OCTOBER 15, 1945

BERNARD SHAW
4 WHITEHALL COURT
LONDON ENGLAND

RUMORS OF REVIVALS OF YOUR PLAYS BEING CIRCULATED AROUND BROADWAY WE ASSUME WE ARE STILL ACTING AS YOUR AGENTS. ALSO IF YOU ARE RELEASING NOW FOR NEW YORK WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE OUR CONTROL OF PLAYS WE HAVE PRODUCED ESPECIALLY PYGMALION ARMS AND THE MAN DEVILS DISCIPLE ANDROCLES AND THE LION SINCE WE MADE THE LAST SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTIONS OF THESE WOULD FEEL VERY BADLY IF THEY WERE RELEASED TO OTHER MANAGEMENTS WITHOUT OUR HAVING FIRST CHANCE AT PRODUCTION OURSELVES.

THERESA HELBURN AND LAWRENCE LANGNER

November 28, 1945

Dear GBS:

You are always full of surprises. Your
recent article in the *New York Times* about the
Webbs was wonderful.

Now I have finished the three chapters of
my book which relate to HEARTBREAK HOUSE, BACK
TO METHUSELAH, SAINT JOAN, and our visit to Stresa.
These chapters will be interesting to posterity
because they show the conditions under which all
of these important plays were given their first
productions. I have tried to write the story
entertainingly and hope you will enjoy reading
them, and also that you will give me any sug-
gestions that may occur to you.

You will note that I do not always treat
you with the respect to which you are entitled,
but the book would be very dull reading if I
simply filled it with adoration.

May I please hear from you? It means a great
deal to me to have this book published, and I
have done a lot of work on it.

Armina joins me in sending our best wishes.

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Four Whitehall Court
London, SW. 1
England

Enclosures: 3

November 28, 1945

Dear GBS:

You are always full of surprises. Your recent
article in the _New York Times_ about the Webbs was won-
derful.

Now I have finished the three chapters of my
book which relate to HEARTBREAK HOUSE, BACK TO METHUSelah,
SAINT JOAN, and our visit to Stresa. These chapters will
be interesting to posterity because they show the conditions
under which all of these important plays were given their
first productions. I have tried to write the story enter-
tainingly and hope you will enjoy reading them, and also
that you will give me any suggestions that may occur to
you.

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Four Whitehall Court
London, SW 1
England

March 26, 1946

Dear GBS:

It was so wonderful to receive a letter from you
in your enchanting handwriting that I hasten to reply.

First, our radio program is an outstanding success.
It is listened to by between six and seven million persons
every Sunday night, and we are bringing all the great plays
of the theatre before this audience. As I cabled you, in
the case of PYGMALION, this has already been done twice in
one-hour versions. And now here's some wonderful news.
Katharine Cornell is interested in doing CANDIDA on the air.

The reason I am so pleased about the success of our
radio program is because most of these millions of listeners
are poor people out on farms all over the country who never
get a chance to see a stage play. We are giving them an idea
of the values of the theatre, using stage actors rather than
motion picture actors, and in this way counteracting the
pernicious effect of the so-called radio plays and motion
pictures, which show little sign of improvement.

In other words, every time a fine play is given on
our program over the air, it is a great advertisement for
the theatre as an institution.

Our program has already won more awards than any
other new dramatic program, and has been rated by a poll as
one of the two best dramatic shows in the country. It is
generally considered the best acted and contains the best
versions. I personally take a hand in making these versions
and so does Armina. In other words, we supervise the versions
and make quite sure that the radio version contains the essen-
tial material of the author's play.

Among the plays we have already done are St. John
Ervine's JOHN FERFUSON, A. A. Milne's MR. PIM PASSES BY,
Maxwell Anderson's THE MASQUE OF KINGS, Eugene O'Neill's
AH, WILDERNESS, EMPEROR JONES, and now STRANGE INTERLUDE.

Among the performers who have appeared or who will
appear are Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne,
Helen Hayes, Katherine Hepburn -- in fact, the best in the
theatre.

We're getting ready to do Eugene O'Neill's three

Mr. George Bernard Shaw

-2-

March 26, 1946

latest plays, THE ICEMAN COMETH, MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN,
and A TOUCH OF THE POET; all of them are tremendously in-
teresting but tremendously tragic. We certainly need a good
Shaw comedy for next season. Have you any ideas? It is a
long time since anyone has seen a production of YOU NEVER
CAN TELL. This play is so charming and entertaining that I
think it would make a good revival. What are your ideas?
Naturally, with the PYGMALION success, everyone wants to do
Shaw plays.

It is possible that I shall come to London this summer,
in which case I am looking forward to seeing you. Armina
joins me in sending you our fond regards.

P. S. The little daughter Phyllis is now grown up and has
two children -- she's married to Katharine Cornell's
cousin. So my two grandchildren are both Cornells.
We also have a son, Philip, age 19, who is in the
Navy.

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Nr. Welwyn
Herts, England

March 26, 1946

Dear GBS:

First, our radio program is an outstanding
success. It is listened to by between six and seven
million persons every Sunday night, and we are bring-
ing all the great plays of the theatre before this
audience. As I cabled you, in the case of PYGMALION,
this has already been done twice in one-hour versions.
And now here's some wonderful news. Katherine Cornell
is interested in doing CANDIDA on the air.

Our program has already won more awards than
any other new dramatic program, and has been rated by
a poll as one of the two best dramatic shows in the
country. It is generally considered the best acted
and contains the best versions. I personally take a
hand in making these versions and so does Armina. In
other words, we supervise the versions and make quite
sure that the radio version contains the essential
material of the author's play.

Mr. George Bernard Shaw

-2-

March 23, 1946

Among the plays we have already done are St. John Irvine's JOHN FERGUSON, A. A. Milne's MR. PIM PASSES BY, Maxwell Anderson's THE MASQUE OF KINGS, Eugene O'Neill's AH, WILDERNESS, EMPEROR JONES, and now STRANGE INTERLUDE.

We're getting ready to do Eugene O'Neill's three latest plays, THE ICEMAN COMETH, MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN, and A TOUCH OF THE POET; all of them are tremendously interesting but tremendously tragic. We certainly need a good Shaw comedy for next season. Have you any ideas? It is a long time since anyone has seen a production of YOU NEVER CAN TELL. This play is so charming and entertaining that I think it would make a good revival. What are your ideas? Naturally, with the PYGMALION success, everyone wants to do Shaw plays.

P. S. The little daughter Phyllis is now grown up and has two children -- she's married to Katherine Cornell's cousin. So my two grandchildren are both Cornells. We also have a son, Philip, age 19, who is in the Navy.

April 24, 1946

Dear GBS:

As you know, half a dozen times during
the war we tried to do one of your plays, only
to be turned down by you on account of the in-
come tax situation. This interrupted our rela-
tionship, and other people have been quick to pick
it up again before we realized that you were again
willing to release your plays. As a result, numbers
of your plays are being announced for next year,
and the Theatre Guild, which used to be your home,
seems to have been abandoned by you.

As the years go by, you are still our
favorite author. I well remember after the first
world war, the excitement there was in doing
HEARTBREAK HOUSE, BACK TO METHUSELAH, ST. JOAN,
and all the others. I think we did fourteen plays
in all.

In those days, when anyone else wanted to
do your plays, you used to refer them to us, and
you wrote me, "Where you sowed, others may not reap."
At the present time, the actors do not bother to
come to us to do the plays, but make arrangements
with you directly, so we are left out in the cold.
We would very much like to have done MAN AND SUPERMAN.
Now Maurice Evans tells me that he got the rights
directly from you and is considering whether he will
allow us to be the managers. This, of course, puts
us in an inferior position. We would like a resumption
of the old situation where we would definitely agree
to do one play a year, and when other parties wrote
you (other than Katharine Cornell, in view of her old
relation with you), you would refer them to us so
that the Guild could continue to function as the
manager. Actually, it has been very difficult for
us to make any plans for a Shaw revival because there
can be four or five of them all running in competition
with one another and thus hurt each other's business.

April 24, 1946

Dear GBS:

Our mutual friend, Morris Ernst, is going to be over in England shortly, and I have asked him to take up with you some of the matters about which we have been corresponding, especially the resumption of our old arrangement, which was broken off through no fault of our own, but only because you did not want your plays done over here during the war.

We wrote you several times during the war that we wanted to revive some of your plays, and, in each instance, you refused. We do not think that this should be a reason for breaking an old established relation with us which has gone on for so many years.

I am giving this letter to Morris Ernst, together with copies of our recent correspondence, and I am asking him to have a chat with you about same.

I would like to see the name of Bernard Shaw brought into the homes of six or seven million people eight or ten times a year by a good production on the air. If you are willing to concede that a play needs adaptation for the screen, I dare you to tell me logically why it does not need adaptation for radio.

Morris is going to see Gabby Pascal while he is in England, and I have especially asked him to drop over and see you.

