by Noel Coward
I think you ought to bring off something that will put these cautious creeping novels that one has to read silently in an arm chair deep, deep in the shade.
But I must stop. I'm interrupting thousands of people who are battering at your door. But do please come to Bloomsbury when you've come back and let us discuss everything in the world shabbily over the gas-fire.
I've not a word against Argyll House [Sybil Colefax's current salon]—but—
Yours ever
VIRGINIA WOOLF
And thanks again for your letter
Their literary admiration/flirtation continued for several years. On the publication of Flush, in 1933, Noël wrote: “This is just to tell you how very much I enjoyed Flush, It is quite exquisite and the most marvelous picture of an age. I do, with all my heart, congratulate you on a very difficult job most tenderly and beautifully done.”
But by now Woolf was tiring of what she saw as Noël's excessive flattery and critical of his apparent need to be a celebrity. Certainly their correspondence illustrates Noël's ambition—which was only to grow with the passing years—to be accepted by his peers as a “serious” writer. For Woolf's part, she had apparently given up on a vague ambition to draw him into the Bloomsbury net and thus—as she confides to her diary— “save him from being as clever as a bag of ferrets & trivial as a perch of canaries.”
By the mid-1930s the verbal romance was over.
•
BACK TO 1928….
During the year, Noël transported the rest of the Coward family— Arthur, Aunt Vida, and Erik—to join a discomfited Violet in Golden-hurst. The house at 111 Ebury Street was then sold, though Noël continued to rent his own suite until he bought 17 Gerald Road a couple of years later. As a mark of his increased success, he had by now descended from his cramped nest in the garrett to a lower floor and would joke, “As I moved up in the world, I moved down in the world.”
Beatrice Lillie and Noël Coward, who are the most conspicuous figures in the spotlight of “This Year of Grace,” which arrives Wednesday at the Selwyn after a rapturous reception in London.
The summer brought another breakthrough. Noël and Gladys Calthrop had been staying for a weekend in Surrey with a couple of friends. Just before they were leaving to return to London the lady of the house happened to put on the gramophone some new records she'd acquired of Die Fledermaus.
As Noël drove home the sounds of Old Vienna continued to echo in his head and he made up his mind there and then to write a romantic operetta. Parking the car under a tree on Wimbledon Common, he and Gladys worked out the complete plot and look of what became Bitter Sweet.
But that would have to wait its turn. His first priority was to reconquer Broadway with This Year of Grace!, in which he would appear himself with Beatrice Lillie. In July he and Cochran sailed for New York on the SS Mau-retania to cast the show.
Much of the rest of the year was spent in New York. It was the most extended period he had so far spent there, and there was ample opportunity to see the many friends he had now made: the Lunts, of course; Gertie, a major Broadway fixture after Oh, Kay! (1926) and now appearing in the Gershwins’ Treasure Girl; and the Algonquin Round Tablers, who, having appropriated lunch, were now adding mandatory Sunday breakfast at Alexander Woollcott's apartment. It was a hectic place and a hectic pace.
In November This Year of Grace! opened at the Selwyn Theatre and received the same rapturous reception it had found in London. The Algonquin's Robert Benchley—part-time theater critic and full-time humorist—concluded that “unless someone in America is able to do something that approximates to Mr. Coward's feat we shall always feel that it was a mistake to break away from England back there in 1776.”
Woollcott also admired the show but had to be his usual perverse self in some way. When Noël was singing “A Room with a View”—which even Noël admitted he did rather badly—Woollcott and Harpo Marx, sitting in their box, took out newspapers, which they ostentatiously pretended to read. Noël took his revenge by singing the rest of the song in baby talk.
Invariably with Noël, when one project was up and running, the next several were being planned. While he was playing in This Year of Grace! on Broadway, Bitter Sweet was taking shape in his mind.
The creative process was something he could never explain. The big waltz number he felt the show must have eluded him until one day, sitting in a New York taxi during rush hour, the melody of “I'll See You Again” dropped into his head ready formed. “How can a theme come to me complete like that? How can it be accounted for? Where does it come from?”
