The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers. Vol. 1 by Dorothy L. Sayers
1 The Rev. Canon F. J. J. Shirley, Ph.D. (1890–1967), Headmaster of King’s School, Canterbury.
2 Canon Shirley had written: “Canon Lanchester – who dined on the ‘last night’ with us, and who is really one of the most learned men in our Church was much moved by your play, and said it was the work of a genius. If ever you want the critique of a cleric, let him do it.” The Rev. Canon Henry Craven Lanchester was a scholar in Old Testament studies.
[24 Newland Street
Witham
Essex]
TO MARJORIE BARBER
17 July 1937
Dear Bar,
I have found the top copy of the article1 on Gaudy Night, so there is no hurry about sending back the carbon. I should be glad though, to know if Muriel or you have any comment to make about it. I am not sure that any of these revelations are really wise, but I undertook to do it, and there you are!
Could you let me have Muriel’s address in case anything turns up? I hear from Mrs. Allen2 that Busman’s Honeymoon had a good try-out in some place near New York with the incredible name of ‘Kisco’,3 which sounds like an advertisement for lipstick! According to the cable, it had a very good reception; we may get a New York production after all.
Yesterday I went and bought two cotton frocks and ordered two cotton coats and skirts; I also bought a hat box, got a passport application form from the bank and had my photograph taken. As you see I am trying to leave no room for repentance.4
Yours ever,
[Dorothy]
1 “Gaudy Night”, article published in Titles to Fame, edited by Denys Kilham Roberts, Nelson, 8 November 1937, pp. 73–95.
2 Dorothy Allen, her dramatic agent.
3 Mount Kisco, Westchester, New York.
4 Marjorie Barber had persuaded D. L. S. to go on holiday with her to Venice and the Adriatic.
[24 Newland Street
Witham
Essex]
TO E. C. BENTLEY1
20 July 1937
Dear Jack,
Ever so many thanks for the book;2 I am sure I shall enjoy it enormously. I am glad you liked Zeal ; it has greatly disconcerted the critics who seem to think it quite indecent that a detective story writer would deal in religion! I am reminded of your clerihew about Belloc:3
He seems to think that nobody minds
His books being all of different kinds.
By the way, I hope you spotted the influence of G. K. C. in the passage about Peter and John.4
With love,
Yours ever,
[D. L. S.]
1 Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875–1956), detective novelist, author of Trent’s Last Case and inventor of the “clerihew”.
2 This may have been an advance copy of Trent Intervenes, a collection of short stories, published in 1938. See her letter to him dated 17 April 1936, expressing admiration for Trent’s Own Case (The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1899–1936, pp. 387–388).
3 Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953), poet, novelist, biographer, historian, travel-writer.
4 The Zeal of Thy House, scene 3, the words of the Prior: “… God founded His Church, not upon John,The loved disciple, that lay so close to His heart And knew His mind – not upon John, but Peter; Peter the liar, Peter the coward, Peter The rock, the common man. John was all gold, And gold is rare; the work might wait while God Ransacked the corners of the earth to find Another John; but Peter is the stone Whereof the earth is made.” G. K. Chesterton said: “When Christ at a symbolic moment was establishing His great society, He chose for its corner-stone neither the brilliant Paul nor the mystic John, but a shuffler, a snob, a coward – in a word, a man. And upon this rock He has built His Church.” (Heretics)
Miss Dorothy Sayers Never cared about the Himalayas. The height that gave her a thrill Was Primrose Hill.
Clerihew and Caricature of Dorothy L. Sayers by E. C. and Nicolas Bentley
[24 Newland Street
Witham
Essex]
TO MARGARET BABINGTON
30 July 1937
Dear Miss Babington,
Thank you so much for the Chronicle; I think it was a very good idea to reprint the T.L.S.1 review. If I should need any more copies I will certainly ask you; just at the present, however, I am packing up for a holiday in the Adriatic, and mean to abandon all thoughts of work, even of The Zeal of Thy House, for a month! I was talking to Mr. Harcourt Williams the other day, who had been spending a happy half hour over the financial statement of the Festival; all the cast are rejoiced to see that Zeal was responsible for so large a share in the profits. It seems to me, that taking everything all round, you did extraordinarily well, seeing what heavy expenses you had to face over the London Symphony Orchestra.
With kindest and best wishes for all my friends in Canterbury,
Yours very sincerely,
[Dorothy L. Sayers]
1 The Times Literary Supplement, 3 July 1937, p. 493; a very favourable review, praising the “flexible and natural” blank verse and the “rhythmical and alive” prose parts of the dialogue and calling the play “her finest perception” and “her finest art”. The review was quoted in the Canterbury Cathedral Chronicle, No. 27, 1937, p. 22.
