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Enormous Archive of Manuscript Music of Cole Porter Songs
Enormous Archive of Manuscript Music of Cole Porter Songs
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Description:

Enormous Archive of Manuscript Music of Cole Porter Songs

This archive of materials from the estate of actor and singer Clifton Webb includes manuscript sheet music for four of Cole Porter’s songs from Broadway musicals and musical revues, including "Now or Never" (signed), "After All, I’m Only a School Girl," and "The Lady I Love" from Wake Up and Dream (1929) and "Let’s Not Talk About Love" from Let’s Face It! (1941), all written in an unknown hand, (but quite possibly some are in the hand of Porter as many similarities exist) and published sheet music sent to Webb at Porter’s request for "Thank You So Much, Missus Lowsborough-Goodby" (1934). Porter signed the cover of "Now or Never."

Webb starred in several Cole Porter musicals or musical revues, including See America First (1916) and As You Were (1920). Although Webb did not appear in Wake Up and Dream or Let’s Face It!, he likely sang some of their popular songs in other venues.

COLE PORTER. Small Archive of Sheet Music from Estate of Clifton Webb, 1929-1941, 57 pp. Also includes many additional pieces of manuscript and published sheet music from Webb’s collection and documents from the administration of his estate. Approximately 350 pp.

Highlights
- Manuscript Sheet Music for Cole Porter, "Now or Never" from Wake Up and Dream (1929), signed on the cover by Porter. 6 pp. + 16 pp. of parts for alto, flute, violin, tenor, bass, trumpet, and trombone, + 2 pp. of piano for Cole Porter, "Looking at You" from Wake Up and Dream (1929).
- Manuscript Sheet Music for Cole Porter, "After All, I’m Only a School Girl." From London and Broadway musical revue Wake Up and Dream (1929). 4 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for Cole Porter, "The Lady I Love." From London and Broadway musical revue Wake Up and Dream (1929). Apparently unused and no lyrics survive. 4 pp.
- Published Sheet Music for "Thank You So Much, Missus Lowsborough-Goodby" (1934) with Typed Letter Signed from Rose Parker of Chappell & Co., music publishers, July 11, 1947: "Upon the instructions of Mr. Cole Porter, we are enclosing herewith a copy of ‘MISSUS LOWSBOROUGH GOODBY’." 9 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for Cole Porter, "Let’s not talk about Love." From Broadway musical Let’s Face It! (1941). 12 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for Cole Porter, "Jerry’s version of Let’s not talk about love." From Broadway musical Let’s Face It! (1941). Danny Kaye played Jerry Walker. 2 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for Cole Porter, "Maggie’s version of Let’s not talk about love." From Broadway musical Let’s Face It! (1941). Eve Arden played Maggie Watson. 2 pp.

Additional Materials
- Published Sheet Music for "I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan," lyrics by Howard Dietz, music by Arthur Schwartz. From Broadway revue The Little Show (1929). With handwritten interlined additional stanza. The cast included Clifton Webb. 6 pp.
- Published Sheet Music for "I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan," lyrics by Howard Dietz, music by Arthur Schwartz. From Broadway revue The Little Show (1929). The cast included Clifton Webb. 4 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music with Typed Lyrics for "It Was a Shock to Me" a "specialty dance-song written for Clifton Webb by Louise Snodgrass" (1930). 6 pp.
- Published Sheet Music for "Right at the Start of It," lyrics by Howard Dietz, music by Arthur Schwartz. From Broadway revue Three’s A Crowd (1930). The cast included Clifton Webb. 6 pp.
- Published Sheet Music for "Out in the Open Air," lyrics by Howard Dietz, music by Arthur Schwartz. From Broadway revue Three’s A Crowd (1930). The cast included Clifton Webb. 6 pp.
- Published Sheet Music for "A Shine on Your Shoes," lyrics by Howard Dietz, music by Arthur Schwartz. From Broadway revue Flying Colors (1932). The cast included Clifton Webb. 8 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for "Alone Together," lyrics by Howard Dietz, music by Arthur Schwartz, from the Broadway musical Flying Colors (1932). The cast included Clifton Webb. 5 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for "Sleepy Time Down South," lyrics by Howard Dietz, music by Arthur Schwartz. 8 pp. and Copied Sheet Music for "The Sister Act" (1932), 2 copies, with the same lyrics as "Sleepy Time Down South." 8 pp. each.
- Typed Document, Dialogue and Lyrics for Sketches in the Broadway musical revue As Thousands Cheer (1933). Clifton Webb portrayed Mahatma Gandhi and Helen Broderick portrayed Aimee Semple McPherson in one sketch. 9 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for "Opening," from Noel Coward’s comic play, Blithe Spirit (1941). 8 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for "Peggy & Clifton," incorporating printed sheet music from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, "People Will Say We’re In Love" from Oklahoma! (1943). Clifton Webb and Peggy Wood were the leads in Noel Coward’s comic play, Blithe Spirit (1941). 9 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for "Civilian," lyrics by Howard Dietz, music by Vernon Duke (1943). 3 pp.
- Manuscript Sheet Music for "Sunday, Monday or Always," lyrics by Johnny Burke, music by Jimmy Van Heusen (1943). 3 pp. (2 copies)
- Manuscript Sheet Music for four songs by Margaret L. Coakley (1897-1992), including "The Night That We Met" (dedicated to Grace Moore) (1941), "I Touch Your Face" (n.d.), "My Home in the Valley" (1941), and "Adirondack Maid" (n.d.). 8 pp. total.
Coakley sent these songs to actress and singer Grace Moore (1898-1947), who died in a plane crash while on tour in Europe. That same year, Clifton Webb and his mother purchased the home at 1005 North Rexford Drive in Hollywood that Moore once owned. Perhaps Moore gave them to Webb, or Webb discovered them in the house after he purchased it.
- Additional manuscript and printed sheet music. Approximately 100 pp.
- Documents from the administration of Clifton Webb’s estate, 1966-1967, kept by his private secretary Helen Matthews Dalrymple to whom Webb left half of his estate. Includes copies of Webb’s birth certificate, death certificate, and will. Approximately 140 pp.

