Loverly:The Life and Times of My Fair Lady (Broadway Legacies) (8 page)

Throughout this phase, the only evidence of another actress possibly playing the role of Eliza is in a letter from the agent Deborah Coleman, who wrote to Levin on February 3 to suggest Vanessa Lee (one of Ivor Novello’s leading ladies) for the part, but no further mention is made of Lee elsewhere in Levin’s papers.
²⁹
Four days later, Levin wrote letters to two agents to announce that he would be going to London on February 15 to “do some casting on the leads for the musical version of
Pygmalion.
”
³⁰
The ambiguity of the phrase “casting on the leads” may suggest that the team was undecided as to whether to use Andrews or not, and there is evidence that Petula Clark was auditioned for the show in March 1955 during the visit to London.
³¹
But in truth, there seems never to have been a serious alternative discussed for the role once Andrews’s name had come up, and as history has shown, she was the perfect choice.

Aside from the casting of Eliza, Levin’s letters of February 7 appear to uncover a massive discrepancy in Lerner’s autobiography regarding the visit to London in the early months of 1955. Lerner describes how, in order to fund the trip to England, he sold his share of stock in a gold mine left to him and
his brothers by their late father—“And so it was that shortly after the first of the year, we took off to visit the original scenery.”
³²
He talks about arriving “that cold January night”
³³
and meeting up with Rex Harrison (whom he claims was his first choice for the role of Higgins),
³⁴
says that Cecil Beaton agreed to do the costumes during this time,
³⁵
mentions that Harrison agreed to play Higgins after five weeks of procrastination, and avers that Lerner, Loewe, and Levin left London in mid-February.
³⁶
Yet according to Levin’s letters of February 7, he intended to leave New York on Tuesday February 15 and arrive in London the next day.
³⁷
Therefore, Lerner’s departure date was in fact the arrival date for the producer. Levin’s letter continues: “The Messrs. Lerner and Loewe will follow me in a few days.” Again, this contradicts the romantic image Lerner conjures up of a “little brigade” of people all traveling together, because clearly they went in at least two separate parties.
³⁸

As to their activities during the visit, it is difficult to be much more specific, other than to rely on Lerner’s account as outlined. A letter from Levin to Cecil Beaton confirms that the two met in London and clarifies that his agreement to do the show depended on being given permission by Irene Mayer Selznick to do it at the same time as working on a production for her.
³⁹
The main purpose of being in England, of course, was to secure the services of Rex Harrison, and negotiations with the actor resulted in a preliminary agreement drawn up by Levin at Claridge’s Hotel on March 18.
⁴⁰
Harrison’s terms were that his guaranteed salary would be $3,000 per week, plus 10 percent of the gross box office receipts between $30,000 and $50,000; that he was guaranteed a minimum of six weeks’ employment or $18,000 in lieu; that he would be given first-star billing, though the actress playing Eliza Doolittle could be co-starred if Levin chose; that the contract would last a year; and that rehearsals would begin on or after October 1, 1955, subject to two conditions: the closing of the play
Bell, Book and Candle
in which Harrison was starring in London at the time, and a four-week lapse between the end of the play and the start of rehearsals for the musical. The final point in the agreement is a fascinating list of directors with which both parties were happy. The choice was subject to Levin and Harrison’s mutual approval, but both were amenable to the following names: John Van Druten, Alfred Lunt, Moss Hart, Robert Lewis, Peter Glenville, Tyrone Guthrie, Hume Cronyn, Cedric Hardwicke, and Cyril Ritchard. It is striking that Hart was third in the pecking order here, since various writers have suggested that his name “headed the list.”
⁴¹

