Time to think

Saturday, December 14th., Yacht Club, London.

 

Interview with Lillah McCarthy and Drinkwater at Adelphi Terrace at 12.45. I promised to write "Judith" by the end of January, and they promised to produce "Don Juan" also. In the afternoon Captain Basil Dean came to see me about his London theatrical scheme. He said he could get and control £20,000. I definitely promised to write a play for him too. This, with Goodall's, Vedrenne's, and Lillah's, makes four plays!

We dined at the Galsworthy's, Grove Lodge, Hampstead, and the Masefield's were there. Mrs. M. and I got on excellently. Masefield gloomyish and very precise in diction. Fine voice. Diction of a public speaker. Galsworthy very nice. Ada Galsworthy adorable. 

 

Got into conversation with an American by the name of Wright. Interesting chap. Ascetic appearance. Metal frame glasses. I think he is a professor, but that doesn't mean the same in the U.S. as it does here. Told me he was a convert to buddhism, not as a religion but as a way of life. Asked me if I had tried meditation? I said I had no time to meditate. He said: "You don't have time not to meditate". That made me think. He said he had read some of my self-help books and found them valuable but the key to contentment was in control of one's mind, and that could only be achieved through meditation. Not as onerous as you might imagine apparently. I have been thinking about this since and I suppose I have a sort of meditation when I am walking at times: stepping out, breathing deeply, focussing on the moment, dismissing intrusive thoughts. Wish I had shared that with him.. There may be something in it.

Ready for anything

Monday, February 17th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

I am chiefly occupied with the stage. I give a considerable amount of time to the Lyric, Hammersmith, where money has been lost in my absence owing to the lavish expenditure. And I am also being drawn into the production part of "Judith". I say drawn in, but in fact I am happy to be involved though I feign reticence. For a start Lillah Mc Carthy is taking the title role and I very much look forward to close observation of her in a state of undress (as much as we can get away with - she seems keen) in the climactic scene. Lillah is much taken with the play and on Tuesday last we had a three hour meeting with Eaton and Drinkwater about the rest of the cast. I think Marguerite may be a little jealous of Lillah, which isn't a bad thing.


I finished Professor Arthur Keith's "The Human Body" (Home University Library). A thoroughly sound little book, rottenly written, even to bad syntax. It is strange that these experts, such as Keith and Sidney Webb, do not take the trouble to be efficient in their first business, the vehicle of expression. I was amazed, but shouldn't have been, as to how ignorant I am about the workings of the body. We simply take it for granted, until it goes wrong, and then all we want to do is to get right again. At the moment I feel well-informed but I know that the knowledge will soon fade and become faulty.

This morning though I was feeling very well indeed. We have had quite a storm over the weekend - heavy rain and high winds. Significant flooding in some places. So, out walking I stuck to the roads and made paths and breathed deeply, and cleared my head of the various problems and aggravations, professional and domestic, of life. It was good. I strode out and covered the best part of six miles in two hours. Tired and hungry when I got back, and slept well after lunch. Ready for anything (almost) now. 

Missed opportunity

Sunday, December 15th., Yacht Club, London.

I began the scheming of my play "Judith" yesterday. Made good progress. I have promised to complete it by the end of January. I have told Lillah that she can expect to reveal almost all in the climactic scene; she appears sanguine.

I went and had tea with Weir, President of the Air Board, at his request. he wanted me to put a speech in order for him which he is going to deliver in Manchester on Friday, and in which he will define the proper British air policy for the future. He told me some interesting things. He said that the great difficulty in long distance flying now was not mechanical but navigational. As an example, a big machine had started for India from London on Friday and, coming into a storm, had come down in France. He said that the commander, a General, was a first class pilot etc., but if he had been a really first class expert in navigation, such as they do possess, he would never have come down.

Weir said that he had been up in a 'flying boat' weighing seventeen and a half tons carrying nine passengers and a ton of goods, that travelled at 118 miles per hour and carried enough petrol for 1,000 miles. He said that the projected flight to the United States would occur between March 15th and April 15th. On politics he was extremely grave and bitter.

I kicked myself after I came away because I could easily have asked if he would arrange for me to have a flight. It was in my mind all through the interview but I couldn't quite commit myself. Scared! I wonder if I will ever take a flight? The rate of change of machines is simply amazing. Where will it all end?

Revelation?

Tuesday, December 10th., Yacht Club, London.

Weekend at Dr. F. Keeble's at Weybridge. He is an academic, to do with the plant world. Rather distinguished. Lillah McCarthy also there. Marguerite thinks that there is something going on between those two. Says she has intercepted 'significant' looks. Well, they do say that opposites attract.