Something else came to him—the realization that the score that was emerging was far beyond the vocal range of Gertie, for whom he had set out to write it. Evelyn Laye would have been ideal but she firmly turned her back on the Coward-Cochran team when her husband, Sonnie Hale— having sung “A Room with a View” in the London production with Jessie Matthews—divorced her and ran off with Miss Matthews. Laye felt that by having written and staged the number, Noël and Cochran were to blame.
Then, by another accident, Noël literally ran into Peggy Wood in the lobby of the Algonquin. He cabled Cochran suggesting her for the part. Cochran cabled back:
not seen peggy since buddies stop am told she is now
heavy stop also afraid of an american actress playing
so essentially english a part in london.
Noël replied:
spent day with wood stop she sang score superbly stop
magnificent voice stop looks lovely stop figure perfect
stop accent negligible stop has played candida and
portia with all english casts and enormous success stop
really convinced she will make tremendous success in
london
Vocal score of Bitter Sweet signed by the cast of the London (left) and Broadway (right) productions.
He had his Sari.
Back in England in April of 1929 he went straight into production for a July opening. From the outset the omens were favorable. After the inevitable Manchester preview, Cochran wrote:
23 Montagu Street
Portman Square W.I.
Thursday July 18th 1927
Dear Noël,
Success, huge success is assured. Box office, American publication and all that sort of thing will be all that we hoped for.
I will actually make money at last.
But don't expect our friends of the press to do justice to your exquisite work of art. If I had the job to write a criticism I might find words to express all I feel about it. Most of them are bitten deep with prejudice and are so envious of your fine clear mind.
And…there's not one of them knows anything about music.
They all found Kern's score of The Show Boat commonplace and ONLY ONE NUMBER worth while.
I believe I could sit down now and give a pretty good idea of what each one will say.
Dear Noël, I am so proud … to have presented your very very beautiful work. I cry when I think of it.
Yours very affectionately
CHARLES B. COCHRAN
Ivor Novello (1893—1951) was the definitive matinee idol of his day and a friendly rival to Noël in musical theater. Noël once said of him, “The two most beautiful things in the world are Ivor's profile and my mind.” (Caricature by Nerman.)
The quality of the show's success is perhaps best summed up in a letter from Ivor Novello, a peer without peer:
Well, I should think it's probably Monday the what?
Redroofs
Darling,
I've just come back from Bitter Sweet for the 2nd time…and I've got to tell you what a lovely, lovely thing you've done—Darling, it's sheer joy from beginning to end. The music impressed me unbelievably— it's so gay yet full of thought and has the most extraordinary way of reflecting the story as it goes along. The only disconcerting thing about it is that I cry the moment the first note starts and cannot stop. The whole thing is so full of regret—not only f
or that darling lover who died but for a vanished kindly silly darling age…you've ereated and I bless you for it and take off hat, drawers, nay sock suspenders to you for it.
I can play heaps of the music—my special bits are— Bridesmaids & young men Act I
I'll See You Again (of course!)
Cleaners’ chorus
Manon's Creed (“If Love Were All”)
(Can't bear Little Cafe—very naughty in this show—in any other the best number!)
Bridesmaids’ madrigal
Blind Man's Buff (sobbed over this)
Oh dear, I could go on for hours but I must return to my charming music for the Hulbert Revue [The House That Jack Built] over which the sick is running down my bib. [Jack Hulbert and his wife, Cicely Courtneidge, were a popular musical comedy team at the time and for many years to come.]
Whilst I think of it, darling, Fay [Compton] ought to play Sarah in America. She'd never quite mean what Peggy means (at least to me) but she'd sing her head off—it's her period—she's thin and is our best actress, let's face it—to say nothing of her worship of the play and her longing to play it. Do do this.
I took Bobbie [Andrews, Ivor's longtime lover] who has never loved anything so much and we have talked incessantly about it all— it's all so clear cut that one remembers the smallest detail. Your own mind is so unblurred and you've used it like a painter's series of brushes, all sizes, yet each stroke definite. This sounds nonsense but you'll know what I mean. Come back soon.
