CHAPPELL & CO., INC.
MUSIC PUBLISHERS

CHAPPELL & CO., LTD.
50 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON, ENGLAND

S. A. F. CHAPPELL
PARIS, FRANCE

CHAPPELL & CO., LTD.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

CABLES:
SYMPHONY, NEW YORK
SYMPHONY, LONDON
TELEPHONE CIRCLE 7-3870

RKO BUILDING • ROCKEFELLER CENTER
NEW YORK, N.Y.

JUNE 15TH, 1943

MISS THERESA HELBURN & MR. LAWRENCE LANGER,
THE THEATRE GUILD,
245 WEST 52ND STREET,
NEW YORK CITY.

DEAR TERRY AND LAWRENCE:—

I AM WRITING THIS LETTER ON BEHALF OF OSCAR AND MYSELF, WITH OSCAR'S FULL APPROVAL OF ITS CONTENTS.

WE WISH TO REGISTER OUR OBJECTION TO ARTICLES ON MAMOULIAN APPEARING IN THE NEW YORK POST, THE DAILY MIRROR, THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR AND P.M. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MAMOULIAN IS EMPLOYING HIS OWN PRESS AGENT, BUT WE DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS RELIEVES THE GUILD OF THE MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING ITS AUTHORS.

WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY DAMAGED BY THIS CONTEMPTIBLE PRACTICE OF CREDIT-STEALING, WHICH YOU HAVE TACITLY CONDONED, AND WE WILL THEREFORE MAKE TWO DEMANDS:

1. THAT MAMOULIAN BE STOPPED (AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO STOP HIM, UNLESS YOU WISH TO CONTINUE YOUR POLICY OF APPEASEMENT).

2. THAT YOU INSTITUTE A VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN TO RECTIFY THE HARM ALREADY DONE AND SEE THAT PROPER CREDIT FOR THE SUCCESS OF "OKLAHOMA" IS GRANTED TO OSCAR AND ME.

WE HESITATE TO GO TO THE PRESS OURSELVES WITH THIS MATTER AND START AN UNPLEASANT CONTROVERSY AND, AT THE MOMENT, WE DO NOT EXPECT TO DO SO. IF, HOWEVER, WE CANNOT OBTAIN IMMEDIATE ASSURANCE FROM YOU THAT THE SITUATION WILL BE CORRECTED, WE WILL BE UNABLE TO FACE YOU ON THE SAME BASIS OF PLEASANT INFORMALITY AND THE THURSDAY SESSIONS, FOR INSTANCE, WILL BE ENLIVENED BY OUR ABSENCE. MAMOULIAN, OF COURSE, WILL OBLIGE.

WITH DEEP REGRET AT HAVING TO WRITE YOU IN THIS MANNER AND WITH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, MY LOVE, I AM

RR:BN

C/C TO: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II

LL's Telephone Conversation with Mr. Mamoulian - June 16, 1943

Mr. M. - "How are you?"

LL - "I am not well at all!"

Mr. M. - "What's the matter?"

LL - "As a matter of fact I am fed up with you and your lousy publicity! It's got to stop!"

Mr. M. - "What publicity?"

LL - "The stories you have been giving out in PM, Sunday Mirror, Christian Science Monitor, etc. You are just aggrandizing yourself at the expense of everyone else."

Mr. M. - "What do you mean?"

LL - "And what's worse, you told a damn lie in PM, saying that you were going to direct Porgy and Bess in the pictures when this had fallen through, and also saying that I had tried to cut out a scene in Porgy and you told me I could either take it out or you would go. I have never been so insulted publicly in my life!"

Mr. M. - "Why I didn't say that".

LL - "Just read it! Your ego-mania is getting to be a disease when you have to say that no one else is any good in order to show how good you are."

Mr. M. - "What do you mean?"

LL - "Saying you hired Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts, in the Mirror, when you know that contracts were signed with them long before you were even asked to direct the play. -- Saying in the New Yorker that you had resuscitated The Theatre Guild!" . . . .