We have recently started a Theatre Guild Shakespeare Company, which is doing very well. Perhaps we should make it "Shakespeare and Shaw", or would you prefer the billing "Shaw and Shakespeare"?

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Nr. Welwyn, Herts, England

April 24, 1946

Dear GBS:

April 26, 1946

Dear GBS:

Theatre Arts magazine has asked me to write an article about you. I would like to use the chapter about ST. JOAN I wrote for my book.

I wish you would allow me to publish these articles about you which I sent to you several months ago, asking for your permission. Everyone said the article I wrote in the Saturday Review of Literature on your last birthday was the best article in the bunch. I always succeed in making you a lovable human being, where other people refer to your great brains and wit. I'll even add a paragraph about your great brains and delightful humor if you give your consent to the book appearing.

Armina and I remember with pleasure the days we spent with you at Stresa when you were seventy. How time does fly!

LL:mh

April 26, 1946

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Mr. Welwyn
Herts, England

Dear GBS:

LL:mh

- 2 -

Mr. George Bernard Shaw

June 27, 1946

pretty well with CANDIDA, wants to reap the harvest you
have sown; but I am telling them and all other applicants
that you have an option on all my plays, and that they can
have only your leavings, if any."

We would like to make the following arrangements
with you: that except in the cases where you have already
made direct arrangements, e. g., Katharine Cornell and
Gertrude Lawrence, before leasing a play to someone else
in this country, you will first consult with us and see
whether we are willing to do it the following season, in
which case you will hold it for us. If, however, we are
not willing to commit ourselves to doing the play the fol-
lowing season, then the play can be released to whomsoever
else you may select.

We were particularly disappointed to read an
announcement that Maurice Evans was going to do MAN AND
SUPERMAN. This is a play both Terry and I have always
wanted to do for you, and we can certainly cast it very
much better and do much more for it with our subscription
list, which now amounts to over 150,000. We have since
learned that Maurice Evans has postponed MAN AND SUPERMAN,
and this will be the first play we would like to produce.

The Theatre Guild has always been known as the
home of Bernard Shaw in this country, and we hope to con-
tinue the policy of at least one Shaw play a year. Years
ago I coined the phrase, "When in doubt, play Shaw," which
is really one of the basic mottoes of the Guild.

We have just had three new plays by Eugene O'Neill
delivered to us, and we are going to do two of them this
season.

With kind remembrances in which Terry and Armina
join me, I remain,

P. S. Forget about the radio. It has turned out to be
an awful bore, and we shall not bother you again on this
subject.

June 27, 1946

Rough Draft

June 25, 1946

Dear GBS:

Morris Ernst tells me that you told him you did not want to see him as you were writing directly to me.

I want to congratulate you on the occasion of your ninetieth birthday and wish you everything you wish for yourself. The Theatre Guild is now twenty-seven years old and going stronger than ever. Terry and I run the Guild, and Armina is our first assistant.

We want to return to our practice of doing a Shaw play every year. We wanted to do this during the war, but your income tax wouldn't let us. Now that the war is over, everyone else wants to come in. At the end of the last war, when no one was doing your plays over here, the Theatre Guild made a great success of HEARTBREAK HOUSE, ST JOAN, PYGMALION, ARMS AND THE MAN, THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA, THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE, etc., etc. All in all, we did fourteen plays, of which four were world premieres.

In 1927, you wrote us about our position in regard to doing your plays as follows:

"Yes, your letter of the 12th correctly summarized our understanding except that though I have stood out for a minimum payment of $2500 win lose or draw I have never asked for an advance, or been in a hurry for a contract. Of course I have no objection to either; but I wish to affirm that it is the Guild and not the Author that gets these attacks of nerves."

"I understood that Schildkraut was to be Dick Dudgeon, and Reicher, Caesar. Nothing was said about Barrymore. However, that will settle itself when the

-2-

The time comes. Meanwhile I am not to deal with the plays in New York without giving the Guild a look in, unless I yield to an overwhelming impulse to treat them shabbily and lose my reputation for being the most reasonable man now living."

And also in 1923.

"Simultaneously with your cablegram comes one from Loraine to say that ARMS AND THE MAN is off, and that he is returning to England. Now the Actors Theatre, which has done pretty well with CANDIDA, wants to reap the harvest you have sown; but I am telling them and all other applicants that you have an option on all my plays, and that they can have only your leavings, if any."

Now that the war is over and your income tax situation changed for the better, we would like to have our former position confirmed because many others are rushing in again to benefit where we pioneered.

We would like to make the following arrangements with you: that except in the cases where you have already made direct arrangements, e. g., Katherine Cornell and Gertrude Lawrence, before leasing a play to someone else in this country, you will first consult with us and see whether we are willing to do it the following season, in which case you will hold it for us. If, however, we are not willing to commit ourselves to doing the play the following season, then the play can be released to however you may select.

We were particularly disappointed to read an announcement that Maurice Evans was going to do MAN AND SUPERMAN. This is a play both Terry and I have always wanted to do for you, and we can certainly cast it very much better and do much more for it with our subscription list, which now amounts to over 150,000. We have since learned that Maurice Evans has postponed to do MAN AND

HERMAN, and this will be the first play we would like to
produce.

The Theatre Guild has always been known as the
home of Bernard Shaw in this country, and we hope to con-
tinue the policy of at least one Shaw play a year. I have
coined the phrase, "When in doubt, play Shaw," which is
really one of the basic mottoes of the Guild.

3 July

1946

From

Bernard Shaw

Maurice Evans has a personal non-exclusive licence to play MAN AND SUPERMAN in repertory on his tour. It is an express condition that the license will be withdrawn if he claims any further privilege or interferes with any new production. He has been reminded of this.

Obviously, however, it would be very good business for the Guild to cast him for the lead in its production.

My plays are now classics open to all managements like Shakespeare's, except for the royalties. First come, first served!

FORM GOO-3

CONFERENCING

DUPLICATE
TIME TELEPHONE
PM 3 47 08

THEATRE GUILD 23 W 53RD ST CO 5 6170 AS/

NLT

VIA MACKAY

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW AYOT SAINTLAWRENCE WELWYN HERTS (ENG)

E

YOUR STATUE IS IN OUR LOBBY AND YOUR MEMORY IS IN OUR HEARTS
LOVE AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY

TERRY LAWRENCE AND ARMINA

Charge to the account of

$ Show

WESTERN
UNION

1206

A. N. WILLIAMS
PRESIDENT

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="2">CLASS OF SERVICE DESIRED</th></tr><tr><th>DOMESTIC</th><th>CABLE</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>TELEGRAM</td><td>ORDINARY</td></tr><tr><td>DAY LETTER</td><td>URGENT RATE</td></tr><tr><td>SERIAL</td><td>DEFERRED</td></tr><tr><td>NIGHT LETTER</td><td>NIGHT LETTER</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><tr><td>CHECK</td></tr><tr><td>ACCOUNTING INFORMATION</td></tr><tr><td>TIME FILED</td></tr></table>

Send the following telegram, subject to the terms on back hereof, which are hereby agreed to

CABLE to be sent via Mackay Radiogram

26

July XX, 1946

Your statue is in our lobby and your memory is in
our hearts. Love and happy birthday.

Terry, Lawrence, and Armina

<table><tr><td>FOR VICTORY</td></tr><tr><td>BUY</td></tr><tr><td>WAR BONDS</td></tr><tr><td>TODAY</td></tr></table>

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Messages sent in sections during the same day.

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Accepted up to 2 A.M. for delivery not earlier than the following morning at rates substantially lower than the standard telegram or day letter rates.

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DEFERREDS

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NIGHT LETTERS

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URGENTS

Messages taking precedence over all other messages except government messages

February 17, 1947

Dear GBS:

When I got back from England, I had
so many requests for information about you,
the condition of your health, the state of
your mind, and whatnot, that I decided to
write up a little story and publish it in
The New York Times. Here it is, and I hope
you like it.

They cut out almost everything I said
and spoiled the article from my point of view,
and threw everything over to you!

LL:mh

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Nr. Welwyn, Herts
England

Savoy hotel,

London, W. C. 2.

2nd May 1947.

G. Bernard Shaw Esq.,
Ayot St. Lawrence,
Herts.

Dear G. B. D.,

On looking into the matter, I find that the sum
which we sent you last year for amateur rights was £2,000.,
and not $2,000., as you mentioned. Also, that we have been
collecting these amounts for you for the last twenty five
years at your own request. We have a special department of
The Guild that takes care of this kind of business for other
authors as well as yourself and it is no trouble to handle it.

Now, since you are "getting ready to die," as usual,
I suggest that we make the following arrangements:-

1.) The Theatre Guild to have the first call to do at least
one Shaw play a year in the U.S.A., and, so long as we present
a Shaw play each year, we are your American representatives.

2.) During your life, all offers for first class revivals of
your plays are to be forwarded to you, together with the names
of the actors for your approval. Plays are to be licenced on
the principle of "first come, first served". In forwarding
offers to you, the Guild will furnish information regarding
the financial standing and position in the theatre of any
producer who wishes to produce a first class revival of a Shaw
play.

