Original Typed Unpublished Book Manuscript Signed Entitled, There and Back, Signed by Leueen MacGrath
signed
(circa 1960s) · London
by MACGRATH, LEUEEN
London, (circa 1960s). 429 pages typed on rectos only hardbound in gilt-stamped full black cloth. Leueen Macgrath (1914 - 1992) was a playwright and scriptwriter and film and theatre actor/ actress. She was married to the British film director Desmond Davis and subsequently the American writer George S. Kaufman. She was married to Kaufman for 8 years from 1949 during which time she collaborated with him on various plays and scripts including the 'book' for Cole Porter's 'Silk Stockings' and "Fancy Meeting You Again'. She also co wrote the Broadway hit 'Small Hours' with him. Her career was launched in 1936 with an enchanting performance in Terrence Rattigan's "French Without Tears" and she appeared with Alec Guinness in John Mortimer's autobiographical play "A Voyage Round My Father." This manuscript is an interior autobiography taken from her diaries but omitting references to places, events or names. Starting from age 23 it chronicles her thoughts and feelings into middle age. She mentions Weininger, Jung, Tolien, Natalie Clifford Barney, Loran Hurnscott, a good amount on Byzantine Art, I Ching, murder, Lesbianism, assisted suicide, Venice, Rilke and always the life of the writer and the habit of writing. This manuscript remains unpublished. There are a few annotations and corrections by her to the text. It is signed by Leueen Macgrath on the first page with her Eaton Square, London address on the next page she has crossed out the name of a a London & New York ‘dramatic agent’ Gordon Harbord with a Temple Bar phone number. The date of this MS is the late 1960s as these numbers went out in the early 70s. Laid in is a lovely signed black and white photographic portrait of the beautiful MacGrath, 8 by 10 inches, taken by Avery Willard. (Inventory #: 13417J)