In spite of my neuralgia we had a great weekend, full of good, and not too serious, conversation. I promised to write Lillah a play on the subject of the biblical Judith if a firm contract was made at once. I rather think she fancies herself in the title role, wrapped in various diaphanous draperies and enticing Holofernes to his destruction. In fact I constructed the play on the spot, after having read 'Judith' myself and having heard it read by Keeble. We had some difficulty in finding an 'Apocrypha'.

I hope she is serious, though whether there is an audience for that sort of play I don't know. A lot may depend on how far Lillah is prepared to go in revealing her undoubted charms!

Bad press

Sunday, May 4th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

Lillah McCarthy as Judith

I never before took so much interest in the production of a play of mine. "Judith" was produced at the Kingsway Theatre, London, last Wednesday, April 30th. It certainly bewildered people. Numerous comic touches were quite lost in the first act. In the second act Lillah McCarthy had put down her dress as low as it was at the first night at Eastbourne (after raising it for later performances at Eastbourne, and for dress rehearsals in London. Above a line drawn about an inch above the 'mont de Venus' she wore nothing except a four inch band of black velvet round the body hiding the breasts, and a similar perpendicular band of velvet strating from between the breats and going down to the skirt and so hiding the navel. Two thin shoulder straps held this contrivance in position. Bracelets and rings of course. the skirt was slit everywhere and showed her legs up to the top of the thigh when she lay down at Holofernes's feet. She looked a magnificent picture thus.

The end of act two might have been spoilt by an untimely descent of the curtain 10 seconds too soon. The performance as a whole was excellent. The disinterested applause was fair. The interested friendly applause was too insistent. House held over £150, the highest first night Kingsway ever had I think. The ordinary first night public was deroute. Common people seemed thoroughly interested and well pleased. The press criticisms next day were without exception unfavourable. The Sunday criticisms I have seen today were not bad though there was much exception taken to Lillah's nudity. In general the Press quite failed to comprehend the play, and said the most ridiculous things about it, showing immense stupidity.

Bits of news

Sunday, March 27th., Berkeley Street, London.

The 285th and last performance of "The Title" occured on Saturday at the Royalty. A good house. The provincial tour which began some weeks ago was a failure for the first fortnight. I am not optimistic that things will improve.

Sir Henry Norman

While I was being shaved at the Reform on Tuesday Henry Norman came in and waited. He read me a letter from his wife who is inspecting the Fronts to make a record for the Imperial War Museum. He told me other things not in the letter. As that English women are still looking after French 'permissionaires' at the railway stations and that French women do nothing in this line and even try to prevent these women from getting lodgings in the towns. I regard the Englishwomen as silly for doing it, and can understand the French resentment. It seems to me that they are ineffectual 'do-gooders' motivated by some perverted sense of caring; in fact it is all self-interest. I continue to maintain that there is no true altruism in the world.

Lillah McCarthy

It seems that the French soldier is very rough when drunk or half drunk. That does not come as a surprise to me. I would have thought it was characteristic of soldiers everywhere! One woman apparently had coffee thrown in her face three times. Another was stabbed and killed. The English psychology is very queer in these things.

Rehearsals of "Judith" going along fairly well. Lillah McCarthy and Frederick Keeble are to be married. This news was something of a surprise to me. Keeble must be 50. Fortunately Lillah is a consummate professional so the play will not be affected. In spite of distractions I have written one complete 'woman' article at home each weekend for 3 weeks.

A great moment

March 8th., 1919, Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken

Musing today about the course of life and its unpredictable nature. For example I am being drawn into the impending production of "Judith", the play I wrote for Lillah Mc Carthy (see "Indecent Exposure" at http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.com/2013/04/indecent-exposure.html). I had thought my role was complete when I wrote the final word but seemingly not so! I was led on to think about other unanticipated events in my life and then to wonder what has been life's greatest moment so far. You might guess that it was the publication of my first novel, or my marriage, or my triumph in America, but not so.

In 1916 I was asked to join the Ministry of Information to take charge of the French section - I could do no less than accept in all the circumstances. Imagine my surprise though, in fact the the most terrible fright of my life, when I was later told:  "The Minister is very ill and will resign. No new Minister is to be appointed at present, but you will be put in charge of the Ministry, with supreme responsibility." The greatest moment of all, the moment when I knew that my life had touched its climax, was signalled at 10.45 a.m. on November 11th.,1918 when I got my first news of the Armistice from a newsboy in Regent Street. Everybody knew at 11 o'clock. I returned to my Ministry, the staff of which was highly excited and even hysterical, particularly the women. I affected nonchalance, and urged the women to remain calm. But perhaps this moment was the supremely great one for me, after all. I was free!

