How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Martini
Mad About The Boy
Posted 6th November 2008 at 05:14 PM by Irene Wilde
This morning, while getting ready for work, I was watching/recording, “The Astonished Heart,” a rarely seen film featuring the rarely seen on film Noel Coward. I don’t usually watch films before heading to the office in the morning and, as I say, I was recording this for later viewing, but…well, it was Noel Coward Dammit, so I put on my face, as we ladies say, at the living room mirror listening to that remarkable voice and catching glimpses of that slicked-backed hair, those arching eyebrows, and all the mannerisms that are Noel. At one point he ordered a dry martini, and at another he slipped into a dressing gown. I could have swooned, if I was the type, but thankfully, I’m not.
So what’s my watching a film while putting on make-up have to do with books and booze? Not a thing. But it explains what put me in mind to talk about “The Letters of Noel Coward” – an absolutely delicious volume that I read about a year ago. The letters are positively priceless, and I savored every page of this book. I’ve since read Vol. 1 of Noel’s Autobiography, “Present Indicative,” but it was disappointingly straight forward after having delighted at this man’s wit and charm, which so easily comes across in his correspondence. Perhaps Noel felt a need to sound “straight” on paper back when he penned “Present Indicative,” while the companions and colleagues he wrote to were fully aware that Noel was gay so he could present himself on paper with incredible humanity.
The letters cover almost all of Noel’s life, from being a homesick child actor to his later years when he finally stepped out of the spotlight, in a general chronological order, with enough narrative in between to give the letters context without being too much a biography. Many letters are to his mother, Violet, others are to his “family” of staff that he gathered in the 20s and 30s and who stayed with him during his entire career. In addition to letters Noel wrote, the editors included, when practicable, the letters Noel was replying to or replies to his letters. This is most especially appreciable when the other correspondent is renown New York literary critic Alexander Woollcott. The two men were clearly fond of each other and equally fond of words. Reading the back and forth between two people who enjoy writing and have such a gift for it is just a treat.
Another fascinating aspect of the letters is the insight behind many of Noel’s plays. His views and opinions of actors, actresses, the details of how various plays were shaped through rehearsals, by casting changes – what he felt were the important notes to hit and how, having spent so much time, even with his finest plays, one could feel him losing his connection to the material by the time it was in front of an audience. Having written, produced, directed, and starred in even something as glowing as “Blithe Spirit” or “Private Lives,” by the time the curtain was rising on opening night, Noel was clearly working on his next project or even the one after that. Occasionally, as happens in the theater, Noel would have a disagreement or point of contention with an actor, producer, business manager, or some other key person – and even when he was firmly and with great consternation telling them off on no uncertain terms, he was doing it from affection, professionalism, and above all, a guiding principle of doing what was best for the production.
The letters also provide prospective on Noel’s globe-trotting lifestyle. When Noel Coward was working he worked, tirelessly, nonstop, full throttle. Frequently he would work until he dropped and sometimes even after that. At the end of such a stretch, he would then take off on his travels seeing most of the world at least once and parts of it time and again. During these long excursions, when one would think work was the furthest thing from his mind, the ideas who emerge for the next play, the next revue, the next song. When he returned to the “civilization” of England, these would be churned out, sometimes in a matter of a few days, giving the appearance that his work was effortless and sprang forth spontaneously, when in truth he may have spent hours working on them while sailing from Singapore to Hong Kong, or spending some quiet weeks in Jamaica.
The final reason for recommending this book, lays in fuller explanation, or as full as can be had, of Noel’s activities during World War II. The British press excoriated Noel for not putting on a uniform or at the very least remaining in London to suffer with everyone else. It was hell for him to be branded as unpatriotic when, in point of fact, he was serving his country – at great personal risk – in some cloak and dagger activities (some of which is still classified) that at one point had him narrowly escaping a run in with the Nazis in Paris (Noel was on Hitler’s “death list” – shoot first, don’t bother asking questions). This was followed by composing a song and creating a film, each meant to inspire his nation and maintain morale in what were very dark times. He succeeded at both, and traveled the world to entertain the troops besides. His personal pain was even worse when, once the war was over, critics turned on Noel causing perfectly good plays to do utterly dreadful business – in part as “payback” for Noel “sitting out the war.” For nearly a decade Noel struggled with this mistreatment, never once breaking his silence about what his real role in the war had been, and using the time to work in the new medium of television, and reinventing himself as a cabaret performer whose performances in Las Vegas are legendary. By the early 60s, the critics and the public were ready to re-embrace Noel and he enjoyed what he called “Dad’s Renaissance.” Through it all, his letters reflect his frustration and his determination to keep going, to keep being Noel Coward and not backing away from what he knew was right, what he knew was good work. It seems that, from a very early age, Noel Coward had supreme confidence in Noel Coward (the reason for my sometimes referring to him as “Noel Coward Dammit” – I can see someone having the impertinence to ask him the whys and wherefores of a decision, and Noel answering “Because I’m Noel Coward Dammit”) and that belief kept him going when many others might well have thrown in the towel.