[24 Newland Street
Witham
Essex]
TO J. ROWDON1
4 August 1937
Dear Mr Rowdon,
For your information, as also for that of the Great British Public if it is interested, I propose to start my summer holiday on August 9th, going first to Venice, and after that for a short trip down the Dalmatian coast, returning at the end of the month to spend a few days in Paris and see any theatrical shows that may be going. My idea is to take a complete rest after a fairly strenuous year, though of course, if you like to suggest that I am going to come back with two or three new plays and a novel I shall probably not trouble to contradict you! If anything agitating should happen at the Comedy during my absence, no doubt Dorothy Allen’s office will let you know; Mrs. Allen herself will be in America, where Busman has just had a very successful try-out at Mount Kisco and West Point, and is hoping to place the film contract2 for it; also to interest managers in The Zeal of Thy House; Miss Vosper,3 however, will still be in London.
HOW ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHS YOU PROMISED ME????
Yours sincerely,
[Dorothy L. Sayers]
1 Publicity agent.
2 The film of Busman’s Honeymoon (screen play by Moncton Hoffe, Angus MacPhail and Harold Goldman, American title “Haunted Honeymoon”) was released in August 1940. (Robert Montgomery played Lord Peter, Constance Cummings played Harriet and Sir Seymour Hicks played Bunter)
3 Marjorie Vosper, a theatrical agent.
[24 Newland Street
Witham
Essex]
TO NANCY PEARN1
4 August 1937
Dear Bun,
Here is the other copy of “The Haunted Policeman”;2 I am not fearfully thrilled about getting this story published because it all happens after the action of my next novel which I have not written yet,3 but I don’t suppose this matters frightfully as it is only a short story and very few people read short stories, and the people who do are not the same people who read novels. I shall only be in Town next Monday and Tuesday morning, but I will try to give you a ring some time or other; I cannot promise to get round as I shall be full of last minute packing etc.
Yours ever,
[D.L.S.]
1 See letter to Victor Gollancz, 17 January 1937, note 5.
2 See letter to Miss Sturgis. 9 April 1937, note 4.
3 Thrones, Dominations, left unfinished by D. L. S., completed by Jill Paton Walsh, C.B.E. (London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1998).
24 Newland Street
Witham
Essex
TO IVY SHRIMPTON1
8 August 1937
Dearest Ivy,
Here is John’s report – very good all round, don’t you think? He is disappointed a little at no
Just off to Venice. Address, till August 24th – (36 hour post) – Hotel Bauer-Grünwald, Venice, Italy –
Love,
D. L. S.
1 D. L. S.’ cousin, who brought up her son John Anthony Fleming. See Barbara Reynolds, Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul and The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers: 1899–1936.
Venezia
POSTCARD1
TO DENNIS ARUNDELL
Comedy Theatre
Panton Street
London S.W. 1
Inghilterra
26 August 1937
How are you getting along? We thought of you with deep sympathy during all that frightful heat-wave and hoped you were bearing up pretty well. We had a lovely trip down the Dalmatian coast in a tiny coasting steamer – no other English-speaking people aboard; I had to try and speak German, which I hadn’t done for 20 years! Back to Paris tomorrow, and then, after about a week, back to England, home and the Comedy. Glad to learn business picked up last week “in the cooler weather”.2 Love to you all –
Dorothy L. Sayers
1 On the reverse, a view of Korkula, Dalmatia.
2 A quotation from Busman’s Honeymoon.
24 Newland Street
Witham
TO MURIEL ST CLARE BYRNE
13 September 1937
Dearest Muriel,
I got your letter this morning, and it made me laugh like hell to reflect that just about the very time you were writing to me to say you were glad everything was so nicely settled, Harold1 and Roger2 were frantically telephoning me to say it had all come unstuck; and that while I was reading your comforting approval of one leading lady, you were reading my hopeful apologia for a totally different leading lady! There is a magnificent lack of hidebound monotony about the stage which makes it a most invigorating atmosphere to plunge into on returning from holiday; though to be sure one might appreciate it less if one hadn’t had the holiday first.
Well (as Kirk3 says) to resume: your conscientious collaborator duly turned up on Saturday morning shortly after 10.30, to find a rehearsal in full blast in the Comedy bar; and was again roped in to read the odd parts. In this way we did the first two acts in the morning and Act 3 in the afternoon; so that before staggering home to my deserted family I had been through the whole thing with them. We all think (I mean, Harold and Roger and I) that Glendinning4 is going to be much better than Branch.5 It is true that her ankles are more meaty, but so is her personality. (I have not so far had any further message from Rog, or Harold, so I suppose she is still in the cast, but as you know, I never believe anything till the curtain goes up.)
They worked extremely hard – indeed, I have never seen people toil so energetically as they did over the Quarrel Scene, and I believe it is going to be really good. Harold said it was quite a revelation to him, how much they were contriving to get into it, it all seemed to take [on] a new life. The fact is, darling, that we are at least going to get some HAM in the leading parts, and while I admit Basil Foster6 hasn’t got Dennis’s delicate and melancholy distinction, he has got a proper leading man’s temperament, which is rather a good thing, if you ask me, especially at the Vic-Palace.7 It was interesting to see him take firm hold and tell the girl how to give him what he wanted; and she seems quite able and very intelligent. It was a joy watching them really tackle the TIMING of the poker-scene, which has never yet been right, but possibly may be before next week! Also he will undoubtedly get far more zip and honeymoon pep into the opening of Act 1. Of course, he has got a bit of the musical-comedy touch about him, but I hope it won’t give you too much pain – what we lose on the swings of distinction we make up (I hope and trust) on the round-abouts of vigour – and people may say what they like, but I can’t help feeling it’s an advantage to an actor to have his glands in the right place for a change!