Impressions

Wednesday, May 5th., George Street, London.

I went for weekend to Beaverbrook's on Saturday and returned on Monday. Max has now two crazes - playing tennis all day - and sleeping at night in the garden. He gave me the full history of his relations with his father, as material for my next 'big' novel. (But I am afraid that I shall have to write a little one first) he also promise to tell me stories of 'deals' as material for short stories. Especially Strathcona's life in England.
For more on Beaverbrook see 'A visit to Berlin' and 'Leading the high life'

He had a series of Mutt and Jeff cartoons in which Ll. George and Bonar Law were Mutt and Jeff, and Ll. George was always playing tricks on B. Law. Ll. George expressed curiosity earnestly to see these things, and so Max asked him and Mrs. Ll. George to come to Cherkley to see them on his private screen. It was an ordeal. practically the whole Bonar Law family came down in batches while I was there. All perfectly delightful - papa, two girls and two boys.

Monday night: "Mary Rose", Barrie's new play at the Haymarket. Tedious. The papers for the most part hailed this work as a great masterpiece.

Mary Rose is a play by J.M. Barrie, who is best known for Peter Pan. It first played in London in April 1920. It tells the fictional story of a girl who vanishes twice. As a child, Mary Rose's father takes her to a remote Scottish island. While she is briefly out of her father's sight, Mary Rose vanishes. The entire island is searched exhaustively. Twenty-one days later, Mary Rose reappears as mysteriously as she disappeared ... but she shows no effects of having been gone for three weeks, and she has no knowledge of any gap or missing time. Years later, as a young wife and mother, the adult Mary Rose persuades her husband to take her to the same island. Again she vanishes: this time for a period of decades. When she is found again, she is not a single day older and has no awareness of the passage of time. In the interim, her son has grown to adulthood and is now physically older than his mother. Barrie, who normally wrote with his right hand, wrote Mary Rose with his left hand due to a "writer's cramp".

Last night "The Skin Game", Galsworthy's new play at the St. Martin's. This play may be a melodrama, but it is a very good one indeed and it holds you absolutely. It is very well acted. It is a tale, an incident, whose effect depends on coincidence, and it has no general significance. The writing and the observation are excellent.

The Skin Game is a play by John Galsworthy. It was first performed at the St Martins Theatre, London in 1920. It was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1920-1921. The plot tells the story of the interaction between two very different families in rural England just after the end of the First World War. One, the Hillcrists is “old money”, although their finances are at a bit of low ebb. The other family is the “nouveau riche” Hornblowers, headed by the single-minded and rich industrialist Hornblower who plans to surround the Hillcrist’s rural estate with factories.

Lillah McCarthy

After this show we went to Lillah and Fred Keeble's reception after their marriage. Lillah most beautiful. Lady Wyndham was there; aged. I thought: "Lillah will be like that one day." But perhaps she never will be like that. And how do I appear to others? Do I look my age, or older, or younger? The mirror fails to enlighten me on this important subject. 
For more on Lillah McCarthy see 'Indecent exposure?'

The usual crowd.

Additionally for May 5th., see 'The noble savage'

I have been reading some Rider Haggard. Though a popular and sensational writer there are good thing in his work. He can certainly tell a tale. "King Solomon's Mines", for example, carries the reader inexorably forward and is hard to put down. He is at his best when writing of the Zulus. Though he retains some of the prejudice towards 'natives' which characterise the white man, he is clearly an admirer of the Zulus. There is real poetry in some of his descriptive passages and my sense is that this derives from his knowledge of Zulu language and culture. Women are incidental to the story. Even "Nada the Lily" for example is about the hero Umslopogaas, not about Nada, and he is prone to idealise white women. Overall not to be sniffed at;  a useful relief from 'literature'!

Getting about

Saturday, March 15th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

I was at Burslem yesterday to inter my mother's ashes in the cemetery, in the same grave as her parents. Rather foggy early in the day, but it fortunately cleared mid-morning and the cemetery was washed in pleasant spring sunshine for the short informal ceremony. I had a few words to say to those attending and found the whole event surprisingly emotional. But certainly worth doing, and afterwards we all adjourned to the George for a light lunch where we were able to reminisce and review a selection of old family photographs. All went smoothly.

I went to London on Tuesday after a solitary weekend here in which I earned £300 in two days, by hard work.

Tuesday night Marguerite and I attended the first rehearsal of "Judith". It was in Eaton's room at the Royalty. The Royalty was in process of reparation, and there was an almost continuous slapping noise of whitewashers in the room above.

