Nov 14, 2024 10:00 EST
Stage & Screen
100
An Important Archive of Musical Manuscripts of Truman Capote and Harold Arlen's House of Flowers
Estate / Collection: The Rita Arlen Trust
TRUMAN CAPOTE and HAROLD ARLEN
A large archive of the original musical manuscripts, lyrics, and promotional material for Arlen and Capote's collaboration on the musical House of Flowers. [New York: 1953-54]. A large archive comprising six sheets of Capote's lyrical sketches, over 100 pages of Arlen's musical and lyrical sketches, over 100 pages of Arlen's piano-vocal manuscript score in the composer's hand, and related material post-premiere. Includes both Capote's lyrics and Arlen's arrangements for the now standard "A Sleepin' Bee." The archive well preserved overall but with some toning, light signs of handling and short tears, smudging, etc.
The archive comprises:
Harold Arlen's Manuscript Piano-Vocal Scores:
This large stack of musical manuscripts was originally held in an oversized green leather folio with Arlen's name at upper left and "House of Flowers" stamped at center. This folio is included in the lot. The manuscripts are all on various single page and bifolium staff paper, 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch, often hinged with tape, all in pencil and occasionally with crayon markings, the songs mostly credited at head "Lyric by Truman Capote & Harold Arlen / Music by Harold Arlen."
ACT 1
1) “Waitin’" (Opening 1st Act), 4 pp. + 1 inserted leaf; and “Waitin'" (Opening 1st Act) 1 p. with 3 bars crossed out.
2) “One Man (Ain’t Quite Enough),” 6 pp., single-sided; “One Man”, 4 pp., (this on Schirmer paper, possibly for the 1968 reissue); a sketch headed "One Man (House of Flowers)," 2 pp.; and “One Man,” a Blue Line Score with heavy manuscript edits in HA hand in red grease pencil, 6 pp.
3) “Madame Tango’s Tango,” 12 pp., single-sided; and a 1 sheet sketch.
4) “The Sleepin’ Bee” (first title), 5 pp., single-sided; “A Sleepin’ Bee” piano vocal, 4 pp., single-sided with edit in red crayon; “A Sleepin’ Bee,” vocal line only, 1 p.
5) “De Bamboo Cage,” 6 pp., an additional 2 bar change is taped to page 1.
6) “House Of Flowers,” 4 pp., single-sided; “House Of Flowers,” 5 pp., 3 leaves.
7) “Two Ladies In The Shade Of The Banana Tree,” 7 pp., single-sided.
8) "Mardi Gras," 1 p., 6 line sketch only with lyrics.
9) “I Never Has Seen Snow,” 7 pp. inclusive of insert, single-sided.
ACT II
10) “House of Flowers - Act II Opening” piano vocal, 7 pp., pen and pencil, 4 leaves (this on Schimer paper and possibly for 1968 reissue).
11) “Can I Leave Off Wearin' my Shoes?” 6 pp., single-sided; and “Can I Leave Off Wearin’ My Shoes?” Blue Line Score with heavy manuscript edits in Arlen's hand in red crayon, 6 pp.
12) "Indoor Girl," 2 pp., musical sketch only.
13) "Slide, Boy, Slide," 2 pp., musical sketch only.
14) “Has I Let You Down,” 7 pp., single-sided.
15) “Don’t Like Goodbyes,” 4 pp., single-sided; and “Don’t Like Goodbyes,” Blue Line Score with heavy manuscript edits in Arlen's hand in red crayon, 5 pp.
16) “The Turtle Song,”, 15 pp., single-sided.
Other Manuscript Songs & Sketches Prepared for House of Flowers either 1954 or the 1967 revival
17) "What A Man Won't Do For A Woman," music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Truman Capote & Harold Arlen, 10 pp., single-sided.
18) “Do Not Be Afraid of Love,” 7 pp., single-sided; and two single page sketches.
19) "Jump de Broom," 1 page sketch only
20) “A Wife Never Understand” 1 page sketch prepared for April 14, 1967 off Broadway revival
21) “A No One Under Sky Can Get Way From My D,” 1 p. sketch only
22) “You’re Looking Good Girl Good,” 1 p. sketch only
23) "Can you Explain?" 3 pp., musical sketch only.
