrs Macken, it’s a good offer.’

  ‘No,’ I told them, ‘once Walter makes up his mind, that’s it, there will be no change.’ I was so pleased that he had made that decision, I dreaded the idea of going to live in Hollywood and I felt that his writing would suffer.’

  The studio offered him a seven year contract on a salary of $40,000 a year and a free house and for that they wanted to give him starring roles in movies and promised that he would also be involved in writing scripts. I think it was an extremely brave decision but he had watched how Hollywood had previously dealt with writers and he knew from his friendship with Liam O’Flaherty that writers were not particularly valued. He was halfway into his fourth novel – The Bogman – and he wanted to get back to finish writing it. The producers were shocked when he turned down their offer. They might have understood it if he had been going back to work at the Abbey, but when he told them he planned to go back to live in Galway and become a full-time writer, that was beyond their comprehension.

  13

  LIFE IN OUGHTERARD – WRITING AND FISHING

  With the Hollywood meetings over and the play finished, my father and mother made plans to return home. I think that the Grace family bought their tickets for the liner. March was a bad time to cross the Atlantic and my poor mother was never a good sailor. It was so rough that she was confined to her cabin for the entire three-week voyage and could barely eat anything. I don’t know whether they landed in Cobh or Southampton. When they arrived in Dublin, my father went to a garage, bought a new black Ford Anglia and drove to Galway. We knew they were coming home, but we were not sure of the date and there were no phones in houses then. All I remember is sitting on the footpath with my friend Paddy Mervin and, looking up, I saw a car approaching. I could see my father was driving and my mother sat proudly beside him. We were thrilled that they were home.

  They must have written to Marjory Grace to thank her for her hospitality as she wrote back to them quite soon after they arrived home:

  Gracefield.

  April 24th 1951

  Dear Wally and Peggy,

  Thank you for your very welcome letters and I’m sorry the voyage home was so rough. I’ve heard about the North Atlantic in winter and I guess you got it at its worst.

  I’m afraid after a trip like that we’ll never get you to America again. But we miss you both so much, I hope the next visit will be real soon. But Peggy, bring the boys this time and we’ll all have lots of fun. Everything is well here and I should say that everyone is well. My Peter was home for two weeks and is now back in South America again for the past four weeks. I’m hoping he’ll get home very soon and be able to stay at home peacefully for a long time.

  I wish I had more news of Michael to give you but the most I know is that he has fired most of his office and Patsy (whatever her name is with the British accent) is now his secretary. He is working again on his Fatima movie and I hope something comes out of it. He was away on vacation for a week but he is home now.

  The children are all well, thank God, and growing every minute it seems. I wish I had some snaps of you, I’m so angry at myself for not taking any pictures while you were here. Please pray for us as I do for you both. God bless and love from,

  Margie

  While in America, my father and mother had been contacted by their former best man and woman, Gary McEoin and his wife Josephine. The following note from Gary was among my father’s papers:

  La Hacienda,

  20 Vesey Street, New York.

  April 27th 1951

  Jo and I were as mad as hell that you never got in touch with us after promising you would when we called you on the telephone. But we are so happy at seeing merit recognised, especially when it is of the Irish and by the foreigner, that I am writing to you anyway to say God prosper and keep it up.

  As for us, a lot of things have changed around us one way or another, but we haven’t changed so much you’d notice since you were last staying with us.

  Beir bua agus beannacht,

  Gearóid Mac Eoin

  Despite his rejection of the offers from Hollywood, after my father had returned to Ireland an agent from the William Morris Agency, Joe Magee, began to write to him about various offers of work:

  William Morris Agency,

  1740 Broadway,

  New York.

  April 30th 1951

  Dear Wally,

  I thought you might be interested in seeing the enclosed review [of ‘Rain on the Wind’] which appeared in the ‘New York Times’. It will come as no surprise to you that you are a smash hit. I am looking forward to reading it.

  I hope things go well for you and Mrs Macken. I envy yo
u the peace and quiet and leisure of Ireland.

  With best wishes to you and Mrs Macken,

  Cordially,

  Joe Magee

  Judging from the following letter, I think my father must have written to Macmillan telling them of his plan to work as a full-time writer in the west of Ireland:

  16th May 1951

  Dear Macken,

  After I had your letter of April 30th, I wrote to Mr Latham asking him when the Literary Guild settled their account, and he answered me today that in the case of a selection, payment is made 90 days from the date on which the Guild first begins to distribute the book.

  Since ‘Rain on the Wind’ was the May selection, payment is due about the 1st of August, and the money will probably, therefore be here at the end of that month. Your share of the payment will be somewhere around $13,000 – about £4,700. I thought you would like to have this information for the future plans of which you speak in your letter of April 30th.

  Yours sincerely,

  Lovat Dickson

  Some weeks after Joe Magee’s letter, a cable came from America with another offer to go to Hollywood for a movie part:

  May 24th 1951

  James Cagney Picture around June 1st four to five weeks asking if you can test in London immediately asking soonest be free leave for Hollywood also need age height where possible – reach quickest by wire or phone –

  Joe Magee

  Joe followed up the cable with an explanatory letter:

  May 24th 1951

  Dear Walter,

  In explanation of my cable to you today, Cagney Productions is interested in you for a movie titled ‘Bugles in the Afternoon’. The picture would be made in Hollywood commencing around June 1st. They would need you for four to five weeks.

