Theatrical business

Tuesday, March 11th., Cadogan Square, London.

I lunched with Donald Calthrop yesterday. I knew the Kingsway "Kate" was a failure. He showed me the figures. He had been away for the weekend, not with his wife. He has a reputation as a ladies man and is clearly not averse to using his 'influence' (or at least the promise of it) on behalf of aspiring actresses who are willing to accommodate him. I was given to understand that the young person from this last weekend has been promised she will be considered for a part in a revue. Evidently she was very keen to carry out her side of the bargain. Do I despise this sort of behaviour? Probably not. They are all adults after all. In fact, if I am honest with myself, I am rather envious.

Anyway, motoring up yesterday morning he had had an idea for a revue. He had seen that it would be better for his backer to close the theatre at once and spend what he would have otherwise lost in producing a cheap revue (no scenery). His notion was to produce this revue in less than three weeks. True, it is not yet written. He asked me if I would edit it. So I said I would, but on the understanding that he took a month to do it in. We went through all the items he might get at once, and all the authors he might approach at once. 

The revue was to be called "Pass the Port Please" and the nature of it was that some people are dining together and instead of going out they amuse themselves, and then call up the servants to help in amusing themselves. The servants are to be headaed by Sidney Fairbrother, whom the backer has engaged for another three months yet at £50 a week. I said the backer hadn't yet agreed. In fact he knew nothing about it. Well, Calthrop said he would see the backer that afternoon and phone me at 7 p.m.. I stayed two hours nearly with him. He phoned me at 7.25 saying that the backer was very interested, and could he see me today. He is to lunch with me today, and that is how theatrical business is done.

I wonder if my 'affair' with Dorothy Cheston falls into the same category as Calthrop's 'adventures'? I don't think so because I didn't solicit her attention. Nor have I intimated that I can further her acting career in any way. But, she is obviously aware that I have many friends and contacts in the right places, and would be less than human (certainly less than female) if she had no eye for the main chance. She is certainly costing me more than Calthrop's weekends cost him. Perhaps I am on the wrong track.