3.) Stock and repertory rights will not be referred to you,
but handled by us as heretofore. We pay the money into the
Irving Bank, which transfers it to your Bank. This money does
not go to the British Society of Authors and we shall not send
any statements to them.

4.) Upon your death, all royalties to be paid over to the
Public Trustee.

5.) In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of
The Theatre Guild, Inc., or its successors, this arrangement
to be transferred to the Authors' League (Dramatists Guild
Branch) of the U.S.A.

6th May 1947

Dear L. L.

You don't understand my difficulty about
managerial control of my plays. You think I am
complaining of the sums paid to me by The Guild.
I am not. Put that out of your head.

Your letter says not a word about the
main point, which is, what you are to get for
your trouble.

My experience is that when a management
gets control of a play it takes a rake-off for
its licenses. Sometimes the licensee sublets
for another rake-off, the net result being that
the production is sweated the last penny it will
bear, and even beyond it, instead of benefiting
by the moderation of my sliding scale. I am de-
termined to put a stop to this by every means in
my power.

Now the accounts of the Guild have never
included any charge for collecting. This is
what has never satisfied me. You cannot have been
doing it for nothing. If we are to go on as be-
fore it must be on the understanding that no per-
forming licensee is to be charged more than my
standard sliding scale, and consequently that The
Guild's charges for collecting must be definitely
settled as a percentage of the fees due to me.

Is that clear?

The rest of your letter calls for no
comment, except that you have nothing to do with
the Public Trustee or the London Society of Authors.
The law will take its course when I die.

Now for another matter.

HERMAN LEVIN PRODUCTIONS

Alfred Fischer, who has produced many
of my plays in Germany, wants to produce You Never
Can Tell nn Broadway after a try-out tour in San
Francisco, with Edmund Gwenn as the waiter, and
Cedric Hardwicke interested. He says "The play
will be presented jointly by Herman Levin and me."

I never heard of Herman Levin. Can you
advise me as to his standing.

I was glad to see you again, and hope
you had a smooth voyage.

/s/ G. Bernard Shaw

May 16, 1947

Dear GBS:

This is a belated reply to yours of sixth May.
I have been in Washington with John Gielgud where he has
just produced LOVE FOR LOVE with great success.

Now replying specifically to your inquiry of sixth
May, the reason I did not tell you when I was in London what
the Theatre Guild receives for its work in collecting royalties
on your amateur and stock rights was because I did not ac-
tually know the amount. On returning here, I am told by Miss
Greenspan that we have been taking off the amount of 10% for
the work involved in collecting these royalties and forwarding
them to you, and she also tells me that this has been understood
for many years and there has never been any question raised
about it as it is the usual agency commission.

Miss Greenspan has been charging for your plays
according to the scale which is attached hereto, and which
constitutes a sliding scale. If you want to alter it, please
do so. From our point of view, it is unimportant to us whether
we do this work for you or not as it is mainly a question of
prestige. The amount of money earned contributes to the general
overhead of our department which handles these rights not only
for you but for many other playwrights.

With regard to Herman Levin productions, this man is
a lawyer and talent agent who has recently come into the theatre
and put on a successful musical comedy revue, "Call Me Mister."
So far as I know, he has a good business reputation but no ac-
tual standing as far as dramatic plays are concerned. If the
matter falls through, so far as Herman Levin productions are
concerned, we would be glad to meet Alfred Fischer and make
the production with him as it looks as though we are going to
have a difficult time casting "The Devil's Disciple." James
Mason has regretfully turned down the part because he is making
two pictures this year. I have had another very excellent
actor offered for the part of Dick Dudgeon, but will write about
it later.

We had a very nice trip back, but are up to our necks
in work again.

With kindest regards,

Sincerely yours,

May 16, 1947

Dear GBS:

Now replying specifically to your inquiry
of sixth May, the reason I did not tell you when I
was in London what the Theatre Guild receives for its
work in collecting royalties on your amateur and
stock rights was because I did not actually know the
amount. On returning here, I am told by Miss Greenspan
that we have been taking off the amount of 10% for
the work involved in collecting these royalties and
forwarding them to you, and she also tells me that
this has been understood for many years and there has
never been any question raised about it as it is the
usual agency commission.

With regard to Herman Levin productions, this
man is a lawyer and talent agent who has recently come
into the theatre and put on a successful musical comedy
revue, "Call Me Mister." So far as I know, he has a
good business reputation but no actual standing as far
as dramatic plays are concerned. If the matter falls
through, so far as Herman Levin productions are concerned, we would be glad to meet Alfred Fisher and
make the production with him as it looks as though

George Bernard Shaw

-2-

May 16, 1947

we are going to have a difficult time casting "The
Devil's Disciple". James Mason has regretfully turned
down the part because he is making two pictures this
year. I have had another very excellent actor offered
for the part of Dick Dudgeon, but will write about it
later.

With kindest regards,

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Laurence
Nr. Welwyn, Herts
England

cc: Miss Greenpan

Charges for GBS Plays

Before the depression, the charge to amateurs
was $50. We then reduced it to $25, and this is now
the charge. This is the scale for all the plays.

For stock companies -- that is, commercial
companies which play during the summertime -- the
charge varies according to the size of the theatre,
the admission price, and whether a star is playing
in same. Where it is a small theatre with low ad-
mission, the price is $150 for one week's playing.
Where it is a large summer theatre with a higher
price, it varies from $200 to $350. This is about
the same price that is charged by other well-known
playwrights, such as Robert Sherwood, Eugene O'Neill,
Maxwell Anderson, and is, in general, within the
price range.

We have a number of requests for summer plays
at the present time and are charging according to
this scale. If Mr. Shaw wants to reduce his scale,
he should do so very promptly because summer business
is starting in full swing.

CC: Miss Greenspan (blind)

May 20, 1947

Dear GBS:

When we first started to handle the
radio show, everyone said we couldn't do
it. Now after two years, we are running
the best dramatic show on the air.

Of course, we can't put on any Shaw
plays because we're not allowed to shorten
them.

I am sending you this booklet which
has just been put out by U. S. Steel. On
the last page but one, you will see that
the Secretary of Stage, George C. Marshall,
and General Eisenhower appeared on the pro-
gram. Why not you?

With kind regards,

Enclosure

June 27, 1947

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Welwyn, Herts
England

Dear GBS:

We want to return to our practice of doing a Shaw
play every year. We wanted to do this during the war, but
your income tax wouldn't let us. Now that the war is over,
everyone else wants to come in. At the end of the last
war, when no one was doing your plays over here, the Theatre
Guild made a great success of HEARTBREAK HOUSE, ST. JOAN,
PYGMALION, ARMS AND THE MAN, THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA, THE
DEVIL'S DISCIPLE, etc., etc. All in all, we did fourteen
plays, of which four were world premieres.

In 1922, you wrote us about our position in regard
to doing your plays as follows:

"...Meanwhile I am not to deal with the plays in
New York without giving the Guild a look-in, unless I yield
to an overwhelming impulse to treat them shabbily and lose
my reputation for being the most reasonable man now living."

And also in 1923:

"...Now the Actors Theatre, which has done pretty
well with CANDIDA, wants to reap the harvest you have sown;
but I am telling them and all other applicants that you
have an option on all my plays, and that they can have only
your leavings, if any."

Mr. George Bernard Shaw

-2-

June 27, 1946

not willing to commit ourselves to doing the play the following season, then the play can be released to whomsoever else you may select.

The Theatre Guild has always been known as the home of Bernard Shaw in this country, and we hope to continue the policy of at least one Shaw play a year. Years ago I coined the phrase, "When in doubt, play Shaw," which is really one of the basic mottoes of the Guild.

July 18, 1947

Dear GBS:

Following are some of our plans for your
plays for next season.

1. YOU NEVER CAN TELL: I had a series of
conversations in Hollywood with Edmund Gwenn and
Cedric Hardwicke. Gwenn is too busy to play the
part of the waiter now, but might do so later.
Hardwicke is tied up until January. He says he
would fancy playing the part of the waiter himself.
What do you think? When we do this play, we will
take in Mr. Fischer as a partner to give him an
opportunity of making some money out of it. We may
bring this off fairly early in the season.

2. THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE: We are looking
for a good cast for this play. What do you think
of using John Gielgud? He is a splendid actor
and has a lot of dash. Possible American candidates
are Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.

3. ARMS AND THE MAN: We would like to
produce this play during the forthcoming season and
are trying to line up a cast.

We are still awaiting a copy of your new
play as soon as you get it from the printers. I am
also awaiting with great interest some copies of the
photographs that you took of us all.

With kind regards,

July 18, 1947

Dear GBS:

We are still awaiting a copy of your new play
as soon as you get it from the printers. I am also
awaiting with great interest some copies of the photo-
graphs that you took of us all.

With kind regards,

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Mr. Welwyn, Herts
England

From

BERNARD SHAW

Phone & Wire:

CODICOTE 218

Ayot Saint Lawrence,
Welwyn, Herts.

