Social activity

Wednesday, October 27th., Cadogan Square, London.

At 6 o'clock Lewis Mannering came, to ask me to open the new establishment of Foyle the bookseller. He then asked me for a play for the Q Theatre, and then we talked about religion and books. He is a great collector of folk-lore books. He got 20,000, was bored, and sold 'every leaf' and then he began again and has now reached 5 or 6,000. He is a firm rationalist. Not a bad sort.

Andre Maurois

We had Andre Maurois, Ethel Sands, Jeanne de Casalis, Ruby Lindsay, Alfie Mason and Arthur Waley to dinner, and it was a very good party. Maurois showed extraordinary charm. He spoke once more about doing a French very free adaptation of "Milestones". I encouraged him. He said that he thought "The Old Wives' Tale" was one of the finest works in English literature. I was quite pleased!

Richard is envious that I lead what appears to him to be an exciting social life. Well I do, but I didn't at his age. I have paid for my festivities during a long course of years. When I was his age I worked in an office 9.45 to 6 (stealing an hour or so in the middle of the day to go to the British Museum), and I worked, chiefly on bibliography and articles, at night. I scarcely ever went to a party, never to a retaurant (except ABCs for lunch), never to a dance. And so on, and so on. I don't think he will be convinced!

A little liverish

Wednesday, October 1st., Cadogan Square, London.

I took Sissie last night to "Fata Morgana" at Ambassadors. Jeanne de Casalis, Tom Douglas (American boy - very good), Reg. Bach and others. A fine ensemble of acting and a good production. House full. The play did not seem to be anything very important. Rather shop-girlish. Untrue. Sentimental. Still, the woman was well and harshly drawn, and there were touches throughout that were 'continental' in the sense of 'free' handling of situations. I thought, contrary to general opinion, that Acts II and III were quite as good as Act I.


We sat in the front row of the dress circle. What a dowdy - and untidy haired set of women. Very few people in dress circle in evening dress. What is the point of having a dress circle if there is no expectation or enforcement of evening dress? Provincial. A bit stupid. No style. This seems to me to be a considerable change from pre-war. I feel a little put out, but why is that? Just another symptom of advancing years. Why is it that people as they grow older want to cling on to how things 'were'? It doesn't bear scrutiny of course - simply silly to believe that there was some sort of 'golden age' when one happened to be young, and now everything is going to the dogs. Intellectually this is self-evident, but can one help one's feelings?


"The Great Adventure" played to £1,610 last week - its best week so far. Ironically it is coming off on October 18th. because the receipts fell for two weeks earlier (in the run) to less than £1,200 a week. Harrison had the right to give me notice to terminate the run. And he did so, not believing in the chances of the play. He was justified, though to my mind a little panicky. He made contracts with McKinnen and others for Galsworthy's play, "Old English", and he must keep them, or it pays him better to keep them, or he thinks it pays him better to keep them.

The Manchester Guardian have been trying again to persuade me to write for them. I pointed out, to Monkhouse, that I currently have more journalistic work than I can easily manage and am paid at a rate of 2 shillings a word, or £200 for 2,000 words. The M.G. were offering me rather less than two pence halfpenny a word - it wouldn't do and I told them so. Why, I asked, should I make this wealthy journal a present of £180 over one article? There may be a reason but I can't think of one!

I am feeling a little liverish!

Theatre talk

Saturday, April 2nd., Cadogan Square, London.

I had the idea of going up to Poland Street, and buying a ring for Dorothy. I bought three rings, two for her and one for myself, for which I paid cash. I had a chat with old Calipe. This shop does not seem to change. The two are still there with the old man, cheerful and spry and good natured.

Calipe, Dettmer & Co. were a jewellers supply store at 21 Poland Street London.

I went out to join Dorothy at Jeanne de Casalis's home. There was a man named Sir Something H. there and Malcolm Keen. He was wrong and precise about everything. Practically the whole evening was spent in discussing how to start a decent theatrical enterprise. When I looked at my watch it was 11.30. We reached home at 12.5. Jeanne has some sense. K. Has some sense. Perhaps Dorothy had more than either of them. I was sardonic and realistic.

Jeanne De Casalis (1897-1966) was born in Basutoland, South Africa as De Casalis de Pury. She was an actress and writer, known for Jamaica Inn (1939), Cottage to Let(1941) and The Five Feathers (1941). She was married to Cowan Douglas Stephenson and Colin Clive. A thin, eccentric character actress with music hall experience, she was famous for creating the character of gossipy Mrs. Feather on radio, possibly originating the comic telephone sketch in which the audience is privy to only one side of the conversation.

Additionally for April 2nd., see 'Into Italy'

We found the Rhone Valley less tedious than we had expected, and the Simplon shorter, and the Customs quite harmless. It was very hot as soon as we got fairly into Italy, really hot. The views of the Italian lakes came up to our hopes. The Hotel Bellini is a good Hotel de Passage, dominated by Germans, not agreeable fellow-travellers and it's no use pretending they are. There was also a school of jeune filles in the hotel, chiefly Germans seeing cities during the Easter holidays. Their laughter heard occasionally from the interior of bedrooms was very agreeable. The hotel was full, and remained full.