24) "From the Day of Her Birth," 1 page sketch only
25) Four inserts titled: #1 "The Wonders of a Barrel," 5 pp.; #2 Insert "Barrel, Jamison," 3 pp.; #3 Insert "Mme Fleur," 3 pp.; and #4 Insert "Jonas," 3 pp.
26) And 7 pp. musical manuscript with lyrics, the song titles unidentified.
Harold Arlen's Manuscript Lyrics and Musical Sketches: Mostly pencil-written notes, lyrics and musical sketches in Arlen's hand, about 110 pages on the recto and verso of about 80 sheets ranging in size from full 12 1/2 x 8 inch sheets to small 6 x 4 inch slips. These all held in a manilla folder labeled in Arlen's hand "House of Flowers/mss/Music & Lyrics." These include lyrics for "A Sleepin' Bee," "Bamboo Cage," "House of Flowers," etc.
Truman Capote's Manuscript Lyrics: 6 pages of manuscript lyrics in pencil on 4 sheets, held in a folder labeled by Arlen "House of Flowers/Truman Capote's Lyrics mss/Property of Harold Arlen." Three of the sheets are 8 x 6 inches; one is 5 1/2 x 5 inches. The smaller sheet with lyrics to "A Sleepin' Bee," ten lines in pencil with corrections. One of the larger sheets with lyrics to "A Sleepin' Bee" on recto and verso, about 24 lines with corrections and cross-outs. One sheet with the lyrics to "Un Garcon Sette." The last sheet with lyrics to recto and verso, about 30 lines. Irregular edges and some smudging of pencil but very fine overall.
Materials from the time of the production include:
Images: an original vintage 4 x 5 inch photograph depicting Arlen and Capote at the time of the collaboration; a printed 8 x 10 inch copy of Al Hirschfeld's humorous illustration depicting a bewildered Arlen at the piano next to a boyish, petulant Capote, framed, and with another reproduction of the same; an original vintage photograph of the House of Flowers team including Harold Arlen, Truman Capote, Jerry Arlen, Peter Brook, Oliver Messel, and Saint Subber, the photo backstamped by Arthur Zinn
Recordings: The original cast recording issued by United Artists circa 1954, the cover with inscription from Harold Arlen to Rita Arlen; the 1968 reissue of the cast recording with a proof of the back cover; a Columbia Special Service Records issue of the cast recording for its Collector's Series; a sealed copy of Harold sings Arlen including two songs from House of Flowers; and American Musicals Harold Arlen, boxed record set including songs from House of Flowers.
Printed matter: The Alvin Theatre opening night cast list dated December 30th, 1954, with two preview tickets attached; a double-sided printed handbill announcing the previews of the musical at the Erlanger Theatre in late November/early December 1954 and a newspaper clipping of the same, torn with losses ; a complete Playbill for House of Flowers at the Alvin Theatre for the week of May 9th, 1955; First edition sheet music for "A Sleepin' Bee"; the large format booklet Vocal Selections from House of Flowers published by Harwin in 1963; the Decca issued 45 rpm record Selections from the Musical House of Flowers; a cassette version of the cast recording issued in 1990; and a very large 1954 poster advertising the score as published by Harwin Music Co.
Letters: A typed note signed from Mamie Dowd Eisenhower on White House stationery dated May 8, 1953 thanking Harold Arlen for a performance in Washington; and a typed note signed from photographer Hans Namuth dated October 4th, 1954 sending Arlen photographs (not present), requesting tickets to the new show, and wishing him luck on the opening.
