The Inventory
of the
James Roose-Evans
Collection
#778
Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center
Roose-Evans, James
May 1981
Purchase
I. CORRESPONDENCE: Letters to James Roose-Evans,most with typescript
notes of explanation with a few of his carbons.
Box 1 Ashton, Sir Frederick (choreographer) (1904-
TLS, April 1, 1980. }Eeclining to undertake a series of talks
about his theatrical reminiscenes partly because he is
working on a new ballet] (Ill)
Atkins, Eileen (actress) (1934-
ALS, undated accompanied by Smuckers preserves label. [aying
she has agreed ·to play Rosalind in Stratford, CT instead of
starring with Alan Bates in "Man and Superman" in England]
Bagnold, Enid (novelist and playwright) (1889-1981)
3 TLS: June 25, 1964, June 21, 1965 with newspaper clip from
Financial Times, June 9, 1965, April 8, 1967.
5 ALS: May 2, 1968, May 7, 1968, May 17, 1968, Nov. 26, 1977,
Aug. 4, 1978.
2 TLS: Sept. 7, 1978, Sept. 9, 1978.
~etters are largely about JR-E directing her plays with de
tailed mention of hoped-for casts & comments on notice~]
Baker, Dame Janet (opera singer) (1933-
ANS on card, with envelope postmarked July 16, 1979.
@'n JR-E's inability to undertake an engagement in King's Lyn~]
Barkworth, Peter (actor) (1929-
4 ALS: July 21, 1979, Sept. 22, 1979, postmarked Oct. 6, 1979,
March 20, 1980.
Roose-Evans, James page 2
Box 1 ANS on postcard, April 17, 1980. (#1)
2 ALS: May 6, 1980, postmarked May 10, 1980.
~ome letters concerning Barkworth's book ABOUT ACTING which
JR-E reviewed:] " Bennett, Alan (playwright and actor) (1934-
5 ALS postcards: March 19, 1976, May 9, 1980, 3 undated,
Newsclipping from The Guardian.
LQn current projects and plans to work with JR-;J
Braine, John (author) (1922-
ALS, May 12, 1980 G,ending his play "The StirrE:J and TLS cover
letter from Braine's agent, John Rush.
Bron, Eleanor (actress and writer)
ALS, May 6, 1980.
ANS on postcard, May 21, 1980.
(}bank you notes]
Calthrop, Gladys (designer)
ALS postmarked Sept. 7, 1975.
~dvising JR-E on Noel Coward's "The Vortex~]
Cohen, Alexander (American producer) (1920-
TLS, Feb. 22, 1970.
CTL, Feb. 22, 1970.
(9ffering criticism of JR-E's direction of "The Happy Apple"
by Jack Pulman~]
Daubeny, Sir Peter (producer) (1921-1975)
2 TLS: Sept. 9, 1971, Sept. 16, 1971.
lg~ncerning the possibility of including a production of the
Greek Contemporary Theatre Company in Daubney's "World Theatre Roose-Evans, James page 3
Box 1 Season.•~ (//2)
Dean, Isabel (actress)
ALS, April 10, 1978.
Ghanking JR-E for his fan letter and expressing a desire
to work with himJ -# Dench, Judi (actress) (1934-
ALS, Jan. 13, 1971.
\Eeclining an invitation due to the hectic schedule of rehearsals at the Rsc]--· Fermoy, Lady Ruth, see Lee, Laurie.
Forsyth, James (playwright) (1913-
TLS, Jan. 17, 1972.
~iscussing which of his plays' he feels is his best. JR-E
was writing an essay on Forsyth for DRAMATICS OF THE
TWENTIETH CENTURD
Hall, Sir Peter (Director of the National Theatre) (1930-
2 TLS: Feb. 15, 1978, Aug. 14, 1978.
Geb.: on JR-E's favorable reception of Hall's production
of "The Cherry Orchard."
Aug.: about a crisis in the organizational structure of
the National Theatre']
Hampshire, Susan (actress) (1942-
2 ALS: Nov. 2, 1974 on TN, Oct. 30, 1974.
1 ANS on postcard, Jan. 10, 1978.
1 ALS, Aug. 9, 1979.
3 ANS on postcards: Oct. 17, 1979, Nov. 5, 1979, Nov. 14, 1979.
1 ALS, Gare~ 14, (i98~. Roose-Evans, James page 4
Box 1 1 ANS, July 26, 1980. (#2)
1 ALS, Sept. 15, 1980.
The series begins with a good letter turning down a part in
Private Lives: "I know I should be doing that sort of
'posh' comedy, but I feel very drawn at the moment to plays
with a strong emotional base." Other letters refer to her
autobiography and to her book on dyslexia. She also describes
her busy life in the theatre, rehearsing for one play in the
afternoon, performing a second at night and looking after four
children at the weekend. She tells of an accident with a
saucepan that cut her face badly: "The hospital says that it
should not leave too bad a scar. Glad it didn't happen when
I was 21."