Eventually, we come to the very sad and inevitable conclusion, when Noel, whose particular pet peeve was actors not remembering their lines, could no longer remember his own lines and realized, having accomplished all he could have hoped for and then some in the theater, it was time at last to retire. In his retirement years, the strain of being “Noel Coward” finally took a toll; within a few years the world of theater lost one of its biggest fans and best practitioners.
Yes, well, go through all that with a man of wit, charm, grace, and talent and tell me you don’t get a bit teary-eyed at the end! And though I’ve just given you the overview, it is the flavor, the spirit, and the essence of Noel Coward that is provided by his letters that no biographer, or even it seems autobiographer, can capture in quite the same way. Noel Coward has always been a larger than life, legendary figure of the theater. Through these letters, I felt like I had found a friend and kindred spirit – someone who was always a pleasure to spend time with, but also appreciated the need to chuck it all and get away for awhile to recharge and find new inspiration. It all goes a long way to explaining why my eyeliner looked a little crooked this morning.
The film – “The Astonished Heart” (starring Noel Coward, written for the screen by Noel Coward, from the play by Noel Coward (part of “Tonight at 8:30”), with a musical score by Noel Coward)
The plays – “Blithe Spirit,” “Private Lives,” “Waiting in the Wings,” “Hay Fever,” “The Vortex” and many others. (All written by Noel Coward, many starring Noel Coward, some featuring music by Noel Coward)
The album – Noel Coward Live in Las Vegas (with songs mostly written and entirely performed by Noel Coward)
The book – “The Letters of Noel Coward” (Most letters written by Noel Coward, some written to Noel Coward, and lovingly edited by Barry Day, who is not Noel Coward but seems okay with it)
The cocktail – The Singapore Sling (in honor of Noel’s many exotic travels):
1 1/2 ounce gin
1/2 ounce Cherry Heering brandy
1/4 ounce Cointreau
1/4 ounce Benedictine
4 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/3 ounce grenadine
dash bitters
Shake with ice. Strain into an ice filled collins glass. Garnish with cherry and slice of pineapple.
So what’s my watching a film while putting on make-up have to do with books and booze? Not a thing. But it explains what put me in mind to talk about “The Letters of Noel Coward” – an absolutely delicious volume that I read about a year ago. The letters are positively priceless, and I savored every page of this book. I’ve since read Vol. 1 of Noel’s Autobiography, “Present Indicative,” but it was disappointingly straight forward after having delighted at this man’s wit and charm, which so easily comes across in his correspondence. Perhaps Noel felt a need to sound “straight” on paper back when he penned “Present Indicative,” while the companions and colleagues he wrote to were fully aware that Noel was gay so he could present himself on paper with incredible humanity.
The letters cover almost all of Noel’s life, from being a homesick child actor to his later years when he finally stepped out of the spotlight, in a general chronological order, with enough narrative in between to give the letters context without being too much a biography. Many letters are to his mother, Violet, others are to his “family” of staff that he gathered in the 20s and 30s and who stayed with him during his entire career. In addition to letters Noel wrote, the editors included, when practicable, the letters Noel was replying to or replies to his letters. This is most especially appreciable when the other correspondent is renown New York literary critic Alexander Woollcott. The two men were clearly fond of each other and equally fond of words. Reading the back and forth between two people who enjoy writing and have such a gift for it is just a treat.
Another fascinating aspect of the letters is the insight behind many of Noel’s plays. His views and opinions of actors, actresses, the details of how various plays were shaped through rehearsals, by casting changes – what he felt were the important notes to hit and how, having spent so much time, even with his finest plays, one could feel him losing his connection to the material by the time it was in front of an audience. Having written, produced, directed, and starred in even something as glowing as “Blithe Spirit” or “Private Lives,” by the time the curtain was rising on opening night, Noel was clearly working on his next project or even the one after that. Occasionally, as happens in the theater, Noel would have a disagreement or point of contention with an actor, producer, business manager, or some other key person – and even when he was firmly and with great consternation telling them off on no uncertain terms, he was doing it from affection, professionalism, and above all, a guiding principle of doing what was best for the production.