The other business to be conducted while in London was to find an actor for the role of Alfred P. Doolittle, Eliza’s dustman father. Exactly when Stanley Holloway’s name first came up is uncertain; the earliest documentary
evidence is a letter from Lillian Aza, his agent, on February 24, 1955, in which she informed Levin of her contact details, having heard that he was interested in using Holloway.
⁴²
No known documentation exists for the actual meeting between them, but Lerner and Holloway’s autobiographies largely concur on the matter. Lerner says, “In New York, when we first discussed the part of Doolittle, both Herman and I had the same first thought: Stanley Holloway. I remember him well from my schooldays in England and we both had seen some of his recent motion pictures. Herman called him and we all had lunch together at Claridge’s. He loved the idea of playing Doolittle.”
⁴³
With his typical inclination to embroider his text with humorous stories, Lerner also relates Holloway’s reaction to the team’s question as to whether he could still sing after many years away from the stage: “Without a word he put down his knife and fork, threw back his head and unleashed a strong baritone note that resounded through the dining room, drowned out the string quartet and sent a few dozen people off to the osteopath to have their necks untwisted.”

On March 14, Lillian Aza wrote to Levin with a list of points to be included in Holloway’s contract, following a meeting in London a week earlier.
⁴⁴
Among other details, Holloway was to be paid $1,000 per week; rehearsals were still scheduled to begin “on or about” August 15; and his billing was to be equal to that of the actors playing Higgins and Eliza “unless the artiste eventually engaged for the part of Higgins is a star of such caliber that he commands larger billing.” Aza also required that Levin let her know whether rehearsals were to be postponed until October 1, because Holloway had received an offer of a film contract for that time. Although Aza had asked him to reply before he left England, Levin did not answer until March 25, by which time he was back in New York. He was now able to announce that rehearsals had been deferred to October 1 and clarified that Holloway would receive first featured billing if Levin could not arrange co-star billing.

He also quibbled at Aza’s terms regarding the length of contract, which she had specified as lasting “for the run of the play,” but Levin requested instead that Holloway be under contract for three years, explaining that this was the tradition under American Equity.
⁴⁵
Levin ended by promising that “the terms agreed upon will in a short time be incorporated in an Actor’s Equity Contract and sent you for Mr. Holloway’s signature,” but there would follow a delay of several months, during which time the increasingly agitated Aza would keep urging Levin to set a rehearsal date and submit the contract. On March 31 she wrote to him again, requesting that he could leave the show after two years if he should wish, and further arguing his cause regarding billing. “If Rex Harrison demands first billing, then we will, of course, agree,” she allowed, “but I do feel Stanley should be billed in the same type as Julie Andrews.” After all,
Holloway was far more experienced than the young Andrews. Aza now also added the proviso that Holloway be given first refusal of the role of Doolittle if the show went to London.
⁴⁶
Five days later, Levin replied in agreement with the latter request but was firm in insisting that Holloway accept first featured billing if co-star billing could not be arranged, an argument that would continue to rancor throughout the run of
My Fair Lady
.
⁴⁷

Also on March 31, Levin was sent a letter about Harrison’s contract from his agent, Laurence (“Laurie”) Evans, who mentioned a proposed trip by Lerner and Loewe to London on June 18. They were to bring Harrison more of his songs once they had written them; Evans had already booked rooms for their trip.
⁴⁸
The next day, Levin wrote to Evans, though he had clearly not yet received his letter. Levin admitted that “it was awfully hectic the first week that [he] was back” but now had time to bring Evans up to date. He mentioned his forthcoming trip to the East Coast to see Michael Kidd and John Van Druten; he asked Evans to inquire as to a fair financial deal for Harrison’s role in the original cast album recording, strongly urged him to speak to Harrison about co-star billing for Holloway, and asked for an update on the business situation regarding
Bell, Book and Candle
(since until Harrison was able to leave the play,
My Fair Lady
could not go into rehearsal).
⁴⁹
The same day, Levin also wrote to Oliver Smith. He confirmed that a deal had been made with Harrison to play Higgins. “I feel it is ideal casting,” he added, “and I have a hunch that you will agree with me.”
⁵⁰
Levin also mentioned that Holloway had signed for Doolittle (“I think he will be wonderful”) and that Andrews would almost certainly play Eliza. He asked Smith to call him on Friday afternoon at the Beverly Hills Hotel to “make a date.” In a postscript, Levin also confided that Beaton had agreed to do the costumes—“but keep this under your hat. Just in case I find it too tough to make a deal with Arnold Weissberger, we may want to turn to Irene [Sharaff].”