Hanley, James (novelist and playwright) (1901-
TLS, March 3, n.y. G,bout his work]
TNS, Jan. 7 l]97i]. Gnclosing letter (photocopy of TLS) from a
drama professor in Missouri who is directing Hanley' s "A Woman
in the Sky.j
Hepworth, Dame Barbara (sculptress)
2 TLS, March 22, 1969, Aug. 11, 1969,
rAbout her artwor~]
Hughes, Ted (poet) (1930-
ALS, March 19, 1975.
r~~bout a possible collaboration on a piece of documentary
theatre, "The Female Messiah," concerning the Shakers~]
Jackson, Gordon (actor) (1923-
ALS, July 30, 1978.
~eclining a part due to his involvement with "Upstairs, Downstairs.3 page 5 Roose-Evans, James
Box 1 Lee, Laurie (poet) (1914-
3 ALS: May 6, 1972, Dec. 10, 1979, Aug. 23, 1977, signed
card, undated.
JR-E: CTL, Nov. 7, 1977.
Fermoy, Lady Ruth (lady-in-waiting to H.M. The Queen Mother)
ALS, March 14, 1963.
~e: JR-E I s adaptation of "Cider With Rosie ..:) (112)
Luke, Peter (playwright) (1919-
2 TLS: Sept. 23, 1971, Nov. 24, 1971.
ALS, Jan. 13, 1972.
2 TLS: March 31, 1972, Oct. 21, 1972.
A good series of letters. The first is about Luke's debt to
Roose-Evans, who first suggested that Luke should write
a play based on Corvo's novel, Hadrian VII, and then arranged
for the Hampstead Theatre Club to commission it. Later let
ters speak of his play based on the life of Lytton Strachey,
of his disillusionment with London and his happiness in
voluntary exile in Spain, and of such topics as why Roman
Catholics make particulary good dramatists,
McEwan, Geraldine (actress) (1932-
Photocopy of ALS (cosigned by Hugh Cruttwell,soliciting money
for a gift for Frank Marcus), March 26, 1978.
ALS on card, April 10, 1978,
Marcus, Frank,
TLS, May 4, 1978,
Milne, Christopher Robin (1920-
TLS, Sept. 20, 1980. Roose-Evans, James page 6
Box 1 2 ALS: Sept. 29, 1980 (with theatre program for Halfway Up
the Stairs), Oct. 7, 1980,
lQn the possibility of a stage adaptation of Milne's autobiographi].
(1/3)
Muggeridge, Malcolm (author, editor, critic) (1903-
Muggeridge, Kitty L!atherin~
TLS, Feb. 11, 1974.
2 ALS, Aug. 15, 1974, Oct. 28, no year,
Muggeridge, Malcolm
7 TLS: Nov. 19, 1966, Dec. 8, 1966, Jan. 13, 1967, March 31,
1973, April 26, 1974, June 9, 1977, July 5, 1977.
ALS, no date,
1 Color photo of Muggeridges taken by JR-E, 3½" x 5 '.
[oncerning JR-E I s "An Evening With Malcolm Muggeridge;]
Oman, Julia Trevelyan (stage designer) (1930-
ANS on card, Jan. 3, 1978. Ghanking JR-E for a copy of one
of his booksJ_,,, Ramsay, Margaret (agent)
2 TLS: July 17, 1967, Sept. 10, 1970,
Guly: about Joe Orton; Sept,: about Stephen Poliakof%~]
Robson, Dame Flora (actress) (1902-
ALS, June 3, 1976,
St, Just, Lady Maria, see Williams, Tennessee,
Shawn, Ted (founder & director, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival)
TLS, May 27, 1956, \Eiscussing Shawn's career and expressing
an interest in a possible collaboratior{:"] ,.v-"~ Stoppard, Tom (playwright) (1937-
TLS, Oct. 9, 1975. ~eferring to a meeting of playwrights at Roose-Evans, James page 7
Box 1 Harold Pinter's home and an agreed policy of the presentation
of work in South Africa] (#3)
Suzman, Janet (actress) (1939-
ANS on card, undated. Ggreeing to take part in a productio~~J
Thorpe, Jeremy (Member of Parliament) (1929-
TLS, Feb. 27, 1975. ~~turning a book which JR-E leant to hi~~]
Van Vechten, Carl (photographer) (1880-1964) ANS postcard to Harold Jackson \J] , March 20, 1957. On verso, Van Vechten's photograph of Francisco Moncion. G:,he addressee
eventually sent the card to JR-i=\
Waugh, Auberon (novelist & critic) (1939-
ALS, Nov. 24, 1974.
[ieminiscing about prep school where Waugh had been a student
of JR-E~J
West, Dame Rebecca (author) (1892-
ANS in third person, June 1, 1963.
0ccepting invitation to Gala Performance of "Private Lives.•~]
Williams, Kenneth (actor & director) (1926-
TLS, July 7, 1962,
8 ALS: April 22, 1975, July 30, 1977, Aug, 23, 1977, Sept. 10,
1977, Aug. 7, 1978, Sept. 19, 1978, Jan, 24, 1979, Oct. 21, 1979.