The letters also provide prospective on Noel’s globe-trotting lifestyle. When Noel Coward was working he worked, tirelessly, nonstop, full throttle. Frequently he would work until he dropped and sometimes even after that. At the end of such a stretch, he would then take off on his travels seeing most of the world at least once and parts of it time and again. During these long excursions, when one would think work was the furthest thing from his mind, the ideas who emerge for the next play, the next revue, the next song. When he returned to the “civilization” of England, these would be churned out, sometimes in a matter of a few days, giving the appearance that his work was effortless and sprang forth spontaneously, when in truth he may have spent hours working on them while sailing from Singapore to Hong Kong, or spending some quiet weeks in Jamaica.
The final reason for recommending this book, lays in fuller explanation, or as full as can be had, of Noel’s activities during World War II. The British press excoriated Noel for not putting on a uniform or at the very least remaining in London to suffer with everyone else. It was hell for him to be branded as unpatriotic when, in point of fact, he was serving his country – at great personal risk – in some cloak and dagger activities (some of which is still classified) that at one point had him narrowly escaping a run in with the Nazis in Paris (Noel was on Hitler’s “death list” – shoot first, don’t bother asking questions). This was followed by composing a song and creating a film, each meant to inspire his nation and maintain morale in what were very dark times. He succeeded at both, and traveled the world to entertain the troops besides. His personal pain was even worse when, once the war was over, critics turned on Noel causing perfectly good plays to do utterly dreadful business – in part as “payback” for Noel “sitting out the war.” For nearly a decade Noel struggled with this mistreatment, never once breaking his silence about what his real role in the war had been, and using the time to work in the new medium of television, and reinventing himself as a cabaret performer whose performances in Las Vegas are legendary. By the early 60s, the critics and the public were ready to re-embrace Noel and he enjoyed what he called “Dad’s Renaissance.” Through it all, his letters reflect his frustration and his determination to keep going, to keep being Noel Coward and not backing away from what he knew was right, what he knew was good work. It seems that, from a very early age, Noel Coward had supreme confidence in Noel Coward (the reason for my sometimes referring to him as “Noel Coward Dammit” – I can see someone having the impertinence to ask him the whys and wherefores of a decision, and Noel answering “Because I’m Noel Coward Dammit”) and that belief kept him going when many others might well have thrown in the towel.
Eventually, we come to the very sad and inevitable conclusion, when Noel, whose particular pet peeve was actors not remembering their lines, could no longer remember his own lines and realized, having accomplished all he could have hoped for and then some in the theater, it was time at last to retire. In his retirement years, the strain of being “Noel Coward” finally took a toll; within a few years the world of theater lost one of its biggest fans and best practitioners.
Yes, well, go through all that with a man of wit, charm, grace, and talent and tell me you don’t get a bit teary-eyed at the end! And though I’ve just given you the overview, it is the flavor, the spirit, and the essence of Noel Coward that is provided by his letters that no biographer, or even it seems autobiographer, can capture in quite the same way. Noel Coward has always been a larger than life, legendary figure of the theater. Through these letters, I felt like I had found a friend and kindred spirit – someone who was always a pleasure to spend time with, but also appreciated the need to chuck it all and get away for awhile to recharge and find new inspiration. It all goes a long way to explaining why my eyeliner looked a little crooked this morning.
The film – “The Astonished Heart” (starring Noel Coward, written for the screen by Noel Coward, from the play by Noel Coward (part of “Tonight at 8:30”), with a musical score by Noel Coward)
The plays – “Blithe Spirit,” “Private Lives,” “Waiting in the Wings,” “Hay Fever,” “The Vortex” and many others. (All written by Noel Coward, many starring Noel Coward, some featuring music by Noel Coward)
The album – Noel Coward Live in Las Vegas (with songs mostly written and entirely performed by Noel Coward)
The book – “The Letters of Noel Coward” (Most letters written by Noel Coward, some written to Noel Coward, and lovingly edited by Barry Day, who is not Noel Coward but seems okay with it)
The cocktail – The Singapore Sling (in honor of Noel’s many exotic travels):
1 1/2 ounce gin
1/2 ounce Cherry Heering brandy
1/4 ounce Cointreau
1/4 ounce Benedictine
4 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/3 ounce grenadine
dash bitters
Shake with ice. Strain into an ice filled collins glass. Garnish with cherry and slice of pineapple.
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