WESTERN UNION
BENNETT CERF=
1942 JUN 2 PM 7 41
20 EAST 57 ST NYK=
MY ADDRESS FOR THIRTY DAYS WILL BE AVIATION CADET SECTION SAAAB SANTAANA CALIF GOOD LUCK LOVE=
DONALD.
MACKAY RADIO POSTAL TELEGRAPH
June 3, 1942
CAPTAIN DONALD S. KLOPFER
AVIATION CADET SECTION
S.A.A.A.B.
SANTA ANA, CALIF.
DELIGHTED TO HEAR FROM YOU. PAT* RELAYED YOUR PHONE CONVERSATION. OFFICE SEEMS EMPTY WITHOUT YOU BUT WILL HOLD OUT IF JEZEBELS* OLD NUMBER EIGHTY EIGHT DOES. BUSINESS BECAME TERRIFIC MOMENT YOU LEFT. THIRTEEN HUNDRED PARIS [The Last Time I Saw Paris by Elliot Paul] SO FAR THIS WEEK NOT TO MENTION THREE HUNDRED GREEK DRAMA AND FIVE HUNDRED TACITUS. FROM COLUMBIA. LOVE AND KISSES
June 9, 1942
Dear Klopf:
Harry Maule has just started to give the plot of the new Mignon Eberhart book to the electrified sales conference, so I ought to have about an hour and a half of free time to clean up the mess on the desk and finally get off a letter to you. As you can imagine, I have been literally up to my neck ever since you left getting jacket dummies, and what not ready for the conference. It has gone wonderfully and I see a little daylight ahead.
Under separate cover, I am sending you copies of the summer list, the juvenile list, and the multigraphed fall list. It was the last job that was the tough one, of course, but I don’t think that the result is bad.
Bob Linscott came down yesterday [from Houghton Mifflin, where he was still employed, though he was about to agree to come to RH] to sit in on the conference and was literally overwhelmed by the wealth of stuff we’ve got on this fall program.
Barring unforeseen transportation difficulties and the like, we really ought to clean up in the coming six months and that should be a happy thought for you while you are learning to do right shoulder arms. Incidentally, I am the only man in the history of the U.S. Army who ever cut his nose while performing this simple manual. I did it with the sight on my gun and won the official title for my squad of “The Bloody Fifth.”
Everybody in the office was delighted with your two letters. We all envy you the experience that you are having and I am particularly sad that I can’t be with you every morning to get up at 6 o’clock. You know how I always love to breathe in the early morning air.
Bob* and Saxe† I know, have written you all the detailed news of the office. The total on PARIS last week was over 2500 copies. The coming Sunday Tribune tabulations are a clear first with 60 points; Cross Creek [Marjory Kinnon Rawlings] is back in second place with 52. The Benson book [Sally Benson, Junior Miss] isn’t going to set any worlds on fire, but on the other hand, it will be a comfortable success. Yesterday’s total was 166 copies for it. I think we’ll surely hit 8000 and very possibly ten. The big surprise for us this summer may well be Quentin Reynolds’ ONLY THE STARS ARE NEUTRAL. We are beginning to get enthusiastic telegrams from several accounts and Kroch [owner of a Chicago bookstore], my new-found buddy, wired to increase his order from 25 copies to 100. The first review I have seen is a proof of Linton Wells’ review for the Saturday Review of Literature. It is an unqualified rave. This book really may go places.
We haven’t lifted a finger to get any of the boys who came home on the Drottningholm. Denney and Loechner are the only two who seem to have any story to tell, and they seem to be spilling the works in their syndicated newspaper articles. I guess we are the only publishers in America who haven’t gone after them. Herb Matthews was in to see us. He isn’t a bit sore about the Spanish book. He thinks he has a good book in him on the Italian business, but is honest enough to say he doesn’t think he will have time to write it before he is off again, this time for India. The Times saved this post for him for months. Most of the other boys who came home on the Drottningholm haven’t the faintest idea of the kind of work they are going to find from now on.
I sat up until almost 3 o’clock this morning galloping through Sam Adams’ THE HARVEY GIRLS. It is really a pretty good yarn, but shows the effect of a rush job. I think we can safely count on selling about 6000 of it. Bernice* is going to try to sell it as a one-shot to Cosmopolitan, in which event we’ll get 10% of those proceeds. We are also in for 10% of the movie price (excepting the $5000.00 down payment) and, since I understand that MGM like the job that Adams has done, we may get quite a substantial sum out of this end of the project, too.