Cole Porter (1891-1964) was born in Indiana and began musical training at an early age. He learned the violin at age six, the piano at age eight, and wrote his first operetta at age ten. His wealthy grandfather wanted him to be a lawyer and in 1905 sent Porter to the Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, where he became class valedictorian and entered Yale College in 1909. While at Yale, Porter wrote three hundred songs and participated in several musical groups, including serving as president of the Yale Glee Club during his senior year. He also became acquainted with New York City’s nightlife during his years at Yale. After graduating from Yale, Porter enrolled in Harvard Law School in 1913, but soon switched to the Harvard music department. His first song on Broadway appeared in 1915, and unlike many Broadway composers, Porter wrote both the lyrics and music for his songs. In 1917, Porter moved to Paris to work with the Duryea Relief organization. He also served in the French Foreign Legion for a time and hosted lavish parties in Paris noted for sex and drugs. As a public cover for his homosexuality, Porter married Linda Lee Thomas (1883-1954) in 1919 and they remained married until her death. Porter continued his extravagant lifestyle in Paris and Venice and continued to write songs. He returned to Broadway in 1928, which led to offers from Hollywood as well. Among his major Broadway hits were Fifty Million Frenchmen (1929), Gay Divorce (1932), Anything Goes (1934), Jubilee (1935), Red Hot and Blue (1936), Kiss Me, Kate (1948), and his most successful songs in movies included compositions for the musicals Born to Dance (1936), Silk Stockings (1955), and High Society (1956). A 1937 horseback riding accident left him substantially crippled and in constant pain for the rest of his life. After several operations, his right leg was amputated in 1958, and Porter never wrote another song and lived the rest of his life in relative seclusion.

Clifton Webb (1889-1966) was born Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck in Indiana and moved with his mother Mabelle Parmelee (1869-1960) to New York City, where she married Green B. Raum Jr. In 1909, using the stage name Clifton Webb, he became a professional ballroom dancer, and he debuted on Broadway in 1913. In 1916, he appeared in Cole Porter’s short-running comic opera See America First. He continued to appear on Broadway, in vaudeville stage appearances, and in silent films in the 1920s. In 1925, he appeared in the feature film New Toys. He appeared in a total of 23 Broadway shows between 1913 and 1947, mostly in musicals but also in two of longtime friend Noel Coward’s plays, Blithe Spirit and Present Laughter. In 1944, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the film noir Laura, which also landed him a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox. In 1946, he received another nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Razor’s Edge. Two years later he received a Best Actor nomination for his starring role in Sitting Pretty. The sequel Mr. Belvidere Goes to College (1949) and Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) made him a box office star. He made several more successful movies in the 1950s, including Stars and Stripes Forever (1952), Mister Scoutmaster (1953), Titanic (1953), and The Man Who Never Was (1956). Webb was a homosexual but had no known long-term partners and lived with his mother until her death at age 91. He left half of his estate to his longtime secretary Helen Matthews Dalrymple.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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