All love
IVOR
Max Beerbohm (1872—1956) did a series of drawings of Bitter Sweet's principal characters, which he sent to Noël with his own comments:
Sentiment is out of fashion. Yet Bitter Sweet, which is nothing if not sentimental, has not been a dead failure. Thus we see that things that are out of fashion do not cease to exist. Sentiment goes on, unafrighted by the roarings of the young lions and lionesses of Bloomsbury Bitter Sweet goes on, too; and Mr. Cochran (being a sentimentalist) has wishes that this survival should be commemorated by me in some sentimental drawings, which are here submitted to you.
That summer—with Bitter Sweet safely launched—Noël returned to New York to prepare the Broadway production. Not surprisingly, the show's success had produced an immediate change of heart in Evelyn Laye and she was now to be Sari after all. Before leaving England, Noël wrote to Violet:
A change of Saris. Peggy Wood (left) hands over the Bitter Sweet role she played in London to Evelyn Laye (center), to play it on Broadway. Impresario C. B. Cochran ponders the change— but he was right both times.
111 Ebury Street
S.W.I. Friday
October 4th
Darlingest,
I'm scribbling this before retiring to a welcome bed, I rise at 7 o'clock to catch the boat train. Everything is going well but it's been rather wearing.
Cochran isn't coming to New York at all so I am in entire charge. Evelyn [Laye] is going to be marvellous and the whole company is good.
I leave San Francisco December 4th and will arrive in Colombo round about the first week in March [where he hoped to visit his brother, Erik].
Everything is very enjoyable. Bitter Sweet the greatest solid success Cochran has ever had and liable to run wonderfully. The Grama-phone sic company are sending out my records and Peggy's etc., the moment they're done.
I've been so happy to get your happy letters and excited cables—it is lovely to think you're enjoying yourself so much. I'll write regularly now but God knows when you'll get the letters. I'll cable from New York. Give my love and all to Erik.
Always yours truly
SNOOPIE
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Madison Avenue & Forty Sixth St.
New York
Sunday October 13th
Darling,
This is the first moment I've had to write. The rush of arriving in this place gets worse each time I come. I've comfortably ensconced myself in a very expensive suite at the Ritz which the Management shall pay for and like paying for! We had a bad crossing on that filthy boat [SS Mauretania], very rough and several hurricanes but we weren't at all ill and enjoyed it!
All the company arrive tonight on the Lancastria, New York is as exciting as ever, I am going out today for lunch with the Ziegfelds in the country, we spend all the week rehearsing here and go to Boston next Sunday and open on the Tuesday.
Ina Claire and John Gilbert were on the boat and were awfully sweet and we all screamed the place down. Last night we went to see Jane Cowl in a lousy play [Jenny] in which she wasn't very good. Clifton and Mabel [Mabelle] send you their love. Clifton is a tremendous success in a Revue [The Little Show] and very pleased with himself and everyone else!
Poor Jeanne Eagels died last week just before I arrived, she dropped dead in her doctor's office, apparently heart trouble but most people seem to think the Doctor had given her an overdose of chloral or something—it's very sad and everyone is very upset about it.
SNOOP
Give my love to young Erik and tell him I hope he's enjoyed all my long newsy letters!
Violet was now in Ceylon visiting Erik, who had taken up tea planting.
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Arlington & Newbury Streets
Boston, Massachusetts
Wednesday October 23rd
Darling,
The show opened here last night and caused a riot, they stood up and cheered and screamed and that was that. We had an awful time. Zigfeld [sic] and [Archie] Selwyn were so depressing and said everything was awful! Cockie isn't here and I'm in charge and I've had to fight every step of the way, they wanted me to alter everything and I wouldn't, now of course they're delighted and say they knew it was a success all along!
We've had to change our leading man (Carl) three times. Givither was no good, so we got Rosati back, when we got him onto the stage no-one could understand a word or hear a note, so I sacked him on Sunday night [“TENOR INCAPABLE OF SPEECH EVEN IN ITALIAN,” Noël cabled Cochran] and we opened last night with Gerald Nodin playing it, the boy who sang “Tokay” in London and he's very good. Evelyn is marvellous and has set the Town on fire. But oh dear, it has been a business. I think it's a pretty sure success for New York, we're already sold out for twenty weeks.