Truman Capote and Harold Arlen's collaboration on House of Flowers, 1954
Following the success of his 1948 debut novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, and the publication of his 1949 first collection of short stories, A Tree of Night and Other Stories, Truman Capote went to Haiti on assignment for Harper's Bazaar. The trip yielded a travel essay titled Haiti which was published in Capote's 1950 collection Local Color. But while in Port-au-Prince, Capote spent a many evenings gossiping on the porches of the bordellos, passing time with the local women there. The trip also inspired a short story titled "House of Flowers," considered one of Capote's best, which was published in Rome in Botteghe Oscure in 1950 and in the United States in 1951 in Mademoiselle. The story involves two competing bordellos and a woman named Ottilie who turns down the opportunity to marry a rich lord in favor of a poor young man from the mountains. Ottilie's madam attempts to keep her by having the young man sealed in a barrel and tossed into the ocean but somehow he survives by clinging to the back of a turtle and the two marry and live happily ever after.
Even before the story "House of Flowers" was conceived as a musical, Capote's 1951 novel The Grass Harp had caught the attention of Broadway impresario Saint Subber, who was coming off the Tony Award-winning success of Kiss Me, Kate. Capote and Saint Subber collaborated on a stage adaptation of The Grass Harp which opened on Broadway and ran for 36 performances only despite costume designs by Cecil Beaton and music by Virgil Thomson. Undeterred, in 1952 Saint Subber approached Capote about adapting "House of Flowers" into a musical despite Capote's inexperience in writing songs. To aid Capote and the project at large, Saint Subber brought in Harold Arlen, a deeply experienced composer who had written songs that are now standards for Harlem's famous Cotton Club, the music for The Wizard of Oz in 1939, and several collaborations with lyricist Johnny Mercer. Despite a bleeding ulcer that landed him in the hospital, Arlen was able to work with Capote on completing the musical, including writing sessions at the hospital. Capote and Arlen two developed a friendly if not paternal relationship (Capote often referred to Arlen as "Dads").
Once completed, House of Flowers opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on December 30th, 1954 and played for 165 performances. The original cast was star-studded and included Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Carmen de Lavallade, Alvin Ailey, Geoffrey Holder (who also provided a section of choreography), Juanita Hall, Ray Walston, and Mary Mon Toy. The musical was directed by Peter Brook, costumes and sets by Oliver Messel, and choreography by George Balanchine. The score is also notable for being the first on Broadway to feature the steel pan. The musical also gave us the song "Sleepin' Bee," originally sung by Diahann Carroll and later by Barbra Streisand who called it her favorite song. Like other Arlen classics, "A Sleepin' Bee" is now considered a standard of the American Song Book.
Such archives offering so much manuscript material relating to one musical collaboration is rare on the market. The present archive offers substantial treatments of each of the major songs in the musical including "A Sleepin' Bee," "One Man Ain't Quite Enough," and the title track "House of Flowers." While substantially complete, the only songs we do not trace here are "What a Friend is For," the Act II opening song titled "Husband Cage," and the "Voudou" sequence in Act II.
House of Flowers was Truman Capote's only musical. In the years that followed, he turned his attention back to non-fiction with The Muses are Heard in 1956 and In Cold Blood in 1965 before devolving into the Answered Prayers episode which consumed the end of his career. Truman Capote died in 1984. Harold Arlen's storied career also began to slow following House of Flowers, although he would contribute music to the 1957 musical Jamaica, which focused on calypso music then made popular by Harry Belafonte. Harold Arlen died in 1986.
Estate / Collection: The Rita Arlen Trust
TRUMAN CAPOTE and HAROLD ARLEN
A large archive of the original musical manuscripts, lyrics, and promotional material for Arlen and Capote's collaboration on the musical House of Flowers. [New York: 1953-54]. A large archive comprising six sheets of Capote's lyrical sketches, over 100 pages of Arlen's musical and lyrical sketches, over 100 pages of Arlen's piano-vocal manuscript score in the composer's hand, and related material post-premiere. Includes both Capote's lyrics and Arlen's arrangements for the now standard "A Sleepin' Bee." The archive well preserved overall but with some toning, light signs of handling and short tears, smudging, etc.
The archive comprises:
Harold Arlen's Manuscript Piano-Vocal Scores:
This large stack of musical manuscripts was originally held in an oversized green leather folio with Arlen's name at upper left and "House of Flowers" stamped at center. This folio is included in the lot. The manuscripts are all on various single page and bifolium staff paper, 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch, often hinged with tape, all in pencil and occasionally with crayon markings, the songs mostly credited at head "Lyric by Truman Capote & Harold Arlen / Music by Harold Arlen."
