Details
JAMES, Henry. One autograph letter signed (two pages) and two typed letters signed (3½ pages) to John Drinkwater, Lamb House, Rye, 4 and 6 September 1913 and 24 September 1914. Together 5½ pages, 4to, all on printed stationary. Provenance: James Gilvarry (his sale Christie's New York, 7 February 1986, lot 164).
4 September 1913: Drinkwater, one of the founders of the Birmingham Repertory Theater, has apparently inquired about James's dramatic works. "... my old Play 'The American' is not a thing I should at this time of day care to see produced... The Play was at the time only privately printed... 'The Saloon' of comparatively recent origin, is another matter, and if you should care very much to look at it I think I should see my way to lend you a copy..." In a long postscript James has an afterthought: "... you may not have had in mind so much The American as a three-act play 'Guy Domville' produced at a time considerably subsequent by George Alexander. The question of this, I should have, however, to think a great deal about..." 16 September 1913: James reports he has not been able to find a copy of "my little play of 'The Saloon'"; he is "temporarily shocked & mystified." 24 September 1914: He is still, "utterly unable to trace either of two copies that were, I am convinced, in my possession... I rack my brains in vain to account for them -- so far as I have now any brains at all to spare for such matter..." He cautions that, "even were I able to send you the piece, I should, frankly, not be at all disposed to go into the question of its producibility in the highly unfavourable conditions at present prevailing. They would be... quite fatal to 'The Saloon'" as the play involves "a young soldier who behaves in a perverse and complicated manner" with which "any audience at this hour would probably have very little patience. In fact that may well be true of any audience at any time after the terrible experience of this War..." Apparently unpublished, not in Letters, ed. Edel.
4 September 1913: Drinkwater, one of the founders of the Birmingham Repertory Theater, has apparently inquired about James's dramatic works. "... my old Play 'The American' is not a thing I should at this time of day care to see produced... The Play was at the time only privately printed... 'The Saloon' of comparatively recent origin, is another matter, and if you should care very much to look at it I think I should see my way to lend you a copy..." In a long postscript James has an afterthought: "... you may not have had in mind so much The American as a three-act play 'Guy Domville' produced at a time considerably subsequent by George Alexander. The question of this, I should have, however, to think a great deal about..." 16 September 1913: James reports he has not been able to find a copy of "my little play of 'The Saloon'"; he is "temporarily shocked & mystified." 24 September 1914: He is still, "utterly unable to trace either of two copies that were, I am convinced, in my possession... I rack my brains in vain to account for them -- so far as I have now any brains at all to spare for such matter..." He cautions that, "even were I able to send you the piece, I should, frankly, not be at all disposed to go into the question of its producibility in the highly unfavourable conditions at present prevailing. They would be... quite fatal to 'The Saloon'" as the play involves "a young soldier who behaves in a perverse and complicated manner" with which "any audience at this hour would probably have very little patience. In fact that may well be true of any audience at any time after the terrible experience of this War..." Apparently unpublished, not in Letters, ed. Edel.
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This lot is offered without reserve.