Later rehearsals were held in the Ampthill Room at the Connaught Rooms. Happily, the leading lady, Lillah, is easy to deal with. Eaton knows immensely more about producing than I do, but I was able to convince him that his plans for the murder in the second act were all wrong and that my original plans were all right. I also changed Lillah's conception of her acting of it. In fact the murder scene will be the author's own.
For more on "Judith" see 'Indecent exposure?'

Additionally for March 15th., see 'A curious mixture'

H. L. Rothband, the Manchester manufacturer, lunched with me yesterday at the Reform, about his scheme for employment of disabled soldiers. Curious mixture of ingenuousness and acuteness.

A writers' dinner

Saturday, December 14th., Yacht Club, London.

Interview with Lillah McCarthy and Drinkwater at Adelphi Terrace at 12.45. I promised to write "Judith" by the end of January, and they promised to produce "Don Juan" also. In the afternoon Captain Basil Dean came to see me about his London theatrical scheme. He said he could get and control £20,000. I definitely promised to write a play for him, too. This with Goodall's, Vedrenne's and Lillah's makes 4 plays!
Also see 'Indecent exposure', April 11th. -
http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/indecent-exposure.html

Ada Galsworthy

We dined at the Galsworthy's, Grove Lodge, Hampstead, and the Masefields were there. Mrs. M. and I got on excellently. Masefield gloomyish, and very precise in diction. Fine voice. diction of a public speaker. Galsworthy very nice. Ada Galsworthy adorable. Speaking of Masefield, there was a time when people desirous of being in the movement could not neglect their contemporary poetry. That time has passed. Then, conscientious persons, after accepting an invitation to dinner, if they had not read the latest poetry, would run out and buy it. Masefield's first long narrative poems made people ignore the fish at dinner. Not now. The reason in my opinion is that modern poetry has been revolutionary. The old material was scrapped and the old forms stretched until they snapped like elastic bands. The British public is not partial to revolutions. It believes that your revolutionary, be he a poet or a socialist, is most effectively dealt with by leaving him alone.

John Galsworthy OM (1867 – 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include The Forsyte Saga (1906–1921) and its sequels, A Modern Comedy and End of the Chapter. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932.

John Edward Masefield, (1878 - 1967), was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967. He is remembered as the author of the classic children's novels The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights, and poems, including "The Everlasting Mercy" and "Sea-Fever".

Additionally for December 14th., see 'A little decadence' -

http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-little-decadence.html

Davaray told me that to have de Regnier dangling his legs from a corner of a table and talking obscenities in his calm exquisitely polished way, was a delightful experience.

Indecent exposure?

Friday, April 11th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

Richard, Marguerite and I went to Eastbourne last Saturday for the first production of "Judith" (Devonshire Park Theatre).

The genesis of this play was in December last when we had a weekend at Dr. Keeble's at Weybridge. Lillah McCarthy was there. In spite of my neuralgia we had a great weekend, full of good and not too serious conversation. I promised to write Lillah a play on the subject of Judith, if a firm contract was made at once. In fact I constructed the play on the spot, after having read 'Judith' myself and having heard it read by Keeble. I finished the play on January 28th. having written it in twenty-three days. I delivered the play in early February and when I met Lillah McCarthy a few days later she nearly fell on her neck in the street from enthusiasm about it. Eaton also wrote that he was "violently enthusiastic" about it. See also 'Busy in Brighton' - Feb. 17th. <http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/thursday-february-17th.html>


Lillah Mc Carthy behaved very well at Eastbourne, considering her double anxiety of manager and star, - both as it were making a fresh start in life. Lillah had there Dr. Keeble (her fiance), her mother, her sister, and a niece and nephew offspring of another sister (or brother). All these were all over the theatre all the time. She protested that all the creative producing work had been done by me, M. and her. I had to put this right. Ernest Thesiger, the Bagoas, grew sterner as the hour of performance came nearer. I don't think he smiled on Monday at all. He is really an artist. He gave a magnificent performance.

Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger, CBE (1879 - 1961) was an English stage and film actor best known for his performance as Dr. Septimus Pretorius in James Whale's film Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

Esme Hubbard (Haggith) remained light and merry throughout, and gave a magnificent performance. Fredk. Volpe (Ingur) behaved rather like Thesiger and was very fine. Scenery & costumes were by Ricketts. Music by Bantock. Both good. Dance arranged by the ballet master of Russian ballet.

Evidently Lillah is used to authors who will stand no damned nonsense. She got rather excited after both 2nd. and 1st, performances because Bagoas's rushing forth and killing a spy woman detracted from her killing Holofernes, and she had to be soothed.