ACT 1
1) “Waitin’" (Opening 1st Act), 4 pp. + 1 inserted leaf; and “Waitin'" (Opening 1st Act) 1 p. with 3 bars crossed out.
2) “One Man (Ain’t Quite Enough),” 6 pp., single-sided; “One Man”, 4 pp., (this on Schirmer paper, possibly for the 1968 reissue); a sketch headed "One Man (House of Flowers)," 2 pp.; and “One Man,” a Blue Line Score with heavy manuscript edits in HA hand in red grease pencil, 6 pp.
3) “Madame Tango’s Tango,” 12 pp., single-sided; and a 1 sheet sketch.
4) “The Sleepin’ Bee” (first title), 5 pp., single-sided; “A Sleepin’ Bee” piano vocal, 4 pp., single-sided with edit in red crayon; “A Sleepin’ Bee,” vocal line only, 1 p.
5) “De Bamboo Cage,” 6 pp., an additional 2 bar change is taped to page 1.
6) “House Of Flowers,” 4 pp., single-sided; “House Of Flowers,” 5 pp., 3 leaves.
7) “Two Ladies In The Shade Of The Banana Tree,” 7 pp., single-sided.
8) "Mardi Gras," 1 p., 6 line sketch only with lyrics.
9) “I Never Has Seen Snow,” 7 pp. inclusive of insert, single-sided.
ACT II
10) “House of Flowers - Act II Opening” piano vocal, 7 pp., pen and pencil, 4 leaves (this on Schimer paper and possibly for 1968 reissue).
11) “Can I Leave Off Wearin' my Shoes?” 6 pp., single-sided; and “Can I Leave Off Wearin’ My Shoes?” Blue Line Score with heavy manuscript edits in Arlen's hand in red crayon, 6 pp.
12) "Indoor Girl," 2 pp., musical sketch only.
13) "Slide, Boy, Slide," 2 pp., musical sketch only.
14) “Has I Let You Down,” 7 pp., single-sided.
15) “Don’t Like Goodbyes,” 4 pp., single-sided; and “Don’t Like Goodbyes,” Blue Line Score with heavy manuscript edits in Arlen's hand in red crayon, 5 pp.
16) “The Turtle Song,”, 15 pp., single-sided.
Other Manuscript Songs & Sketches Prepared for House of Flowers either 1954 or the 1967 revival
17) "What A Man Won't Do For A Woman," music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Truman Capote & Harold Arlen, 10 pp., single-sided.
18) “Do Not Be Afraid of Love,” 7 pp., single-sided; and two single page sketches.
19) "Jump de Broom," 1 page sketch only
20) “A Wife Never Understand” 1 page sketch prepared for April 14, 1967 off Broadway revival
21) “A No One Under Sky Can Get Way From My D,” 1 p. sketch only
22) “You’re Looking Good Girl Good,” 1 p. sketch only
23) "Can you Explain?" 3 pp., musical sketch only.
24) "From the Day of Her Birth," 1 page sketch only
25) Four inserts titled: #1 "The Wonders of a Barrel," 5 pp.; #2 Insert "Barrel, Jamison," 3 pp.; #3 Insert "Mme Fleur," 3 pp.; and #4 Insert "Jonas," 3 pp.
26) And 7 pp. musical manuscript with lyrics, the song titles unidentified.
Harold Arlen's Manuscript Lyrics and Musical Sketches: Mostly pencil-written notes, lyrics and musical sketches in Arlen's hand, about 110 pages on the recto and verso of about 80 sheets ranging in size from full 12 1/2 x 8 inch sheets to small 6 x 4 inch slips. These all held in a manilla folder labeled in Arlen's hand "House of Flowers/mss/Music & Lyrics." These include lyrics for "A Sleepin' Bee," "Bamboo Cage," "House of Flowers," etc.
