Beschreibung:

HOUSMAN, LAURENCE. Two hundred fifty-one autograph letters signed, seventy-four typed letters signed, one hundred autograph postcards signed, and two typed postcards signed, to various persons at the Society of Authors and the League of British Dramatists, mostly written from Street in Somerset, May 1922 - November 1955. Together approximately 427 letters and cards, about 547 pages, oblong 12mo-4to , mostly signed in full (some with just initials). With: (1) Typescript of Housman's article "My Fifty Years' Fight with the Censor," 8 page, 4to , with extensive holograph revisions; (2) An autograph manuscript list of his plays, one page, 4to ; (3) An autograph manuscript list of his plays with their licensing history and fees, 7 pages, 4to ; (4) Five telegrams; (5) About eight letters from his secretary, together with some related correspondence from others with holograph notes by Housman. "I AM NOT MY BROTHER'S LITERARY EXECUTOR" A very extensive correspondence, spanning more than thirty years of Laurence Housman's professional life as a prolific and popular playwright, and detailing his literary business affairs and his careful monitoring of the perfomrances of his plays. In these letters Housman writes to grant or deny permission for numerous productions (professional and amateur) of Victoria Regina, Prunella, Bethleham, The Chinese Lantern, The Little Plays of St. Francis , and many others; he discusses terms and other financial matters, copyrights, translations, international rights, piracies, unauthorized productions, aspects of various performances, and B.B.C. broadcasts of his works, etc. In a number of letters he speaks of his musical collaborator Joseph Moorat and, on occasion, of Harley Granville-Barker, his collaborator on Prunella . Some of the letters concern his brother A.E. Housman (Laurence edited More Poems , 1936). 14 December 1925 (regarding a production of The Little Plays of St. Francis ): "I think I had better leave you to deal with this: my bowels of compassion are too soft. Something in the line of 10 would give me about 2 guineas a performance, which I think is about right. If that is not too much for them to rise to arrange it so. If they squeal 'Impossible!' let me know...If they copy the music they should surrender the copies afterwards..." 3 February 1933: "I am afraid the variations of my agreements over plays, music, etc., give you a lot of trouble...The position [regarding The Chinese Lantern ] is different from Prunella , in that we have a legal contract with [Joseph] Moorat over the Prunella music, making it obligatory on all producers...Moorat's music to The Chinese Lantern is difficult, over-ambitious, & there is far too much of it. I claimed therefore the right to cut as much as I or the producer liked: & to that he did not agree..." [1935], regarding a play about Oliver Cromwell and the "Jew problem" sent to him by H.F. Rubinstein: "I am no Anti-Semite; but I can't help feeling that, in the modern world, racial insitence is a mistake. I am internationalist and would like all races to mix. But the genius of the Hebrew race seems to be against it. I wonder why? I can't imagine that the reason is any longer theological..." 3 March 1936: "...Thanks for your words about Victoria Regina . The success [in America] is big enough to turn two heads, let alone one! There is no prospect, I fear, of getting the ban here removed until Princess Beatrice has gone to glory. The other two children of Queen Victoria wouldn't mind, I am told, but she would. Probably the first step will be to License those plays which don't deal with the Prince Consort's parentage -- that being now the main objection." 3 May 1939: "I am not sure that it is fair to ask me to review The Poet's Defence , as I gather that Dr. Brownowski does not regard my brother [A.E. Housman] as a true poet. So his book is likely to be red rag to a bull as far as I am concerned. But if you accept that drawback I am willing..." 1 January 1942