[~e: Williams' professional engagementsJ
Williams, Tennessee (playwright) (1911-1983)
Including:
St, Just, Lady Maria
ALS on card "Monday. 11
Williams, Tennessee
ALS, Dec. 22, 1977. ROOSE-EVANS, JAMES #778 Addenda: June 1997 Purchase
Box2 I. MANUSCRIPTS A "84 Charing Cross Rd." F.1 1. 1st draft, carbon typescript with holograph corrections, 45p. 2. 1st draft with IRE alterations and comments as used in the 1st week of rehearsal (UK production), typescript with holograph corrections, 43p. F.2 3. 1st production copy (UK )with notes, carbon typescript with holograph corrections, 42p. 4. Revised draft, typescript with holograph corrections, photocopy, 42p. F.3 5. West End production script, annotated, typescript, photocopy, 42p. F.4 6. Prompt copy, Salisbury Playhouse, bound, typescript with holograph corrections, 43p., July/August 1981 F.5 7. Radio script for BBC production, computer script, 73p. F.6 8. Director's production copy (New York), typescript with holograph corrections, photocopy, 67p. F.7 9. Copy-edited MS for publication, typescript with holograph corrections, 67p. 10. Galley, 25p. F.8 B. Rough draft of article about the Broadway production of "84 "Charing Cross Rd.," holograph, 14p.
II. PRODUCTION MATERIAL F.9 A Cue list, production schedule, director's notes (New York) F.10 B. Set design information F.11 C. Broadway audition material F.12 D. Broadway box office returns
III. PRINTED MATTER A About IRE F.13-14 1. Newspaper clippings and reviews (N.Y. and UK.) F.15 2. Playbills and promotional matter-UK F.16 3. Playbills and promotional matter-N.Y. F.17 4. Program, 8th Annual Theatre ofRenewal Awards, Feb. 7, 1983 5. "The Drama Awards of the Year," tearsheet, drama, Spring 1983 6. Program, The Society of West End Theatre Awards, 1982 Page2
Box 2 F.18 B. ByJRE 1. Obituary for Helene Hanff, photocopy, n.d. 2. "84 Charing Cross Rd.-the most sought after address on Broadway," drama, Summer 1983 F.19 C. Research material 1. "The Best of Books," photocopy, Town and Country. Dec. 1970 2. ''Focus on J.N. Bartfield Books, Inc.," photocopy, Harper's Bazaar, Nov. 1973 3. "Visit New York's Most Fascinating Book Shop," photocopy, Pan Am Clipper, Oct. 1981 F.20 D. 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD. Helene Hanff,. Annotated by JRE
IV. CORRESPONDENCE F.21-22 A n.d. F.23 B. 1981 F.24 C. 1982-1993 Including: Hanff, Helene ANS, n.d. ALS, March 8, 1981 ALS, March 13, 1981 ALS, Sept. 14, 1981 ALS, Sept. 24, 1981 ALS, Dec. 23, 1981 Telegram, Jan. 12, 1982 TLS, Jan. 12, 1982 ALS, May 26, 1982 TLS, June 25, 1982 ALS, Dec. 3, 1985 ANS, Sept. 16, 1992 ANS, Oct. 19, 1993 Leach, Rosemary ALS, Nov, 5, 1981 ALS, Aug. 14, 1982 Redington, Michael ANS, n.d. TLS,Feb.25, 1982 TLS, March 19, 1982 TLS, March 28, 1982 TLS, April 26, 1982 TLS, Sept. 10, 1982 TLS, Sept. 20, 1982 TLS, Oct. 2, 1982 Page 3
Box2 ALS, Oct. 12, 1982 ALS,Nov. 3, 1982 Telegram, Nov. 15, 1982 Telegram, Nov. 16, 1982 2 TLS, Jan. 15, 1983 ALS, Feb. 12, 1983 ALS, May 19, 1983 ALS, June 8, 1983
V. PHOTOGRAPHS F.25 A One of Rosemary Leach and Helene Hanff, 1981, 5"x7", b/w B. One of Miriam Karlin in post-West End tour, 1984, 8"xl0", b/w C. One of Helene Hanff at 84 Charing Cross Rd., London, 1981, 11 11 6 x8 , b/w D. One publicity photograph of JRE, David Swift, and Rosemary Leach, 4"x8", b/w E. Two photographs of illlustrations for the set design illustration, 11 11 8 xl0 , b/w 11 11 F. Ten photographs of the Broadway production, 8 xl0 , b/w G. One of JRE, Ellyn Bursten, Joseph Maher, and Helene Hanff, 8"xl0", b/w Page4
ROOSE-EVANS, JAMES
#778
Addenda: September 1997
Box2 F.26 I. PRINTED MATTER A. Program for the memorial service of Helene Han:ff, Sept. 16, 1997