Description:

Porter Cole

Cole Porter TLS with Early Draft of "All of You" Lyrics

 

2pp TLS on watermarked cream stationery signed by American songwriter and composer Cole Porter (1891-1964) as "Cole" on bottom, and with typed signature "From: Cole Porter" at upper left of first page. In near fine condition, with expected light paper folds. Minor paper clip rust impressions in top left corner of both pages. Each page measures 7.25" x 10.75."

 

Cole Porter wrote New York theater producer Cy Feuer (1911-2006) from his home in Los Angeles on August 21, 1953. Featuring important content about their upcoming Broadway production Silk Stockings, loosely based on Melchior Lengyel's story "Ninotchka."

 

"Dear Cy: Please find enclosed the newest lyric to OF YOU, which I also consider the best. Please destroy the other two lyrics which you have. I have a series of substitute lines for this song which we can use in case the enclosed lyric doesn't apply", Porter wrote.

 

On the second typed page, Porter included the latest version of his lyrics:

 

"NINOTCHKA

 

FINISHED LYRIC

 

OF YOU

 

Refrain

 

I love the looks of you, the lure of you,

I'd love to make a tour of you,

The hair, the arms, the mouth of you,

The east, west, north and the south of you,

I'd love to gain complete control of you,

And handle even the heart and soul of you,

So love at least, a small percent of me, do

For I love all of you."

 

The final version of the song "All of You", originally performed by Don Ameche as Steve, was the break-out hit of Silk Stockings. Between this draft and the final version, Porter slightly altered the song title and modified the three first lines, while lines 4-8 remain unchanged. Here, we have the unusual opportunity of studying a working draft of Porter's lyrics, for, as we know from this letter, drafts were usually destroyed.

 

Silk Stockings premiered on February 24, 1955. The story of Ninotchka, an overzealous Soviet agent who falls in love with a French libertine, was adapted by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows, with music and lyrics by Porter. Ninotchka is traditionally played as a comedy, which explains Porter's reference to "research on the current Russian cliches." Over the next fifteen months, the cast of Silk Stockings gave 478 performances at Broadway's Imperial Theater.

 

Cole Porter was a classically trained musician who composed music and lyrics for Broadway and Hollywood alike. Porter's musical output was prolific during the late 1920s and 1930s; he averaged between one to three smashes almost every year between 1928 and 1939. Porter continued composing theatrical and movie scores well into the late 1950s.

 

Cy Feuer and his partner Ernest H. Martin (1919-1995), here referred to as "Ernie", were theatrical producers. Their biggest successes were Guys and Dolls (1950) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961).

 

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