Comments for 41 Love Letters

Comment on Letter 16 by The Curator

The Curator — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:55:01 +0000

Verify that “usually reserved my most persons” isn’t a typo (”my” should be “by”?)

Comment on Letter 25 by C.

C. — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 05:45:20 +0000

Have a look at this envelope when you get the stack back — it’s cancelled on the back at 10:30, and on the front, over the stamps, at 11pm… not clear whether it’s more important to indicate when the stamps were cancelled or when Harold visited the PO. If the latter, then the time should be set back to 10:30.

Comment on Letter 13 by The Curator

The Curator — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:16:28 +0000

I’ll need to research a bit more, but it appears that “The Lonesome Road” was written specifically for a 1928 (1929?) film version of Show Boat. Music and lyrics by Nathaniel Shilkret and Gene Austin. So, that’d explain why it was absent from the stage production.

Comment on Letter 13 by C

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:55:21 +0000

http://www.jazz-on-line.com/ has several versions of “The Lonesome Road” as well. Though he doesn’t cite lyrics, that Harold says it’s his favorite song (from Showboat? or all-time?) makes it worth including, I should think.

Comment on Letter 38 by C

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:21:01 +0000

Nice poster in the Library of Congress collection here.

More charitably than Harold, they opine that:

Even though the script was ruthlessly edited by the censorship board, West managed to maintain her signature innuendo.

Similarly, in the Sept. 22, 1934 New York Times, reviewer Andre Sennwald writes:

Although Mae West has graciously permitted the New York censors to make an honest woman of her in her new picture, she has not adopted the emblematic blue-nose [...] it immediately takes its place among the best screen comedies of the year.

Comment on Letter 12 by C

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:17:55 +0000

Gosh. A copy of the 1934 Spring/Summer Montgomery Wards catalog goes for $95 here. There don’t seem to be any on eBay at the moment.

Comment on Letter 12 by C

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:24:05 +0000

Ms. Case’s new car is a Cadillac. Only 1000 convertible coupes were produced that year. Photos, illustrations and specs

Comment on Letter 13 by C

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:15:17 +0000

Oh, and the Muny did Show Boat in 1934, so that’s quite likely where he saw it. Can’t find a playbill for it, though :(

Comment on Letter 13 by C

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:08:39 +0000

You probably have a copy of “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” (well, I know you have BjÃ¶rk doing it). Check the Cat for Bud Freeman’s 1928 version.

Comment on Letter 16 by c

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 21:48:56 +0000

The “excellent music” Harold heard this afternoon may have been on the radio, instead of live.

“At the 1934 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (under the name Ford Symphony) performed two concerts a day for ninety-four days in front of a total audience of over one million visitors. Following this historic event, the Orchestra became the nation’s first official radio broadcast orchestra and was heard by millions of Americans on the Ford Symphony Hour national radio show until 1942.” [source]

The 1934 dates for the Century of Progress Exposition (the World’s Fair) were May 26 through October 31, 1934, so it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Harold was listening to an orchestral broadcast from the fair. Can’t find any solid evidence, though :(