Mannie†, Abe‡ and I had a fine old time with your inventory job the other afternoon. The final figure will be about 3800. The Duplaix stuff is figured at 13¢. The Modern Library figure isn’t what it used to be. I’d like to give you more complete details.
Before I do so, I wish you’d tell me how many other people are likely to see our letters to you—if any!
Everybody in the office misses you like hell. Your manicure girl informed me this morning that she managed to get a kiss in before she left. You’ve been holding out on me, Klopfer.
The only item of social interest concerns the party at Bob’s tomorrow afternoon. I understand that a big exhibition doubles match has been arranged involving Haas and Kreiswirth on one side and Mrs. Haas and Cerf on the other. Bets are flowing freely. I think we ought to win because I am thoroughly hep to Jezebel’s weaknesses. Incidentally, I hope my wire to you came through in ungarbled form and that you remembered the title of our old No. 88! [Flowering Judas, Katherine Anne Porter]
I realize that you are working your whoosises off, but please remember that we are all terribly anxious to hear as full reports of your activities as you can possibly give us. Your letters are passed from hand to hand and literally devoured by everybody in the place.
Let me know if there is anything at all I can do for you here. And please tell your Commanding Officer that we would like to have you stationed permanently at Governor’s Island as soon as your training course is over. If Cerf’s recommendation won’t do this, maybe I can get a letter from Major Silberberg (boy, could I have spit when I heard this bit of news!). Incidentally, I will probably have the pleasure of seeing that old shit (I had to spell this word out to Jezebel, she had never heard it) on Thursday afternoon.
Do you want PW [Publishers Weekly] or any other things of that sort sent to you? Or would you rather not be bothered with trade details so that you can keep your mind clear for military matters?
As ever,
Bennett
June 9/42
Dear Bennett—
Had a week-end of dissipation, my last day off this month, I’ve been told. Saturday night I took the bus up to Beverly Hills to Edgar.* Spent the night there and found the Selwyn family en masse. Billy looks like an ugly Quent Reynolds! Sunday Georgie came over, we went to Lee and Ira’s [Gershwin’s brother] for a drink. Saw Alex Aarons, Irwin Shaw and some others and then to supper at Artie Schwartz’s, Knopfs,† Leonard Lees and others there. It seemed a little like wandering into “21,” everyone was there and everyone sends love to you. Little Annie has evidently given Georgie the brush off and he can’t understand it. I just cannot disillusion him if he hasn’t enough sense yet!
This army business is still lots of fun. In four weeks they effect to make experts out of us in Chemical Warfare, High Altitude Flying, Mess Management, Close order Drill and everything else having to do with the Army Air Forces. It will give us a good birds-eye picture of the whole thing. That will be wonderful to have no matter what work I finally do.
The routine is pretty much the same—up at 6-15 in the morning, working all day at drill and lectures, a little studying at night and turning in pretty early as I’m usually dead by dinner time. It wouldn’t be so hard if I were living at the Base but there are no married men there—and they just haven’t the accommodations. It’s fascinating to watch this camp grow. It opened Feb. 15th. They now have about twelve thousand men here and before they’re thru’ it will be five times the size it is now. I’ve seen the final plans for it, and they’re something. The officers are a good group of guys but I haven’t made any real friends yet. I guess I’m too choosy, and we’re all too busy!
I haven’t read a line other than military stuff since I’ve gotten here—don’t ever see the Times or Trib—Has Paris gotten to 1st place yet! And what’s happening in N.Y. I haven’t heard a word from you—you bastard.
Give my love to Thrup* and Jezebel—and a good pinch for Christopher† from his Uncle Donald.
Take care of yourself and don’t work too hard. I’m mighty lonesome for 20 East.—
My love, as always—
Donald
June, 1942
Dear Bennett:
I haven’t written for the past week because unfortunately I broke the middle finger of my right hand, thereby causing me considerable inconvenience, and I am sure causing you considerable laughter. I have been working hard all week long and have gotten letters from Saxe and Mannie, but nothing from you. How about keeping me posted as to what’s happening in our dear office. I realize you are as busy as the very devil but work Pauline overtime just about once a week, so I know what the devil is happening. If I am permanently stationed here I will want PW sent to me as I certainly want to keep in touch to see what’s happening in the world of books. Frankly, I haven’t much time to read but I don’t want to get out of touch. Will you please send me, charging my account, six copies of “Attack” as soon as they’re off the press? I think I can use them to good advantage out here.