25/7/1947

Judith in the D's is weakly sentimental: K. H. is too strong for her.

Dick is not a raffish profligate: he is a tragic figure in black, like Hamlet, or Buckingham in Henry VIII.

I must let Fischer go where he chooses, as he did very well for me in Germany; but you should be able to give him as good terms as any other management, or better; and I should prefer yours.

Hardwicke would of course be perfect as the waiter. It would be wise to wait for him.

G. B. S.

FAST

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="2">CLASS OF SERVICE DESIRED</th></tr><tr><th>FOREIGN</th><th>DOMESTIC</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>FULL RATE</td><td>FULL RATE</td></tr><tr><td>CDE</td><td>DAY LETTER</td></tr><tr><td>DEFERRED</td><td>SERIAL SERVICE</td></tr><tr><td>RADIO LETTER</td><td>NIGHT MESSAGE</td></tr><tr><td>PRESS</td><td>NIGHT LETTER</td></tr></tbody></table>

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RCA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

A SERVICE OF RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA
TO ALL THE WORLD - BETWEEN IMPORTANT U. S. CITIES - TO SHIPS AT SEA

DIRECT

TO OBTAIN THE BENEFIT OF RCA DIRECT SERVICE THE VIA "RCA"

MUST

BE INSERTED BY THE

SENDER

OF THE MESSAGE

Send the following Radiogram subject to the conditions, regulations and rates as set forth in the applicable tariff of RCA Communications, Inc., and on file with the regulatory authorities.

"Via Mackaya"

Nov. 26, 1947

NLT

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
AYOT ST LAWRENCE
WELWYN, HERTS

RICHARD ALDRICH JUST ANNOUNCED PRODUCTION ARMS AND THE MAN
WHICH YOU HAD ALREADY PROMISED TO US. PLEASE AUTHORIZE DENIAL.

REGARDS.

LAWRENCE LANGNER

cc: TH
AML

FULL-RATE MESSAGE UNLESS MARKED OTHERWISE

Sender's Name and Address

(Not to be transmitted)

Form 100-50-TA 248-S

G O O S - E C

COLUMBUS 5 6170
THE THEATRE GUILD 23 WEST 53RD STREET NYC HR

NLT GEORGE BERNARD SHAW AYOT ST LAWRENCE WELWYN HERTS (ENGLAND)

RICHARD ALDRICH JUST ANNOUNCED PRODUCTION ARMS AND
THE MAN WHICH YOU HAD ALREADY PROMISED TO US PLEASE AUTHORIZE
DENIAL REGARDS

LAWRENCE LANGNER

All America Cables · Commercial Cables · Mackay Radio

Telephone Confirmation

THIS MESSAGE RECEIVED BY TELEPHONE AND FORWARDED SUBJECT TO THE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS PRINTED ON BACK OF OUR REGULAR MESSAGE FORMS.

December 2, 1947

Dear Lawrence Langner

I never sell nor assign my copyrights. I deal
solely in licenses. I am bound by written contracts
only, not by alleged promises and so-called gentleman's
agreements.

Reputable travelling repertory companies can
obtain licenses to play my pieces on the road in
repertory as they can play Shakespear's, on condition
however, that they publish no claim to hold any rights
or an exclusive license, and specially that their
license does not empower them to revive the play in
New York or elsewhere for a run.

I hereby authorize the Theatre Guild, acting
as my agent as it has for years past, to require
Mr. Aldrich to produce and exhibit the contract under
which he claims (if he has claimed) to have any
authority to revive ARMS AND THE MAN on Broadway or
elsewhere.

This had better be done through a lawyer. Mine
is Benjamin H. Stern of Stern & Reubens, 4 East 45th Street.

(S) G. BERNARD SHAW

If Mr. A. should prove obdurate we must proceed for
an injunction.

Air Mail to:

December 1, 1947

Dear UBS:

This is a belated report on the status of
YOU NEVER CAN TELL.

We have been working with Alfred Fischer
for the last three months on the casting of this
play, and Theresa Helburn went out to the Pacific
Coast especially to have a conference with Sir Cedric
Hardwicke. He has been tied up with a motion picture,
and it is still a question as to whether we can get
him to act in or direct the play, but I expect to
hear very shortly. In the meantime, it has been
suggested that the young man who directed the play
in London, Peter Ashmore, who seems to have done an
excellent job, might be available for the production
over here. We hope that Hardwicke will be available
as we have been waiting for him all this time, but
the picture companies have a way of procrastinating.

We have lined up an excellent cast and en-
gaged Stewart Chaney, one of our best scenic artists,
to do the sets and costumes. We expect to go into
rehearsal in about three weeks, and probably will
open the play in San Francisco, from whence it will
go to Los Angeles and then across the country here.
By proceeding in this manner, we might be able to
secure the services of Cedric even if he has not
entirely finished with his picture commitments. I
will let you know what goes on further in due course,
and remain,

P. S. Mr. Fischer, as you know, is receiving a
percentage of the play, and has also been
made Company Manager in charge of the play
so that he will receive income from this as well.

December 5, 1947

Dear GBS:

I called up Aldrich and told him that they were
not to present ARMS AND THE MAN in the City Center.
They claim to have these rights from the American
National Theatre and Academy. The attached clipping
tells the story. It was not necessary to get in touch
with Benjamin Stern because they agreed to stop when
I called them on the telephone. A production of this
kind would very much hurt a later production of ARMS
AND THE MAN.

Someone informed me recently that the copyrights
had not been renewed on some plays, and I wrote to
Fulton Brylawski, the copyright expert in Washington,
and he has informed me that the following plays-- THE
GREAT CATHERINE, MISALLIANCE, HEARTBREAK HOUSE -- also
THE WISDOM OF BERNARD SHAW -- were not renewed, as set
forth in his letter of November twenty-eighth.

Under the Act of September 25, 1941, which I
was largely instrumental in getting passed, you still
have time to renew these copyrights under the Presi-
dential Proclamation.

Mr. Brylawski looked over all of your copyrights
and is of the opinion that there is no copyright in
YOU NEVER CAN TELL.

If you would like me to take up the matter of
renewal of copyrights with Mr. Stern, please let me
hear from you.

With kind regards,

LL:mh
Enclosures: 2
cc: Miss Patch

C
O
P
Y

Savoy Hotel,
London, W.C. 2.

2nd May 1947

Dear G.B.S.,

Just a line to thank you for your
kind hospitality yesterday. I am looking
forward to having the copy of the photographs,
which I shall treasure.

Thank you again for giving us
permission to do "THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE" and
"HEARTBREAK HOUSE."

I will write you further about our
plays.

Sincerely yours,

COPY

Savoy Hotel,
London, W.C. 2.

2nd May 1947

Dear G.B.S.,

Sincerely yours,

Savoy Hotel,

London, W.C. 2.

2nd May 1947.

Dear G.B.S.,

Thank you again for giving us permission
to do "THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE" and "HEARTBREAK HOUSE".

I will write you further about our plans.

Sincerely yours,

6th May 1947

Dear L.L.

My experience is that when a management gets control of a play it takes a rake-off for its licenses. Sometimes the licensee sublets for another rake-off, the net result being that the production is sweated the last penny it will bear, and even beyond it, instead of benefiting the moderation of my sliding scale. I am determined to put a stop to that by every means in my power.

Now the accounts of the Guild have never included any charge for collecting. This is what has never satisfied me. You cannot have been doing it for nothing. If we are to go on as before, it must be on the understanding that no performing licensee is to be charged more than my standard sliding scale, and consequently that The Guild's charges for collecting must be definitely settled as a percentage of the fees due to me.

Is that clear ?

Now for another matter.

HERMAN LEVIN PRODUCTIONS

Alfred Fischer, who has produced many of my plays in Germany, wants to produce You Never Can Tell on Broadway after a try-out tour in San Francisco, with Edmund Gwenn as the waiter, and Cedric Hradwicke interested. He says "The play will be presented jointly by Herman Levin and me".

Savoy Hotel,

London, W.C. 2.

2nd May 1947.

Dear G.B.S.,

On looking into the matter, I find that the sum
which we sent you last year for amateur rights was £2,000.,
and not 1/2,000., as you mentioned. Also, that we have been
collecting these amounts for you for the last twenty five
years at your own request. We have a special department of
The Guild that takes care of this kind of business for other
authors as well as yourself and it is no trouble to handle it.

If you will agree to the above, you can die in
peace knowing that your plays are in good hands in America
and, if we do anything we should not (which, of course, you
believe we will!), then you are free to haunt us for the rest
of our lives. However, as I fully expect you will send a
wreath for my funeral, all this part about dying seems quite
academic.

Sincerely yours,

December 5, 1947

Dear GBS:

Someone informed me recently that the copyrights had not been renewed on some plays, and I wrote to Fulton Brylawski, the copyright expert in Washington, and he has informed me that the following plays -- THE GREAT CATHERINE, MISALLIANCE, HEARTBREAK HOUSE -- also THE WISDOM OF BERNARD SHAW -- were not renewed, as set forth in his letter of November twenty-eighth.