Lillah McCarthy as Judith

But the charm of the play is the nudity of Lillah McCarthy when she assassinated Holofernes (after kissing him) in the tent. Upwards, from a line drawn round the body one inch above the clitoris the lady is absolutely nude except for a black velvet band (4 inches wide) round the body hiding the breasts, & a ditto going down perpendicularly from between the breasts to the skirt & so hiding the navel. Two thin shoulder straps held this contrivance in position. Bracelets and rings of course. The skirt was slit everywhere and showed the legs up to the top of the thigh when she lay down there at Holofernes's feet. She looked a magnificent picture thus. The manager of the theatre had some fear of prosecution. I asked him if he had seen Chu Chin Chow. However, I think Lillah beats anything in Chu Chin Chow. Marguerite wanted the skirt a little higher - not for decency, but for beauty. But Ricketts did not agree with her. Lillah gave an exceedingly fine performance - as good as could be wished for.

The house was very full for the first night. (Capacity about 115-120). I refused the persistent calls for author, and sat with Lillah's maid in Lillah's dressing room until the calls had finished. Terribly silly mishaps occurred with the sack containing Holofernes's head in the 3rd. act, despite the most precise instructions to the crowd. Further instructions to the crowd, and similar mishaps on the 2nd night.
I took supper three nights running and survived it.

More on "Judith" at:
http://greatwarfiction.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/arnold-bennetts-judith/
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12794/12794-h/12794-h.htm

Busy in Brighton

Thursday, February 17th., Royal York Hotel, Brighton.

Yesterday appeared the first of my series of articles in the Chronicle. In discussing the opinion of the young man of 1960 about "Chantecler" I said "the young man of 1960, whose mother's parents probably met the night before last and were rather taken with each other"! The editor cut this phrase out.

'Chantecler' is a verse play in four acts, written by Edmond Rostand. It is notable in that all the characters are farmyard animals including the main protagonist, a chanticleer, or rooster. The play centres on the theme of idealism and spiritual sincerity, as contrasted with cynicism and artificiality. Much of the play satirizes modernist artistic doctrines from Rostand's romanticist perspective. He was inspired to write the play after spending time in the farm country around his home in the south of France, where he had moved for health reasons after the phenomenal success of Cyrano de Bergerac. Although he began writing the play in 1902, its completion was repeatedly delayed due to Rostand's perfectionism and illnesses. The play finally premiered on 7 February 1910 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in Paris.

I began to write the second part of "Clayhanger" on Tuesday. I did 2,000 words, and a New Age article, and a lot of letters at night, and a description of "Clayhanger" for the publisher's catalogue. I was very exhausted.
£12 odd is my share of result of nine performances of "What the Public Wants" at Glasgow recently.
I wrote to Trench on Tuesday telling him definitely I wouldn't alter the last act of "The Honeymoon".

Two thousand words of "Clayhanger" today, and an evening of heavy correspondence. And I walked twice to Hove, and once to Black Rock, and once to the end of the pier.




We had tea with Mrs. Granville Barker (Lillah McCarthy) who asked me to write a monologue for her. I said I thought I would.

Lillah McCarthy (1875 – 1960) was an English actress and theatrical manager. She was born in Cheltenham and made her first appearance on the stage in 1895. She joined Wilson Barrett at the Lyric, London, in 1896-97, and after touring in Australia she became leading lady with him in 1900. She married Harley Granville-Barker in 1906, assumed the management of the Little Theatre, London, in 1911, and was associated with her husband in the management of the Savoy. In 1915 she played with her husband's company at Wallack's Theatre in New York City. 

Marguerite finished copying her first short story "Les Chouettes" today. And I read it. I was quietly astonished by the excellence of its construction, its little fine apercus, and its general stylishness and genuine interestingness.
I got half-way through Trevena's "Granite" and then chucked it. Fine things in it but diffuse. Too damned moral. Not widely enough occupied with emotion in general, nor with beauty. Admirable style. The work of a man who doesn't know enough. Enfin, narrow.

Ernest George Henham was a Canadian-British author who wrote novels at the beginning of the 20th Century about Dartmoor and Devon, England. Henham was born in 1870 and his writings include a series of novels based on Dartmoor, the moorland in Devon, England, where he lived much of his life. He created a pseudonym, John Trevena, for many of his books. Henham wrote more than two dozen books, which were published between 1897 and 1927. He was considered a recluse, but often used people he encountered in real life for the characters in his work. 

<http://openlibrary.org/books/OL24175588M/Granite>