[ Lauri Wylie; playwright; "Dinner for One" ] Three Typed Letters Signed "Lauri" (2) and "L." (1) AND one Autograph Letter Signed "Lauri | LAURI WYLIE" to theatre historian W. Macqueen-Pope, about theatre topics including his own writing.

Total 4pp., 4to, one with corner torn off, all a little battered but texts clear and complete. Letter One: He asks if "anything can be done with [his] book", and discusses his "re-writing another straight play. They don't seem to be able to stop me. I roughed it out during the war but have now done a lot to it. I think it's a winner! So does every one else who writes plays [further lighthearted comment on writing plays]". He asks finally whether Macqueen-Pope has "any new books coming on. They seem to go down big. Certainly those I have read are fascinating."; LETTER TWO: A full page of typescript, initiall asking after Macqueen-Pope's grandchildren and the mumps. He discusses his own activities (the unacted play "Amber Lights" [not found on Google] and his "new play" adding "The musical play writing profession is pretty well dead. I am also tickling up my book to make it longer and making up a copy and making up a copy with the illustrations in and see if I can do anything with it." He encourages Macqueen-Pope to visit so that he can discuss a "let-down" he is experiencing. He concludes with discussion of Macqueen-Pope's "Music Hall book". "I particularly don't want you to mention marionettes in connection with myself. They do not go well with authoring and I purposley left them out when I wrote my book and simply referred to myself as a mimic. I am very touchy about this [.]"; LETTER THREE: He asks after the health of Macqueen-Pope's granddaughter and his "Music Hall book" ["The Melodies Linger on: The Story of Music Hall" (1950)]. He then reflects on the state of the theatre as it affects him. "The business is getting impossible. Like a lot of other businesses. What do you think of the awful plays they are putting on. They'll be doing one night stands in the west end next. And I can't get anything [underlined] on. They've knocked the fun out of me, Popie. Entres nous now mind you. I have several things on the carpet. But nothing happens. Trouble is they are all liars and thieves but otherwise perfect gentlemen." ; LETTER FOUR: A short autograph note signed, in which he expresses disappointment ("I wanted you to be in for many reasons" [in what not stated or obvious)). He looks forward to reading the Music Hall book. WITH: Macqueen-Pope's file copy of a letter to Wylie, 17 January 1951 (to which Wylie's fourth letter is a response) in which he discusses family health and his personal circumstances preventing his investing in Wylie's "Company". He is pessimistic about the chances of his new book and another book won't be out till later that year (leaving a financial hiatus). Plus income tax of £1000. Note: "Wylie died at age 70 in 1951 in poverty in a camper which served as his home." But his address in his letters is NOT a camper but he must be close to death. B. "Wylie's short play Dinner for One has had a significant cultural impact in Germany. Having been a part of German culture for 50 years, it has spawned thousands of parodies. One such parody, involving German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then-President of France Nicolas Sarkozy, may have led to Mrs. Merkel's widely publicised reference to Dinner for One in her 2012 New Year's address." C. "Millions of Germans take part in this New Year's Eve ritual: watching a black-and-white English-language television sketch called Dinner for One, or the 90th Birthday that was recorded in 1963. Every year it is screened, usually several times, by most of Germany's regional public TV channels". …