Truman Capote's Manuscript Lyrics: 6 pages of manuscript lyrics in pencil on 4 sheets, held in a folder labeled by Arlen "House of Flowers/Truman Capote's Lyrics mss/Property of Harold Arlen." Three of the sheets are 8 x 6 inches; one is 5 1/2 x 5 inches. The smaller sheet with lyrics to "A Sleepin' Bee," ten lines in pencil with corrections. One of the larger sheets with lyrics to "A Sleepin' Bee" on recto and verso, about 24 lines with corrections and cross-outs. One sheet with the lyrics to "Un Garcon Sette." The last sheet with lyrics to recto and verso, about 30 lines. Irregular edges and some smudging of pencil but very fine overall.
Materials from the time of the production include:
Images: an original vintage 4 x 5 inch photograph depicting Arlen and Capote at the time of the collaboration; a printed 8 x 10 inch copy of Al Hirschfeld's humorous illustration depicting a bewildered Arlen at the piano next to a boyish, petulant Capote, framed, and with another reproduction of the same; an original vintage photograph of the House of Flowers team including Harold Arlen, Truman Capote, Jerry Arlen, Peter Brook, Oliver Messel, and Saint Subber, the photo backstamped by Arthur Zinn
Recordings: The original cast recording issued by United Artists circa 1954, the cover with inscription from Harold Arlen to Rita Arlen; the 1968 reissue of the cast recording with a proof of the back cover; a Columbia Special Service Records issue of the cast recording for its Collector's Series; a sealed copy of Harold sings Arlen including two songs from House of Flowers; and American Musicals Harold Arlen, boxed record set including songs from House of Flowers.
Printed matter: The Alvin Theatre opening night cast list dated December 30th, 1954, with two preview tickets attached; a double-sided printed handbill announcing the previews of the musical at the Erlanger Theatre in late November/early December 1954 and a newspaper clipping of the same, torn with losses ; a complete Playbill for House of Flowers at the Alvin Theatre for the week of May 9th, 1955; First edition sheet music for "A Sleepin' Bee"; the large format booklet Vocal Selections from House of Flowers published by Harwin in 1963; the Decca issued 45 rpm record Selections from the Musical House of Flowers; a cassette version of the cast recording issued in 1990; and a very large 1954 poster advertising the score as published by Harwin Music Co.
Letters: A typed note signed from Mamie Dowd Eisenhower on White House stationery dated May 8, 1953 thanking Harold Arlen for a performance in Washington; and a typed note signed from photographer Hans Namuth dated October 4th, 1954 sending Arlen photographs (not present), requesting tickets to the new show, and wishing him luck on the opening.
Truman Capote and Harold Arlen's collaboration on House of Flowers, 1954
Following the success of his 1948 debut novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, and the publication of his 1949 first collection of short stories, A Tree of Night and Other Stories, Truman Capote went to Haiti on assignment for Harper's Bazaar. The trip yielded a travel essay titled Haiti which was published in Capote's 1950 collection Local Color. But while in Port-au-Prince, Capote spent a many evenings gossiping on the porches of the bordellos, passing time with the local women there. The trip also inspired a short story titled "House of Flowers," considered one of Capote's best, which was published in Rome in Botteghe Oscure in 1950 and in the United States in 1951 in Mademoiselle. The story involves two competing bordellos and a woman named Ottilie who turns down the opportunity to marry a rich lord in favor of a poor young man from the mountains. Ottilie's madam attempts to keep her by having the young man sealed in a barrel and tossed into the ocean but somehow he survives by clinging to the back of a turtle and the two marry and live happily ever after.
Even before the story "House of Flowers" was conceived as a musical, Capote's 1951 novel The Grass Harp had caught the attention of Broadway impresario Saint Subber, who was coming off the Tony Award-winning success of Kiss Me, Kate. Capote and Saint Subber collaborated on a stage adaptation of The Grass Harp which opened on Broadway and ran for 36 performances only despite costume designs by Cecil Beaton and music by Virgil Thomson. Undeterred, in 1952 Saint Subber approached Capote about adapting "House of Flowers" into a musical despite Capote's inexperience in writing songs. To aid Capote and the project at large, Saint Subber brought in Harold Arlen, a deeply experienced composer who had written songs that are now standards for Harlem's famous Cotton Club, the music for The Wizard of Oz in 1939, and several collaborations with lyricist Johnny Mercer. Despite a bleeding ulcer that landed him in the hospital, Arlen was able to work with Capote on completing the musical, including writing sessions at the hospital. Capote and Arlen two developed a friendly if not paternal relationship (Capote often referred to Arlen as "Dads").