Under the Act of September 25, 1941, which I was largely instrumental in getting passed, you still have time to renew these copyrights under the Presidential Proclamation.

With kind regards,

LL:mh

Enclosures: 2

cc: Miss Patch

Copy of clipping in Herald Tribune 12/2/47

"CITY CENTER SEEKS SHAW PLAY

The rights to Bernard Shaw's ARMS AND THE MAN,
which the newly-formed New York City Center Theater
Company wants as its third bill, were acquired some
time ago by the American National Theater and Academy.
With no immediate production of its own in sight,
A.N.T.A. is trying to help the non-profit company and
has written to Shaw to clear the rights for a City
Center presentation. Richard Whorf and Jose Ferrer,
who will be in the acting company at the City Center,
will arrive from Hollywood this week."

(Sent to UBS 12/6/47)

also to Miss Patch

"CITY CENTER SEEKS SHAW PLAY

The rights to Bernard Shaw's ARMS AND THE MAN, which the newly-formed New York City Center Theatre Company wants as its third bill, were acquired some time ago by the American National Theatre and Academy. With no immediate production of its own in sight, A.N.T.A. is trying to help the non-profit company and has written to Shaw to clear the rights for a City Center presentation. Richard Whorf and Jose Ferrer, who will be in the acting company at the City Center, will arrive from Hollywood this week."

(sent to GBS 12/6/47
also to Miss Patch)

December 28, 1947

NLT THEGUILD NEWYORK

A THEN COMPLETE NEW EDITION OF MY WORKS WAS PRINTED
PUBLISHED AND COPYRIGHTED IN 1940 BY WISH INCLUDING
ALL PLAYS LISTED BY BRYLAWSKI AS IN PUBLIC DOMAIN
STOP YOU NEVER WAS PART OF A VOLUME TITLED PLAYS
PLEASANT STOP PLEASE CONSULT BENJAMIN STERN AS YOU
SUGGEST ALSO DODD MEAD AND TAKE NECESSARY STEPS

BERNARD SHAW

Memo From:
Lawrence Langner

Dec. 31, 1947

Mr. Langner

Miss Helburn likes the Shaw letter,
but wonders if you would like to add
xxRRN the following to the P. S.:

"That's what makes YOU NEVER CAN TELL a
classic, but we won't breathe a word of
it to anyone!"

Marion

December 30, 1947

Dear GBS:

Plans are proceeding apace with YOU NEVER CAN TELL. We understand that Cedric Hardwicke is going into THE LINDEN TREE, so have taken on Peter Ashmore, who directed the play in London. I understand he did a very nice production there. He is over here now, and we will go into rehearsal in January. Notwithstanding the copyright situation, we shall, of course, send the usual royalties in the usual manner, unless you are overcome by the Christmas spirit and decide that since you are now a classic and have no copyright, you would prefer us to retain these instead of turning them over to the Internal Revenue.

Happy Christmas, in case you still observe the custom. I am sending you a Christmas present from Terry, Armina, and myself, consisting of a book entitled "The Story of the Theatre Guild." This is filled entirely with praise of ourselves, and was written, of course, by our press agent.

Counting Westport Country Playhouse along with the Theatre Guild, we have produced seventeen of your plays, and YOU NEVER CAN TELL will be the eighteenth. I think it is wonderful that we are still good friends.

With all good wishes for the new year,

(Please turn over)

WESTERN
UNION

JOSEPH L. EGAN
PRESIDENT

(04)

The filing time shown in the date line on telegrams and day letters is STANDARD TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is STANDARD TIME at point of destination

1948 JAN 10 AM 11 04

N37 INTL=N WELWYN VIA MACKAY 13 10 1105

LC THEATREGUILD =

NEWYORK ( 23 WEST 53 ST) =

:PRODUCE NOTHING OF MINE UNTIL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS OVER=
SHAW

THE COMPANY WILL APPRECIATE SUGGESTIONS FROM ITS PATRONS CONCERNING ITS SERVICE

FAST

DIRECT

MUST

BE INSERTED BY THE

SENDER

OF THE MESSAGE

BLANCHE PATCH
SOCIALIST, PARL-LONDON

"Via" Mackay
January 12, 1948
Night Letter

GBS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES BY FISCHER AND
MYSELF THAT YOU NEVER CAN TELL WAS IN PRODUCTION
WITH HIS PERMISSION STOP HE NOW CABLES QUOTE PRODUCE
NOTHING IN 1948 UNTIL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS OVER
UNQUOTE IF THIS APPLIES TO NEVER CAN TELL IT CREATES
IMPOSSIBLE AND DISASTROUS SITUATION STOP IS IT POSSIBLE
THAT GBS HAS FORGOTTEN HE GAVE THIS PERMISSION TO US
STOP HAVE CABLED HIM DIRECTLY PLEASE DO YOUR BEST
EXPLAIN OUR TERRIBLE PREDICAMENT REGARDS AND THANKS

LAWRENCE BANGNER
THERESA HELBURN

Sender's Name and Address
(Not to be transmitted)
Form 100L TA 265

FAST

DIRECT

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
AYOT ST LAWRENCE
NR WELWYN HERTS ENGLAND

"Via" Mackay

January 12, 1948
Night Letter

SHOCKED BY YOUR CABLE IF YOU MEAN IT TO APPLY YOU NEVER CAN TELL STOP PLAY HAS BEEN IN PRODUCTION FOR TWO MONTHS AS PART OF OUR 1947-1948 SUBSCRIPTION SEASON FOR WHICH LARGE QUANTITY TICKETS ALREADY SOLD. STOP.

ALL CONTRACTS ACTORS DIRECTOR PETER ASHMORE DESIGNER BUILDER PAINTER ET CETERA SIGNED AND BEING PERFORMED.

STOP. SEVERAL ACTORS IMPORTED FROM ENGLAND PLAY ANNOUNCED AND THEATRE BOOKED IMPOSSIBLE TERMINATE EARLY PRODUCTION NOW. STOP. OPENING FEBRUARY WILL BE ESTABLISHED SUCCESS OR FINISHED LONG BEFORE ELECTION SEASON STOP WE HAD DEFINITE UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR PERMISSION TO PRODUCE THIS PLAY WITH FISCHER AND HAVE KEPT YOU ADVISED REGARDING PROGRESS RIGHT ALONG. AFFECTIONATE REGARDS.

TERRY LAWRENCE ARMINA

Sender's Name and Address

(Not to be transmitted)

Form 106L TA 248

February 19, 1948

Miss Blanche Patch
4 Whitehall Court
London, S. W. 1, England

My dear Miss Patch:

We opened YOU NEVER CAN TELL in Wilmington last week and had extremely nice notices. We are enclosing a copy of the program and of the notices. The play is now in Boston, and will proceed from there to Philadelphia and later to New York. We shall handle the matter of the royalties in the usual manner. We have a very excellent cast, and imported four very fine actors from England. These are respectively: Walter Hudd, William Devlin, Nigel Stock, and Faith Brook, who is the daughter of Clive Brook.

Peter Ashmore, who directed the play in London, has attended to the production here. We are very hopeful that it will receive good notices in New York.

With kind regards,

LL:mh
Enclosures

February 24, 1948

Dear Terry:

It is our feeling here that we would be
smart to accept GBS' 50% proposal because we think
we will do well to play to around $23,000 or $24,000 the
first few weeks in New York, and then we will begin to
slip off, and pretty soon we will be doing between $15,000
to $20,000 where we are much better off paying GBS 50%
instead of the other.

Now, I had an idea in the back of my head that
in some letter or other, he stated or you stated to
him that we paid 10% up to $15,000 and 15% on all the
money coming in above $15,000. We cannot find any such
letter among your papers. Of course, this would be an
even better arrangement. Now, is there such a letter,
or are you merely speaking from memory? Evans is, I
understand, paying a straight 15%.

We are holding all of Shaw's royalties until
hearing from you.

I hope you are having a pleasant trip.

Sincerely,

Miss Theresa Helburn
Arizona Biltmore Hotel
Phoenix, Arizona

LL:mh

Enclosures: 2

I am enclosing copy of letter to Miss Patch
which I will not send out unless you okay.

COPY

From G B S to Theresa Helburn.......February 14,1947

My dear Tess,

It is out of the question for me to change my standard
terms. If I did it for the Guild I should have to do it
for everybody; for I must not have two prices. If the
Guild cannot afford my plays it can simply not perform
them.

But why can it not perform them? My 15% does not come in
until you have given 8 performances to capacity; and
below that figure you pay only 10%, 7½%, and 5%, which
suits the smallest set of village amateurs and the biggest
New York success. I ask for no advances nor guarantees
nor star salaries. If I raise your 15% figure from
$14,000 to $15,000, you will think me a cheap skate and
undercut my plays as you did The Apple Cart and The Un-
expected Isles.

