ARCHIVE Discussing Proposal for French Production of His Musical SIMPLY HEAVENLY

New York, 1959. Letters. Near Fine. Interesting archive consisting of 4 SIGNED (as “Langston”) items in green ink and various other pieces concerning a French production of his musical SIMPLY HEAVENLY, all to Léo Sauvage. Included are a TYPED LETTER SIGNED, two AUTOGRAPH NOTES SIGNED, and a SIGNED offprint with a note of “Sorrow for a Midget.” The one-page letter reports having sent a copy of SIMPLY HEAVENLY and suggests some possible alterations and casting for a French production. With the original envelope. The notes, together 11 lines, inquire about progress of a French production and express excitement about a television advertisement for SIMPLY HEAVENLY, written in the upper or lower margins of typed letters to him concerning a legal matter arising from the similarity of the names of the character Jess Simple in Hughes's play and a living playwright Jesse B. Semple. The offprint, SIGNED twice at lower edge of first and terminal pages and additionally INSCRIBED, “For Leo,” on first page and on terminal page: “What's happening with 'Simple' a la francais? . . ./Hazel Scott says she'd love to do it.” From the typed letter dated 8 June 1959: “I posted you a printed copy of the Dramatists Play Service version of SIMPLY HEAVENLY c/o FIGARO. Of course the additional songs used in the Broadway version may be re-inserted, if desired. Or the play may be done as a straight comedy with no songs at all, as it was originally written … since the lyrics are a translation hazzard [sic]…. Hazel Scott might be a good Paris casting for Mamie, the role that brought Claudia McNeill to fame here, and a piano number or two could be especially inserted for Miss Scott, who now lives in Paris. Jimmy (Lover Man) Davis (who lives there, too) might play one of the singing men's roles. June Richmond and other good colored artists also live in France now, so the play should not be too difficult to cast with French speaking artists of color: the Peters Sisters, for example, and Babe Wallace, etc., as well as Ines Cavanaugh; plus the various French Caribbean and African artists who are about.” With a group of 13 printed items with a few scattered underlines or other markings likely in Hughes's hand, including his biography and bibliography, a brochure featuring listing of his audio recordings, a reprint of a newspaper article by him, and sheet music for his “Six Shades of Blue.” Together 22 pages.

Léo Sauvage was a drama critic for THE NEW LEADER and the founder of a theater troupe in Marseilles in World War II. He is best known as the author of a controversial book, THE OSWALD AFFAIR, published in. It criticized the Warren Commission investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, alleging that the evidence against Lee Harvey Oswald was flimsy. He wrote that two conspiracies existed, one to kill the President and the other to kill Oswald.