We're all living here in state at the expense of the management and keep ordering very expensive food at odd hours!….
Give my love to Erik, and ask him kindly to make do with my letters to you because I have no time even to go to the lavatory in peace let alone write newsy letters!
All my love, darling, and take care of yourself and avoid all those nasty tropical what nots.
Your battered but loving
SNOOP
I think fighting agrees with me. Both Gladys and I are bursting with health and vigour.
The problem with Flo Ziegfeld that Noël refers to consisted of the impresario's trying to persuade Noël to “liven up” what he considered a rather low-key show by adding some totally superfluous Ziegfeld Girls. Noël refused point-blank and, to do him justice, Ziegfeld came to appreciate what he had. On opening night in New York he sent Noël a cable:
NOVEMBER 1ST 1929
NOël coward
ziegfeld theatre
MY DEAR NOëL I WISH BITTER SWEET AS GREAT A SUCCESS AS
THE STORY YOU ARE WRITING FOR ME FOR MARILYN MILLER
STOP IN BITTER SWEET YOU HAVE DONE THE GREATEST WORK
ANY INDIVIDUAL HAS EVER DONE STOP BEST WISHES
AFFECTIONATELY STOP ZIEGFELD
On the following day:
NOVEMBER 6TH
NOëL COWARD
RITZ CARLTON HOTEL
THE THEATRE CANNOT DIE AS LONG AS IT HAS A GENIUS LIKE
YOU STOP I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO THINK
OF A STORY SUITABLE FOR AMERICAS DANCING QUEEN MARILYN
MILLER AND THE ASTARIES [ASTAIRES!] STOP AND YOU SHOULD
FEEL VERY HAPPY AND DELIGHTED THE PUBLIC AND CRITICS
>
APPRECIATED YOUR MARVELOUS EFFORT BITTER SWEET STOP
REGARDS STOP FLO
There is something of a mystery about the future show Ziegfeld repeatedly refers to and Noël's part in it. Smiles opened at the Ziegfeld a year later “based on a story by Noël Coward” in which three American doughboys in World War I come across a French waif and adopt her. They take her back to the United States, where she grows up to be an attractive young woman, who flirts in turn with high society, then the Salvation Army, and ends up marrying one of her benefactors.
Smiles starred Ziegfeld's favorite, Marilyn Miller (who had graced Sally, the first Broadway musical Noël had ever seen, back in 1921), Fred and Adele Astaire, Eddie Foy, Jr., and the young Bob Hope, with music by Vincent Youmans and at least one classic song, “Time on My Hands.” It appeared to have all the credentials for a successful run. In fact, it lasted for just sixty-three performances.
As soon as Bitter Sweet opened, Noël wrote to Violet: “I've only got 283 telegrams to answer! Evelyn is weeing down her leg with excitement. She's been such a darling. I'm delighted with her success.”
Laurette Taylor wrote:
The first night of Bitter Sweet… as you made your speech wreaths of laurels forming inscriptions like “Duty,” “Perseverance,” “Believe in your Star,” etc., seemed to be hanging from either arm.
I was very proud I knew you and thankful you had that “exquisite” Evelyn Laye for “Sari.” The woman you had written could not have been unless she had perfection of everything and that's a tall order.
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Madison Avenue & Forty-sixth Street
New York
6th November
Well Darlingest,
The show opened last night and was a complete riot. It was probably the most distinguished first night ever seen in New York, some seats were sold for as much as $150 each! (Thirty pounds!) All the celebrities were photographed coming in to the theatre and all the traffic was specially controlled by the Police Department. Evelyn made the most triumphant success I've ever seen when she made her entrance in the last Act in the white dress they clapped and cheered for two solid minutes and when I came on at the end they went raving mad. How right you were about Evelyn she certainly does knock spots off the wretched Peggy!