So let us say, no more about terms, which I have not raised
for more than fifty years, though the cost of living has
rocketed since then. I listened to you without the smallest
intention of changing: the charm was yours.

The new play--if such a senile effort can be called a play--
is finished, printed, and ready for the next Malvern Festival
(this year or next is not fixed) at which it will see
the light for the first time. It is not yet named: you may
call it TRIPE provisionally.

I enjoyed your visit very much.

G B S

March 10, 1948

Dear UBS:

You promised you would let us see a printed copy
of THE UNFINISHED COMEDY as soon as it came back from the
printers, and we have been waiting nearly a year. I know
you do not want it produced this year, but could we not
have a look at it as a possibility for next year?

I thought you would be interested in the enclosed
book which shows that we have been a big success in radio.
We have about twelve million listeners a week, and we are
spreading interest in the theatre all over the United States.
Unfortunately, we cannot include your long plays because
they run over one hour in length and, unlike any other author,
you will not allow us to prepare a radio version. However,
we love you just the same.

The confidential idiots who make motion pictures
have run their business into such a morass of ignorance,
incompetency, and lack of appreciation of the public taste
that we have been invited to make motion pictures. We
are surrounding ourselves with the most talented people in
the industry, and it will not be long before Theatre Guild
motion pictures will set the same high standards as our
plays.

We are all well, and Terry will be coming to London
in April. I hope you are in good health, and am wondering
what happened to the photographs you took of Armin and my-
self.

"You Never Can Tell" has done very well in Boston
and Philadelphia and comes into New York next week. Our
notices have been excellent, but some of the more literate
of the critics have seized on the fact that you wrote in
one of your introductions that the play was written to make
money, which, according to them, seems to be the wrong idea
for writing a play. The important thing is that it is
well constructed and enjoyable and shows that you can beat
the commercial writers at their own game, but this seems to
have escaped them. The playing is really quite excellent.

W.L. MONTGOMERY BUSH

-3-

WEDNESDAY TO'S

Mr. George Bernard Shaw

-2-

March 10, 1948

The scenery is charming, and we are very happy about the job done by the director, Peter Ashmore. Alfred Fischer, who has been literally starving, is deriving an income on the profits and begins to look better fed and happier than he has looked for a long while.

Our completely stupid Press Department let a story be published in The New York Times, quoting from a letter you wrote me two years ago saying that your plays are open to any management, with the result that you will undoubtedly be inundated with requests for your plays from every Tom, Dick, and Harry. I shall counteract this after the opening of YOU NEVER CAN TELL by quoting your cablegram that no more of your plays may be given during the coming year.

With kind regards, and hoping, you are well, I remain,

Sincerely yours,

Lawrence Langner

As you won't send me the pictures you took of me, I am sending you one I took of you in Stresa twenty years ago, posing for your statue.

Mr. George Bernard Shaw
Ayotst. Lawrence
Mr. Welwyn, Herts
England

LL:nh
Enclosures

MARCH 10, 1948

March 10, 1948

-3-

Mrs Blanche Patch

aerland drouonts, 'flew vrev allob el JI. JIMM CAU CHAN
emt xst emmocl end to immocb so won eredwyveve bad al
aqquecr entscnt end oml yfhev qub noilw, 'fued bne
over pare.

d'mom txen nobnod ni tevo ed ilfw mndlen caM

.noy ee ot ni animoc ed ilfw ere wouid I bne

t, n, am, I, a March 10, 1948, w, w

t, am, y, te, er, er, n, am, y, te, er, er,

Miss Blanche Patch

4 Whitehall Court

London, N. W. 1, England

Dear Miss Patch:

ybaent txen 'noY weH ni ameqo JIMM CAU CHAN UCY .o. 9

We have had a policy of refusing to let UBS' plays be done in New York City on a stock basis -- that is, a week or two weeks -- because they are seen by the critics and it operates against a production later by others for a run. This was in accordance with the policy agreed to by Mr. Shaw some years ago.

Now a Miss Jean Dalrymple is asking for these plays for the New York City Center, and we have refused permission. I understand she is going directly to Mr. Shaw. I hope the permission will be refused because it is difficult to have a policy which is not followed. We are, as you know, doing GREAT CATHERINE on television, and this is undoubtedly the reason why this lady is asking for the rights. I understand she also wants to secure the rights to THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE in motion pictures, and may be coming over to London for that purpose. We are publishing Mr. Shaw's cablegram that none of his plays is to be done this year.

Robert Montgomery called me on the long distance phone the other day and says he is still very much interested in THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE as a motion picture, and he would, in my opinion, be a tremendous asset to the picture. Miss Dorothy McQuire, a very brilliant young actress who has made a great success both on the stage and in motion pictures is a candidate for St. Joan. She will be in London shortly, and if UBS is willing, I would like her to meet him. I have given her a letter of introduction to you, and I know you will enjoy meeting her. She will make a wonderful St. Joan when the time comes to revive it. She has come to the forefront as one of our finest young actresses.

We are going to Philadelphia tonight to see YOU

["Miss Blanche Patch", "-2-", "March 10, 1948", "NEVER CAN TELL. It is doing very well, although business is bad everywhere now on account of the income tax time and Lent, which dips very badly into the theatre receipts over here.", "Miss Helburn will be over in London next month and I know she will be coming in to see you.", "With kind personal regards, I remain,", "Dear Miss Patch:\n\nP. S. YOU NEVER CAN TELL opens in New York next Tuesday evening; March sixteenth, a bad evenng.", "Miss Patch, a bad evenng, is a sitting for guests to the New York City Center, and we have returned from a trip to Paris, and we are going directly to Mr. and Mrs. Blythe for the New York City picture, and we will be back in New York City on a jack date in a few days, so that we can see the picture and have a good time. We are going to be at the New York City picture, and we will be able to see the picture and have a good

March 13, 1948

Strictly Confidential

Dear Miss Patch:

I am hurrying to supplement my cable today as I see
by the newspapers that Jean Dalyrymple is flying to London
with the avowed purpose of trying to see G.B.S. and she may
use my name in the matter. She is the Press Agent of the City
Center, a municipal organization which has often considered
doing Mr. Shaw's plays. Parties connected with it announced
last year that they would produce ARMS AND THE MAN, which
Mr. Shaw requested me to stop with injunction if necessary.

Miss Dalyrymple requested permission to do GREAT KATHERINE and MAN OF DESTINY for 10 days at the City Center, and following Mr. Shaw's cable instructions not to release his plays this year, or for stock in New York City where they would interfere with plays later on, (as in the case of ARMS AND THE MAN) I informed Miss Dalyrymple of the fact, and she has undoubtedly elected to go to London to try to get G.B.S. to change his position.

The lady in question is extremely attractive and clever. She has in turn been vaudeville actress, air pilot, concert promoter and is now engaged in the business of Press Agent and play production. She recently promoted a production of BURLESQUE which was previously done in a summer theatre. Her reputation both with the newspapers and financially is none too good. I hesitate to put this on paper but I think that you and G.B.S. should be warned in advance, for she is a very persuasive talker and will undoubtedly try to secure the right to produce some of G.B.S.'s plays although I told her he was definitely against production at this time.

It has also appeared in the papers that she is going to try to secure the right to promote the motion picture sale of THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE. In this connection I would like you to remind G.B.S. that if for any reason THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE is not going to be made by Pascal, Robert Montgomery,

March 13, 1948

our foremost motion picture actor, is most eager to make
this picture. He tells me that he and his business manager
will be willing to fly to London and see Mr. Shaw this spring
if G.B.S. would consider letting him make the picture within
the next two or three years.

I am sending you an extra copy of this letter in
case you wish to send it to Mr. Shaw. Miss Helburn and
Mrs. Langner join me in sending you our kind regards.

Miss Blanche Patch
4, Whitehall Court
London, S. W. 1
England

LL: HR

TELEGRAMS: SOCIALIST, PARL-LONDON.
PHONE: WHITEHALL 3160.

4, WHITEHALL COURT (130) LONDON, S.W.1.

17th March 1948

MAR 26 1948

Dear Mr Langner,

Your cable and letter of the 10th arrived at the same time, and were too late to have any influence on Jean Dalrymple's plans. As far as I can make out she had informed Pascal of her arrival by air, and I think he sent to meet her at the airport last Sunday, the 14th, and took her to see GBS next day. What transpired at the meeting I have not yet heard; but as Pascal says he is engaged in the prelimaries for filming Arms and the Man, and as he only is allowed to film GBS's plays, it is very unlikely that Jean would have any success in securing the rights for The Devil's Disciple, but I am sure it is quite useless for you or anyone else to make any suggestions in the matter, or to call attention to the instructions GBS gave you by cable regarding further productions of his plays. Anyhow I will forward the copy of your letter of the 13th in case GBS has come to no decision.

Gabriel has now taken a sort of mid-week lodging in London, and I am never sure how to get at him. He may, of course, wish to have a private retreat, as he says he is thoroughly tired of the farm and all its responsibilities.