  If you are interested and can get free for this, they would like the following information: age, weight, height and where you could reached by wire or phone. Would you be agreeable to testing in London immediately? How many days before June 1st could you leave Ireland?

  If you are available and interested, please cable us collect as soon as possible.

  With best wishes to you and Peggy,

  Sincerely,

  Joe Magee

  Five days later there came another cable from Magee:

  29th May 1951

  Plans changed Cagney Picture, would you come to Hollywood direct arriving no later than Thursday May 31, with deal subject to test and interview on arrival. Terms approximately $1,500 weekly on three to four week guarantee, plus round trip transportation for one only, if not acceptable after interview Cagney still willing to pay round trip transportation plus expenses if you got picture wife and children could follow later your expense advise immediately.

  Magee

  My father wrote in pen at the bottom of this cable – ‘impossible’. He sent a cable back to Joe Magee once again stating that his wife and children must be included if he was to go:

  Can test. Free fly Hollywood June 13. Conditions wife and two sons accompany. Age 36, height 5 ft 11 inches weight 186 lbs. Quickest wire Ardpatrick Road.

  Macken

  Hollywood did not respond positively to that request and so he did not go. As far as he was concerned, he was working towards creating a life where he could live full-time as a writer. He was incredibly disciplined and he immediately began finishing The Bogman. By 8 June he had written to Macmillan to tell them that he had finished the manuscript and received an encouraging reply:

  Macmillan & Co. Ltd.

  8th June 1951

  Dear Macken,

  I’m delighted to hear that you have finished ‘The Bogman’ and that the manuscript is on its way to us. We will look forward very much indeed to reading it, and I will get in touch with you as soon as several of us have read it and I can send you an opinion. I haven’t any doubt that you have made a good job of it.

  Yours sincerely,

  Lovat Dickson

  Joe Magee then wrote to my father about his rejection of the offer from Cagney productions:

  June 12th 1951

  Dear Wally,

  I certainly understand your inability to drop everything and fly the ocean at Hollywood’s command at such short notice. I am glad also that you understand my position as disinterested and unbelieving passer-on of information and mad requests.

  Even though you missed this one, I felt certain another one would come along and just today we had further indication of such a possibility. The Cagney Productions have requested that we get some stills and background information for them, so if you have any pictures you might happen to have from the Abbey plus a full list of your theatrical past history, I should appreciate it. They have several other pictures scheduled and would like to think about you for them.

  Let us hope we have more notice next time.

  With best wishes to you and Peggy,

  Sincerely,

  William Morris Agency,

  Joe Magee

  An interesting letter arrived shortly after this from Virginia Patterson of Macmillan Company in New York. My father had obviously written to them about Hollywood’s demands:

  Macmillan Company,

  60 Fifth Avenue,

  New York.

  June 19th 1951

  Dear Mr Macken,

  Mary and I got a good hearty laugh out of your account of the Royal Command from the screwballs, Hollywood division. You must really think Americans are really nuts. The next time you come over I am going to make a point of introducing you to some bank tellers, supermarket checkers, window box gardeners and train conductors.

  I also enjoyed your comments about the review in Time!

  Jay Tower always asks about you when I see her, and I report the titbits from your letters.

  No, we are not sweltering, having had lots of very wet rain, but I suppose the streets will start to steam any minute. Ah, lucky you and Peggy in Ireland.

  As ever, sincerely yours,

  Virginia H. Patterson

  Publicity Director

  In 1951 my father became determined to find somewhere for us to live in the Galway area. He loved Galway and for him, it was the only place he wanted to live. He went to see a Galway auctioneer and eventually he was brought to see a house four miles from Oughterard. It was called ‘Gort na Ganiv’ and was owned by a lady called Countess Ruth Metaxa. My father decided there and then to buy it. It was going to cost £3,000. He rang Macmillan in London and they agreed by cable to pay him an advance on future royalties so he could buy the house:

  15/06/51

  London

  We will advance three thousand on account of royalties writing – Macmillan.

  Here then is the letter written the same day to my father:

  15th June 1951

  Dear Macken,

  Thank you for your letter of June 13th. The house you have in mind sounds most attractive and I am so glad that you have found a place which suits you so exactly. I hope that the deal is going through without any hitch, and that you will soon be established there.

  We are quite prepared to advance you £3,000 on account of your royalties so that you can complete the purchase whenever it suits you. As I gather from your letter that you are rather anxious about this matter, I have telegraphed you today confirming what I have said above.

  Yours ever,

  Lovat Dickson

  He came back to Ardpatrick Road and told us all that he had bought a new house in Oughterard and gave vivid descriptions of the grounds, the beautiful shrubs and flowers, a hard tennis court, a forest and a boathouse on the lake. When his description ended, he still had not told us anything about the house itself. It became clear then that he had not actually taken more than a cursory look inside the house, he just loved the location and for him it was perfection.

  My father received a letter from the Countess in June:

  Gort na Ganiv,

  Oughterard.

  11.6.51

  Dear Mr Macken,

  I went to Moon’
s yesterday and I asked them for carpet prices to the size as those seen here by you. The prices were fantastic and I asked them to assess mine at today’s values considering their age, etc. – would you consider the enclosed a fair price to charge? – an answer by return would oblige as time is passing and the cabbages and lettuces are in.

  Yours sincerely,

  Ruth Metaxa

  Carpets:

  Axminister

  £30

  Green

  Wilson

  £35

  Blue

  Axminister

  £18

  Green

  Indian

  £30

  £113