After this, all we hear of Levin’s actions while in Hollywood is a series of telegrams between him and John Van Druten, the prospective director, who was known for writing the plays
I Remember Mama
and
I Am a Camera
, as well as for directing the original Broadway production of
The King and I
. His association with
The King and I
, which features a simmering relationship between the king of Siam and the governess Anna Leonowens that is not unlike that of Higgins and Eliza, may well have been the reason for this choice of director.
On April 5, Levin wired Van Druten to confirm his arrival on the Friday and to request a meeting on the following Monday, and eventually the director agreed.
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As stated earlier, no evidence about any possible conversations with Michael Kidd has survived, but a telephone message sent to Levin on May 9 confirms that Van Druten was busy until October and could do the show only if the production were to be considerably delayed.
⁵²
Thus at the end of his trip to Hollywood, Levin returned with neither a director nor a choreographer.

In the meantime, Aza wrote to Levin again about the rehearsal date, because if Holloway were to be free until the end of October he could accept yet another film contract.
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Levin ignored the letter, so she wrote to him again fifteen days later and urged him to finalize both the rehearsal date and the contract.
⁵⁴
This time, Levin wrote back at length explaining the problem regarding Harrison’s contract with
Bell, Book and Candle
. In desperation, he pleaded for leeway from Aza on the date but confirmed that rehearsals would not begin until at least November 1 and said that if she would permit him to put a clause in Holloway’s contract to allow for Harrison’s problem, Levin would send the document immediately.
⁵⁵
The discussion continued for some time. On May 12, Aza asked that Holloway be allowed to be free until November 30 in order to make his film and mentioned that the opening of Harrison’s new film (
The Constant Husband
) had probably stimulated interest in
Bell, Book and Candle
.
⁵⁶
Five days later, Levin acknowledged Aza’s letter but said he needed more information on the situation with Harrison’s play before he could grant the permission Holloway desired.
⁵⁷

One has to admire Aza’s persistence. On May 31, she reported that she had checked with Harrison’s agent directly, who said it was unlikely that the play would fold before the end of October,
⁵⁸
then on June 13 Levin sent Aza a telegram asking her not to commit Holloway beyond November 1.
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Two weeks later, she wrote back to say that Holloway had signed to do the film because she had not heard back from Levin, and the outside shots had to be done that very week.
⁶⁰
Even then, though, Aza continued to badger Levin for Holloway’s contract, sending him a desperate telegram on July 13, to which he replied: “
ALL HINGES [ON] HARRISON. EVANS ADVISES HOPEFUL SATISFACTORY OUTCOME THIS WEEK
.”
⁶¹

As Levin said, everything hinged on Rex Harrison’s availability. Although the main issue was allowing him to be free to leave
Bell, Book and Candle
, negotiations continued as to the finer details of the contract. On April 4, Laurie
Evans asked that Harrison be paid $3,000 per recording day on account of 2 percent of the gross sales of the cast album, going on to mention that the play continued to do very good business.
⁶²
Levin replied at length on April 20, after his return from Hollywood, and for the first time suggested making a deal with Hugh Beaumont, the producer of
Bell, Book and Candle
, to effect a firm date for Harrison’s departure. The terms of Harrison’s contract allowed him to quit when the gross dropped below £1,750 ($4,902), but Levin proposed that Evans agree with Beaumont to allow Harrison to leave on November 1; in return, Harrison would stay on until that date even if the gross had previously dropped below that amount.