Foster definitely wants to put in the “Hamlet” quotation8 – and if Kirk goes and gets a laugh there, there’ll probably be a spot of trouble for Kirk! In some places (opening of Act 1, parts of Act 2 and the love-scene opening) Basil Foster wants to alter the positions a bit. Harold and I are being as tactful as possible, most of our reactions falling under one or other of three heads:
(1) (When it really doesn’t matter a darn): But of course, it’s your own reading we want – do just as you like.
(2) (When we can find a good excuse for firmness): I quite see your point, but I’m afraid it’s got to be done the old way, because of (the exigencies of the plot, Goodacre’s entrance, there being so little room behind the settle, Bunter’s being so slow on the ladder, what is coming later – or what not).
(3) (When we are sure it is ill-advised but can’t think of any objection quickly enough): Well, let’s try it your way, and when Miss Byrne and/or the producer are here, we’ll ask them.
One or two trifling alterations I have already allowed – e.g. Basil Foster doesn’t like the reference to “the management” in the “fruit-trees” passage. On the other hand, when there is something you and I want done which has never been done before, I have an infallible recipe which always produces the goods, and that is: “Oh, Mr Foster, just one moment – forgive me! I wonder, while we are about it, if we could get that bit done the way we always wanted – you know, Harold! Darling Dennis took a dislike to it for some reason, we never knew quite why – but perhaps we might just try it that way – what do you think, Roger? – Yes, I know you agreed at the time, but Dennis never quite got the hang of it, did he? – Yes, that’s it, Mr Foster – of course it went quite well the other way, but – you prefer it this way? Well, that is what Miss Byrne and I meant when we wrote it – Right! then we’ll try it our way.” And our way it is.
I have got back the pas de deux round the Prickly Pear, and am hoping for a more convincing duet in “She sings of luckless ladies”9 – Glendinning has quite a strong voice and picked up the line instantly – Foster, needless to say, being a singer, couldn’t pick it up by ear at all – they never can – but I wrote it down on paper for him and shall hope for the best.
I trust the new people will get on well with the rest of the cast. Foster is said to be unpopular in the theatre – I don’t know why. He is vain and opinionated, of course, but they are all of them that; possibly he insists too much on taking centre stage, but from our point of view that will be a welcome change. Anyhow, he has had a long experience and knows all the stage tricks inside-out. Like Dennis and every one else, he is incapable of recognising a line of Shakespeare when he sees it or getting it correct – he will say “Take these bodies away” for “Take up the bodies!”10 All actors should do their 9 months at the Old Vic., to save other people trouble.
In all this turmoil, I haven’t had time to write Bar11 a proper letter about Paris or anything. I expect now I’d better leave all casual chat till we meet. I am sending this to London, since I don’t know whether you are starting off tomorrow or Wednesday. Give me a ring when you arrive and let me know how you find things. They are rehearsing at the Theatre – on the stage, I mean, – Monday, Friday, and Saturday this week and next, and the other days in the bar. I think Harold will be deeply thankful to see you turn up there, as in my absence he may find Basil Foster apt to get out of hand. He can’t shove everything off on the absent authors, especially as time is short and decisions have to be made.
I hope you’ll be more or less satisfied with the way things are turning out. I am sorry to say we are losing Macintyre,12 who has been offered a job at a higher salary by Limpus13 in the Lucie Mannheim14 show – but Denham15 is pretty good, and playing Sellon will console him for not stepping into the lead.
Basil Foster thinks Peter a perfectly wonderful part – or so he says, anyhow, so snooks to those who said it wasn’t a proper leading
Looking forward to our next (probably highly humorous) meeting,
With best love,
Dorothy
Mac16 most amiable and sympathetic about all this – he is now convinced that Busman is (for some reason or other) the goods! I have had a kindly review17 of Zeal in the New Statesman!!!!!
1 Harold Arneil.
2 Roger Maxwell, who played the part of Mr Puffett in Busman’s Honeymoon.
3 Superintendent Kirk, a character in Busman’s Honeymoon.
4 Ethel Glendinning (1910–1996), who played the part of Harriet Vane.
5 Eileen Branch (b. 1911).
6 Basil S. Foster (1882–1959), actor and singer, known in the role of Prince Danilo in The Merry Widow.
7 Busman’s Honeymoon was about to be transferred from the Comedy Theatre to the Victoria Palace.
8 In Act 2 of Busman’s Honeymoon Lord Peter quotes, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio …”
9 A line from D. L. S.’ translation of “Auprès de ma blonde”. See Poetry of Dorothy L. Sayers, ed. Ralph E. Hone (The Dorothy L. Sayers Society in association with the Marion E. Wade Center, 1996).
10 Hamlet, Act V, scene ii.
11 Marjorie Barber.