Ivor Novello, Letters to and from Macqueen-Pope,

1/1-2) Undated publicity statement sent to W. J. Macqueen-Pope by Ivor Novello [signed] on letterheads of the Royal Albion Hotel, Brighton. The document reads: '"Glamourous [sic] Night" was the first of the series of my musical Plays at Drury Lane followed by "Careless Rapture" "Crest of the Wave", "The Dancing Years" and is in many ways my favourite of them all - partly because it brought me back to music on the big scale & partly because it brought prosperity back to Drury Lane after some considerable time and I am more than happy that it is being restored to the stage at this present moment - In my opinion it contains all the colour & excitement we badly need in the Theatre in these unsettled times, it takes one "out of one self [sic]", a pleasant and rare experience. I shall be more than anxious to have the opinion of the present day public of this full-scale operetta-Drama - Ivor Novello'.
A covering signed autograph letter from Ivor Novello to W. J. Macqueen-Pope, [undated] on Royal Albion Hotel letterhead. Reads: 'Dear Popie - Will this do? How I wish I could sit in on the Production - I know so little about it all - who's designing it & who's doing the costumes and the cast? I know nothing! How I love your books. Best love, Ivor'.
1/3) Signed typescript letter from Ivor Novello to W. J. Macqueen-Pope ('My Dear Popie'), 11 October 1948. Congratulations to you and yours over the success of “Glamourous Night”. ‘Visited eight towns with “Perchance to Dream”, and have broken the record for each Theatre since it was built’.
1/4) Signed typescript letter from Ivor Novello to W. J. Macqueen-Pope ('My Dear Popie'), 28 April 1949, thanking him 'for another enchanting addition to my shelf of "Popeyiana". You really have got the most extraordinary quality of capturing nostalgia and putting it into printed word! I think I should have liked to have died at the age of 60 in 1914, but I didn't, I lived to give a lot of trouble to myself and everyone else.' He ends with a reference to 'King's Rhapsody', and in a postscript refers to Macqueen-Pope 'knuckle-rapping' of Beverley Baxter: 'I expect he will give the play a stinker. He always does!'
1/5-6) Signed typescript letter from Ivor Novello to W. J. Macqueen-Pope, 8 August 1950; on his letterhead. Writing while Macqueen-Pope is on holiday, Novello asks him to correct the 'impression that I have left the cast of "King's Rhapsody", which as you know is not true, and I am re-joining the cast on Friday the 15th September (which is also our Anniversary performance) - so I thought you might be able to make a double splash!!!' He continues with reference to 'the Michael Redgrave engagement', before declaring: 'I am getting along fine and very impatient to be out. Am going for a drive tomorrow afternoon to sit in Roma Beaumont's garden for an hour or so. Am leaving the Nursing Home on Friday or Saturday week for Brighton where I expect to be for the best part of three weeks'. A carbon copy of Macqueen-Pope's reply [1/5], 9 August 1950. In it he writes: 'I don't think anyone believes you have left the cast, although it was unfortunate that Redgrave should have said what he did say when interviewed over his unfortunate film adventure.'
1/7) Undated press release by Macqueen-Pope headed 'Ivor Novello's Return', [1950].
1/8) Unattributed press release titled 'Ivor Novello Ill', [1950?].
1/9) Double-column full-page list of 'First Night Press. Ivor Return Palace', [1951].
1/10) Signed typescript letter to Macqueen-Pope from the General Manager of the Palace Theatre, confirming that 'Mr. Novello returns to the cast of "King's Rhapsody" on Monday February 19th/51'.
1/11) Carbon letter from Macqueen-Pope to H. Briden, regarding special arrangements to be made for a member of the press.
1/12) Carbon copy of letter from Macqueen-Pope to Ivor Novello, 25 August 1949. He thanks him 'for the pleasure, glory and pride you gave us last night. The great days have come again.' He continues with a reference to 'a suggested list of pictures' and 'Angus' [Angus Macbean], who is 'reliable. I believe we could get a good fashion series out of the Mannequin dresses'.
1/13) Carbon copy of a letter from Macqueen-Pope to Ivor Novello, 7 October 1950, beginning: 'My Dear Ivor, I was truly horrified to read in yesterdays "News Chronicle" a story to the effect that Barry Sinclair was to play your part when you take a holiday and that John Palmer's heart was broken.'
1/14) Accompanying this item is a carbon of a letter from Macqueen-Pope to Tom Arnold ('T. A.'), 7 October 1950, in which he writes that he is 'very disturbed to read the enclosed in yesterdays "New Chronicle". This is a further instance of the unauthorised leakage of news of which I complained before and it comes from the same source. [...] These sort of things want proper handling and timing. It is not an easy job nowadays with small papers to get publicity at any time and if this sort of thing is to continue it will be much harder still. [...] The paragraph was the first intimation I had of Barry Sinclair's engagement. [...] extremely damaging from our point of view as such a premature disclosure of the fact that Mr Novello will be out of the cast for a period will have an adverse effect'.

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