March 13, 1948

Dear UBS:

Re YOU NEVER CAN TELL

We put on a beautiful production of YOU NEVER CAN TELL with brilliant actors and excellent scenery and costumes. We happen to have the dumbest critics we have had in thirty years' experience writing for the New York papers. Some of them think it is old-fashioned; others like it. I am enclosing the first set of reviews, and wish you wouldn't pay any attention to them.

We published the enclosed advertisement in the papers yesterday, which knocked the stuffing out of the critics.

I don't know why we continue in this idiocy which is called the theatre. We have spent $10,000 on this beautiful production. I will send you photographs of it shortly.

Much as the Guild regrets it, I regret it more for Alfred Fischer. He really needs the money.

Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times is the only one who criticized the production. He is a complete idiot. Imagine calling William the waiter a stock character! He (Atkinson) is a naturalist by nature and should be spending his time looking at birds instead of writing dramatic criticism, so-called.

Well, you never can tell.

Devotedly,

Lawrence Langner
P. S. We are ready to do the next one as soon as you give us permission. You will always be our favorite playwright.

LL:mh

Enclosures

May 5, 1948

Dear GBS:

Re GREAT CATHERINE

You will be pleased to know that we did GREAT CATHERINE on television with Gertrude Lawrence, Michael MacLiammoir, David Wayne, and a fine cast, and it was a great success.

At the present moment, there is no real critical press on television, and we do not get dramatic criticism in the usual way. However, there have been statements in the papers, and the *Daily News* spoke of it as the highlight of the broadcast season and a challenge to other television dramatic shows.

Gertie was excellent in the part and was, I think, a worthy successor to Gertrude Kingston who played it over here many years ago. All in all, we are very happy about this production. Miss Dalrymple came to see the performance and enjoyed it very much.

With kind personal regards, I remain.

LL:mh

cc: Warren Caro

August 5, 1948

Mr. G. Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Mr. Welwyn, Herts
England

Dear UBS:

We don't think we ought to be on your black-list. On the contrary, we should be on your very whitest list.

You gave the rights to do YOU NEVER CAN TELL to Alfred Fischer because you were grateful to him for his productions of your plays in Germany. On July 11, 1947, we received a letter from Mr. Fischer, from which I quote the following:

"At any rate, I am determined to do the play. I prefer an association with the Guild to any others. However, if the Guild should, for some reason not be interested, I would be in a position to co-produce with another distinguished producer."

On the 25th of July, 1947, you wrote us a post card, from which we quote:

"I must let Fischer go where he chooses as he did very well for me in Germany; but you should be able to give him as good terms as any other management; or better; and I should prefer yours."

In view of the above, we made a financial arrangement with Mr. Fischer, and advanced him funds through the fall of 1947 while we were working on the casting of the play.

On November 14th, you cabled us: "Taxation obliges me to defer further revivals. DISCIPLE is off. Robert also." We assumed that this did not include YOU NEVER CAN TELL as we had already made our contract with

G. Bernard Shaw

-2-

August 5, 1948

Fischer in accordance with your request and his threat to go elsewhere if we did not do so, and we had already made payments to him. We wrote you indicating we were continuing on December first and December thirtieth, and had no response from you. We continued with our casting, and just before we went into rehearsal, with our contracts completed, we received your cable, reading as follows:

"Produce nothing of mine until presidential election is over."

Obviously, this cable arrived too late to enable us to stop, for the scenery was built and the actors and the director engaged. To ensure good direction, we imported Peter Ashmore from England at a considerable expense.

Had you not given permission to Mr. Fischer to do the play, we very much doubt whether we would have gone into it at this time at all. We were under constant pressure to produce the play, or it would be done by some other management.

Now, GBS, we have produced more of your plays than any other management in the world -- over twenty -- and have been your faithful representatives here for nearly thirty years. Our main crime in connection with YOU NEVER CAN TELL was carrying out your wishes with reference to Mr. Fischer.

Meanwhile, our best wishes for your ninety-second year.

Affectionately,

LL:mh
(signed by TH and LL)

AYOT ST LAWRENCE, WELWYN, HERTS.
STATION WHEATHAMPSTEAD, L& N.E.R. 2¼ MILES.
TELEGRAMS: BERNARD SHAW, CODICOTE.
TELEPHONE: CODICOTE 218.

From Bernard Shaw.

4, WHITEHALL COURT (130) LONDON, S.W.1.
PHONE: WHITEHALL 3160.

11th November 1948.

NOV 26 1948

Dear L. L.,

Why do you believe every silly story you see about me in
the papers? My plays are in the market: I discuss their production
with every management who wants them; but I make no promises: pro-
mises are not business; and I never part with my rights: I deal in
licences only. I have told you this at least fifty million times.

Pascal, who does his best to make the world believe that
he owns all my plays (just as you do) has, he tells me, secured the
Mansfield Theatre for the production of a play by Sartre of which
he and Miss Dalrymple have acquired the performing rights. I have
discussed with Pascal the possibility of their trying out some
Buoyant Billions, which is more suited to a coterie theatre than a
popular theatre as the T.G. has now become. It is not called a
comedy of manners, as the N.Y. Times alleges, but A Comedy of No
Manners. You would probably make a horrible mess of its produc-
tion. The T.G. is not what it was in the days of Methusaleh and
Heartbreak House.

Matters have gone no farther than this. When they do
you will hear about it. For the moment I shall do all I can to
convince the papers and the managers that I am in neither Pascal's
pocket nor yours. My shop is open to all the world.

My regards to Tess. I still regret that we missed
meeting on her last visit.

Lawrence Langner, Esq.;
The Theatre Guild,
23 West 53rd St.,
New York City 19.

TO THOMAS
PLEASE NOTE AND RETURN TO
LAWRENCE LANGNER
NOTED J. A. M. L.

November 26, 1948

Dear UBS:

I thought you might be interested in
the enclosed piece on Sartre from today's *New
York Times*.

We have just produced THE SILVER
WHISTLE, an outstanding success of the season,
written by another Irishman, Robert E. McEnroe.
I am enclosing copy of the notices.

This is decidedly an art theatre
play, and the build is no more finished than
you are. You are a wonderful young ninety, and
we are a wonderful young thirty. The only evi-
dence I have of any failing on your part is
your failure to appreciate the Theatre Guild,
but you know the old saying "You live and learn."

Jose Ferrer, who has scored this enor-
mous success, is a perfect Dick Lidgeon for THE
DEVIL'S DISCIPLE.

If you are in the market, here is our
bid.

Ar affectionately,

Liamh

enclosures: 1) 'clip from Times on Sartre'
2) 'whistle' notices from N.Y. dailies
except Tribune & Star

TO THE ORDER OF
PLEASE NOTE AND RETURN TO
LAWRENCE LANGNER
NOTED

March 22, 1949

Dear GBS:

In the spring, a young man's rancy turns to all kinds of foolishness, and Sir Cedric Hardwicke was in to see me the other day and was discussing the idea of making a summer production, for one or two weeks at my summer stock company, of CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA, with himself and Lilli Palmer playing Cleopatra. You may know Lilli Palmer as the wife of Rex Harrison, but she is also an excellent actress in her own right, and has a touch of the Oriental in her -- enough to make her very acceptable.

Cedric would like to direct the play himself, and we would like to bring it into New York if it turns out well.

Terry will be in London shortly, and I know she wants to drop in to see you.

All goes well here, despite the fact that we haven't heard from you in quite some time.

Armina joins me in sending our affectionate greetings.

Mr. G. Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Nr. Welwyn, Herts
England

LL:mh

From Bernard Shaw.

Ayot Saint Lawrence
Welwyn, Herts.

30th March 1949

Dear L.L.,

By the same post as your letter came the same proposal
from Richard Aldrich, in the same words, except that some
local theatre of his is substituted for your Westport one.
You cannot both have C.H. and L.P. at the same time; but you
can have a fortnight apiece one down and t'other come on
for a try-out. Then the Broadway revival will go to the
highest bidder, who may be the indispensable Cedric himself.

Tessie will be all right this time, as the daylight is
now long enough to make the journey safe and pleasant.

Lawrence Langner Esq.
The Theatre Guild, Inc
13 West 53rd Street
New York City, 19
U.S.America.

4, WHITEHALL COURT (130) LONDON, S.W. I.
TELEGRAMS: SOCIALIST, PARL-LONDON.
PHONE: WHITEHALL 3160.

July 15, 1949

Mr. G. Bernard Shaw
Ayot St. Lawrence
Nr. Welwyn, Herts, England

Dear GBS:

A friend of mine, one of the best doctors in New York, Dr. Carl Binger, who has contributed to keeping me alive a number of years, and thus indirectly has contributed to keeping you alive when your fortunes were at a lower ebb, has written a book which the Chicago University Press is getting out in the autumn..

In one chapter of this book, he wants to use four quotations from your play, THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA. Since these quotations seem to me to be entirely accurate and as true today as when you first wrote them, I think you should welcome Carl's reprinting them. I am enclosing herewith the first page of the chapter, and would appreciate your consent.