Once completed, House of Flowers opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on December 30th, 1954 and played for 165 performances. The original cast was star-studded and included Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Carmen de Lavallade, Alvin Ailey, Geoffrey Holder (who also provided a section of choreography), Juanita Hall, Ray Walston, and Mary Mon Toy. The musical was directed by Peter Brook, costumes and sets by Oliver Messel, and choreography by George Balanchine. The score is also notable for being the first on Broadway to feature the steel pan. The musical also gave us the song "Sleepin' Bee," originally sung by Diahann Carroll and later by Barbra Streisand who called it her favorite song. Like other Arlen classics, "A Sleepin' Bee" is now considered a standard of the American Song Book.
Such archives offering so much manuscript material relating to one musical collaboration is rare on the market. The present archive offers substantial treatments of each of the major songs in the musical including "A Sleepin' Bee," "One Man Ain't Quite Enough," and the title track "House of Flowers." While substantially complete, the only songs we do not trace here are "What a Friend is For," the Act II opening song titled "Husband Cage," and the "Voudou" sequence in Act II.
House of Flowers was Truman Capote's only musical. In the years that followed, he turned his attention back to non-fiction with The Muses are Heard in 1956 and In Cold Blood in 1965 before devolving into the Answered Prayers episode which consumed the end of his career. Truman Capote died in 1984. Harold Arlen's storied career also began to slow following House of Flowers, although he would contribute music to the 1957 musical Jamaica, which focused on calypso music then made popular by Harry Belafonte. Harold Arlen died in 1986.
Auction: Stage & Screen, Nov 14, 2024
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Archive of Grace Letters Tops $165K at Stage & Screen Auction on November 14, 2024
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Memorabilia, Autographs, Artwork & Photographs of the Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
NEW YORK, NY -- Fans and collectors from around the world convered at Doyle November 14, 2024 for the popular Stage & Screen auction. Held in collaboration with the Entertainment Community Fund, Stage & Screen offered artwork, memorabilia, autographs and photographs celebrating Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance.
Archive of Grace Kelly Letters Achieves $165,600!
In 1949, twenty year old Grace Kelly moved into the Barbizon Hotel for Women in Manhattan, seeking out Broadway auditions and paying modeling gigs. In 1956, Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco in one the greatest fairy tale weddings the world had ever seen. In the years between, Kelly starred in stylish Alfred Hitchcock films such as Rear Window and To Catch a Thief and won an Oscar for her performance in The Country Girl. In that first year in New York City, Grace Kelly met Prudence Wise who became a life long friend, personal secretary, and frequent correspondent. Offered is the largest known group of signed handwritten and typed letters, notes, personal photographs of Kelly and her children, and ephemera to come to market. The archive traces Grace Kelly’s remarkable journey from New York to Hollywood to Monaco in her own words in this substantial group of unpublished letters. View Lot
The Estate of Jerry Herman (Lots 142 - 255)
Doyle was honored to auction property from the Estate of Jerry Herman, the legendary composer/lyricist of such iconic musicals as Hello Dolly!, Mame and La Cage aux Folles. Read More
The Personal Collection of Al Jaffee (Lots 301 - 453)
Doyle was MADly excited to auction property from the Personal Collection of the legendary cartoonist Al Jaffee renowned for his groundbreaking work in MAD Magazine. The Collection will be auctioned on Friday, November 15. Read More
The Entertainment Community Fund
Recognizing the importance of the performing arts to the fabric of New York, Doyle is proud to donate 10% of our profit from this auction to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For further information on the Entertainment Community Fund, visit EntertainmentCommunity.org
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
For information, please contact
Memorabilia: Peter Costanzo, 212-427-4141, ext 248, Peter.Costanzo@Doyle.com
Artwork: Milan Tessler, 212-427-4141, ext 266, paintings@Doyle.com