Mr. M. - (Shouts) "Wait a minute!"

LL - "I won't wait a minute. You can go right to Hell!"

(LL slams down receiver)

COPY:

June 23, 1943

The Theatre Guild, Inc.
Miss Theresa Helburn
Mr. Lawrence Langner
245 West 52nd Street
New York City

Dear Terry and Lawrence:

This is in reply to your extraordinary letter of June 19th, delivered to me yesterday. The motivation behind it is not obscure to me, and it is consistent with your behavior during the past few months.

As you well know, in spite of the disingenuous assumptions of your letter, I have not been exploiting "Oklahoma!" but have been discussing for the press my own professional activities, which are what I have to offer, and the means of my livelihood.

"Oklahoma!" happens to be only one of the many notable and successful productions which I have directed on the stage and on the screen; as the direction of the entire production of "Oklahoma!" is my most recent work, it is perfectly obvious and natural that in any discussion of my professional activities with the press, "Oklahoma!" has its proper place.

As Mr. Langner was himself careful to point out to me when it seemed in your interest to do so, the fact is that newspapers are not under the control of those they interview and write about. The form, phraseology and content of their articles and their selection or omission of material are under their own control. But except under an unfriendly and carping misinterpretation of what has appeared in connection with me, nothing that has appeared is exceptionable in any way. In addition, as to the Daily Mirror article to which you allude at such length, I had no prior knowledge of it whatsoever until I saw it in print.

I consider the whole tone of your letter, and the phrases attributing to me untruthful statements and unethical practices offensive and insulting. The privilege of issuing untrue statements I leave to you. It is evident that you yourselves realize that your accusations are baseless and false, as in the same letter you say "it is our belief that you do not wish to interfere with our exploitation of our property, or to claim credit for yourself which belongs to other parties." Thus you have honestly answered yourselves.

Your letter has in fact attributed to me the very wrongs and course of conduct of which you have yourselves been concertedly guilty. I have protested repeatedly in the past and I protest again against the manner in which the stories and interviews on "Oklahoma!" arranged by the Theatre Guild's Press Department minimize my contribution to the production of "Oklahoma!", suppressing and distorting facts in that regard, even so far as to make it appear that persons other than the director were responsible for the work which was mine. In spite of your promises and assurances, nothing was done to correct this.

Moreover, it has come to my attention from a number of sources
that you have been making false, defamatory and derogatory statements
about me generally, and in connection with my work on "Oklahoma!" Not
only is this a wrong against me personally but my livelihood depends on
my reputation as a director. I can be damaged in that and in other res-
pects by false statements about me and I will not countenance it.

This letter also covers my answer to Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Hammerstein
and I am sending copies of it to both of them.

Copy

710 North Palm Drive
Beverly Hills, California

September 15, 1943.

Miss Theresa Helburn
and Mr. Lawrence Langner

Dear Terry and Lawrence,

I understand that you are planning to send out
a second company ("National Company" - a very good name, I think)
of "Oklahoma!" on tour early this fall.

While I feel sure you will see to it that I
get proper credit in all programs, advertising, publicity, etc.,
I want to especially remind you of it, to avoid any errors,
oversight or injustices in the future, and thereby avoid any
kind of friction which I know neither you nor I enjoy.

Dear Lawrence, Arthur Lyons told me that during
his telephonic conversation with you you gave him a message
for me - asking me not to knock you and to remember our
friendship of so many years standing.

Believe me, Lawrence, I am not knocking you
and am always referring to you as my friend. Your mystify-
ingly erratic and unfair attitude in New York I have forgotten.
As to our long friendship - I am, I assure you, most conscious
of it, and I hope and believe that in the future it will prove
itself much more solid than it has in the recent past.

I hope that both you and Terry are well and are
lining up an interesting season. I am sending you my sincere
good wishes and greetings. Please give my love to Armina and
kindest regards to Oliver.

As ever,

Rouben