With kind regards,

LL:mh
Enclosure

Please insert
THIS END
in slot of
AUTOMATIC
TELEGRAPH
with message
facing outward

WESTERN
UNION

JOSEPH L. EGAN
PRESIDENT

When placing
this telegram in
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TELEGRAPH
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<table><thead><tr><th>NUMBER</th><th>CHECK</th><th>CHARGE TO THE ACCOUNT OF</th><th>PLACE</th><th>DATE</th><th>TIME FILED</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Straight</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TO</td><td></td><td>GEORGE BERNARD SHAW<br>AYOT ST LAWRENCE<br>MR. WELWYN HERTS ENGLAND</td><td></td><td>7/26/49</td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td colspan="4">WE WISH YOU MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY.</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td colspan="4">ARMINA AND LAWRENCE</td></tr></tbody></table>

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4191

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The THEATRE GUILD, Inc.
Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.

23 West 53rd Street New York 19, N. Y.
Tel. C. Columbus 5-6170

Directors THERESA HELBURN LAWRENCE LANGNER

Associate Director ARMINA MARSHALL

Counsel H. WILLIAM FITELSON

February 13, 1950

PETER DAVIS
Business Manager

SARA GREENSPAN
Associate Business Manager

JOSEPH HEIDT
General Press Representative

JEROME WHYTE
Production Manager

PAUL CRABTREE
Production Assistant

SHERLEE WEINGARTEN
Casting Department

WARREN CARO
Executive Secretary

ADDIE WILLIAMS
Subscription Manager

J. C. KORITZER
Comptroller

PHYLLIS ANDERSON
Play Representative

Dear GBS:

I am laid up on my back with an attack of what they claim to be appendicitis, but bearing in mind some of your remarks about "Doctor's Dilemma", that I should be immediately wisked off to the operating table had I not told them to go to blazes and I would wait a couple of days to see what would happen to me. As a result, I am practically on my way to being well again. I think all I needed was a good rest.

I am delighted that your two plays "Caesar and Cleopatra" and "Devil's Disciple" are both receiving such wonderful acclaim and convincing America of what I have always believed - that you are one of the immortals. Too often an author who lives as long as you have, lives to see his work forgotten. I am so glad that this is not true of you.

The enclosed article which I clipped from Variety, one of the trade papers, makes interesting reading on the subject of the Theatre Guild and GBS. I rather imagine that we have done more of your plays than anyone else in the world and have always paid the top royalties.

Terry and I explained the situation to you when we visited you in England two years ago, but your heart was a flint. I am glad that even though we were unable to convince you, that some other people were. As a matter of information, the entire idea of doing "Caesar and Cleopatra" was generated in our office with Margala Gilmore and myself. We approached Sir Cedric and Lilli Palmer. Sir Cedric asked for 10%

Producers of ALLEGRO » OKLAHOMA! » CAROUSEL » THE ICEMAN COMETH » THE FATAL WEAKNESS » O MISTRESS MINE » FOOLISH NOTION
AH, WILDERNESS! » A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY » AMPHITRYON 38 » ANDROCLES AND THE LION » ARMS AND THE MAN » BACK TO METHUSELAH
BIOGRAPHY » BOTH YOUR HOUSES » CALL IT A DAY » CAPRICE » ELIZABETH THE QUEEN » FATA MORGANA » GOAT SONG » GREEN GROW THE
LILACS » HEARTBREAK HOUSE » HE WHO GETS SLAPPED » HOTEL UNIVERSE » IDIOT'S DELIGHT » JANE CLEGG » JACOBOWSKY AND THE COLONEL
JOHN FERGUSON » LILIOM » MAJOR BARBARA » MARCO MILLIONS » MARY OF SCOTLAND » MR. PIM PASSES BY » MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA
OTHELLO » PEER GYNT » PORYG » PORYG AND BESS » PTGMALION » REUNION IN VIENNA » R. U. R. » SAINT JOAN » SCHOOL FOR HUSBANDS
STRANGE INTERLUDE » TAMING OF THE SHREW » THE ADDING MACHINE » THE APPLE CART » THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV » THE DEVIL'S
DISCIPLE » THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA » THE GARRICK GAIETIES » THE GUARDSMAN » THE MOON IN THE YELLOW RIVER » THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
THE SEA GULL » THE SECOND MAN » THE SILVER CORD » THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE » TWELFTH NIGHT » VOLPONE » WINGS OVER EUROPE

- 21 -

of the gross for acting the part and 2% for directing. Lilli Palmer asked 8% for acting and of course there was your royalty of 15%. Adding this up the total royalty came to 35%. The house charged 30% making a total of 65%, leaving an entirely insufficient margin to pay for the rest of the actors, investors, etc. We regretfully had to turn down Hardwick and Palmer who thereupon took the project to Aldrich & Meyers, offering to reduce their own salaries to $500 a week each until the production cost was paid off. They in turn, as we have been told, secured your reduction of the royalties. I thought you would like to know that the project started with the Theatre Guild.

As for the "Devil's Disciple" this was our project and we sent Bob Montgomery to see you about it three years ago, 15% and all. Bob Montgomery is now wasting his time on television.

Armina and my play "The Pursuit of Happiness" was made into a musical play and presented by the Guild under the title "Arms and the Girl". This must be about the tenth play that used this title, which seems to me to borrow more from GBS than from the Iliad.

We all hope you are in good health and there is a possibility of my coming over this Spring, in which case I will look forward to seeing you.

-11-

February 13, 1950

Dear GBS:

I am laid up on my back with an attack of what they claim to be appendicitis, but bearing in mind some of your remarks about "Doctor's dilemma", that I should be immediately wisked off to the operating table had I not told them to go to blazes and I would wait a couple of days to see what would happen to me. As a result, I am practically on my way to being well again. I think all I needed was a good rest.

I am delighted with your two plays "Caesar and Cleopatra" and "Devil's Disciple" are both receiving such wonderful acclaim and convincing America of what I have always believed that you are one of the immortals. Too often an author who lives as long as you have, lives to see his work forgotten. I am so glad that this is not true of you.

Terry and I explained the situation to you when we visited you in England two years ago, but your heart was a flint. I am glad that even though we were unable to convince you, that some other people were. As a matter of information, the entire idea of doing "Caesar and Cleopatra" was generated in our office with Margala Gilmore and myself. We approached Sir Cederic and Lilli Palmer. Sir Cederic asked for 10%

September 19, 1950

Dear GBS:

I have refrained from writing you the usual letter
telling you how sorry I am that you have broken
your hip.

According to the newspapers here, you were having
an hilarious time with the doctors and nurses.
Actually, since you have kept out of a hospital
most of your life, you are probably not aware of
the fact that they are delightful places to live
in, which explains why so many people like to be
ill.

They have completely done away with any pain and
the nurses are much better company than a jaded
playwright like yourself or a jaded manager like
myself can possibly obtain otherwise.

The moving picture which we took while Armina and
I visited you as turned out beautifully and I shall
always treasure it.

We all send you our love.

Undated

Bernard Shaw
4 Whitehall Court
London S. W. 1

Regarding Pygmalion, believe Lunts would
like to do it again but if you have given rights
to Gertrude Lawrence Massey we would like to be
included as management. Please cable instructions.
Thanks.

Terry Lawrence

"Yesterday's Magic" is a splendid play, beautifully acted, but with a weak-hackneying ending. It has a sort of 'Candida' theme but the conclusion is exactly what you would expect of a ham playwright - a suicide to solve everybody's problems.

Muni plays a drunken, weak, but brilliant English actor with a crippled daughter upon whom he is completely dependent. Through a plausible combination of circumstances he gets a big part in a musical show where he is seen by those who knew him when he was a great actor and Cochran decides to take a chance on him in KING LEAR. The daughter, unknown to her father, falls in love with the young fellow who wrote the musical show and plans to marry him after her father's opening night. They keep the news from him so that he won't be distracted, but the loosey with whom he has been sleeping intermittently for seven years spills the beans. He goes hay-wire, goes out and gets drunk and the opening is off.

The daughter blows up and goes ahead with her plans to marry and accompany her husband to America. Finally, her father puts on a sympathy act and she decides to call off the wedding and stay with him, as her fiancé says, to become a middle-aged spinster with a drunken bum of a father who never again will amount to anything.

The father overhears their conversation and presently wenders out, jumps out the window, thus straightening everything out. There has been talk all along about his marrying the warm-hearted loosey, which would be a fate worse than death, and it strikes me that that should be the sacrifice for him to make - it would give him a show of courage at the end and would release his daughter, besides giving a good ironic turn to the plot. Or it could end with him just staying on with him, although I think there isn't enough snap in that for the stage. But the suicide is so obvious a device that it falls flat and the other would require relatively little change and that only at the end. Otherwise, it is a fine play sympathetically written and splendidly acted.

I ask no royalty for my suggested new ending.

George Bernard Shaw