Thank Phyllis for the pictures that she sent me. I think they’re wonderful and I’ll write to her as soon as I am able to. This letter is short and with no information, but I’ll be back on the ball by the end of the week.
Give my love to everyone in the office.
As always,
Donald
June 16, 1942
Dear Don:
We are all terribly sorry to hear about your busted digit, but I suppose that sort of thing is inevitable when they blast ausgespielte old poops out of their easy chairs and put them into competition once more with active young bucks like myself. I hope you haven’t been too inconvenienced by the mishap. It is hard to realize that you are over 60% finished with your training course already; as you know, you are squeezing more into each week than happens here at the old bailiwick in six months—and I envy you a little bit more every day.
News from Random House is all good. PARIS keeps romping along. The total for last week was about 2000. Yesterday 600 more and, in the first mail this morning, there was an order of 500 from the News Company and 250 from the Book-of-the-Month Club. I guess we are up to about 33,000 now and, from present indications, we ought to hit 50,000 before we are finished.
Sally’s book is moving too at the rate of between 100 and 250 a day. Macy’s Modern Library order yesterday was for 2800 of the regulars—about the biggest Modern Library order we’ve gotten from that bailiwick in many a long day. I am still trying to get them to use the THREE FAMOUS SPY NOVELS for their July mystery book of the month. Peg [Macy’s book buyer] and George are coming up to my house for dinner on Monday night, along with the Hollisters, the Farnols and the Ernie Heyns. For your information, Ernie Heyn is the new editor-in-chief of Liberty Magazine, and I am trying to sell him PARIS as a one-shot condensation. You will recall the new Mrs. Ernie Heyn when I tell you that her name was once Ethel Butterworth!
First reviews on Quent’s book are out and out raves. Kroch has gone crazy about it and sent letters to all his customers saying that it is the most exciting book he has read in 35 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if we went over 10,000 on this one. All in all, I feel like sending a telegram of congratulation to Mr. Morgenthau.
As I indicated to you, we are going to show a profit of about $3800.00. The preliminary figure is $145,000.00. We wrote all the dollar Whitman stuff down to 13¢ and all the Lifetime Library Books down to 40¢ and 50¢ apiece. This accounted for a great deal, but we still had to drop the price of all the Modern Library books, including the Giants, about 3¢ apiece in order to get the desired results. I honestly think that there will be no question about this because, even at the new figure, our Modern Library inventory is still way higher than it was a year ago and is so big that we feel fully justified in marking it down et al, and our stock will be as clean as a bone in a few days’ time. And by God, we mean to keep it that way. After this we are going to let books go out of print when the demand starts dribbling off rather than getting ourselves stuck with a whole new edition. This has happened all too frequently in the past. We are all watching this stock problem together now. In fact, the team work has been marvelous and if only we don’t lose more key people in the course of the coming weeks we’ll get along O.K. I am afraid Russell* and Whitney will be the next to go.
Last night about 150 people gathered at the Ambassador for a surprise dinner to Amy Loveman. It really turned out to be a wonderful affair. Elmer Davis spoke just before hopping off to his new job in Washington. Chris Morley and Tom Lamont also gave amusing talks. The voice of the publishing industry also made a magnificent impression, but modesty forbids me to go into further detail in this connection. Bob Linscott and Bob Haas occupied the guest room at 132 after the party was over. Tonight Merle and Bob, Charlie Addams and Boris Karloff are coming to the house for dinner. That is about the sum total of my social life for the month.
It looks as though Doubleday Doran have managed to get rid of their Garden City plant to the Perry Gyroscope Company. The deal hasn’t gone through yet, but Wolff and Satenstein are sitting around licking their chops in gleeful anticipation of new business. The deal won’t hurt that rickety Doubleday balance sheet, however! Gene Reynal is off for the Navy and Reed has gotten a job with Curtise Hitchcock. Speaking of Satenstein, I read THE LAST MAN COMES HOME over the weekend. I am sorry to report that it is probably the worst piece of garbage that we ever brought out under the Random House imprint. We are going to print 5000 copies from type and let it go at that.
Oh hell, that’s enough for now. Go back to your drill and remember that we all love you and miss you here. I wish I were coming over with Pat tomorrow!
As ever,
Bennett
June 18/1942
Dear Bennett:
I never did receive the various lists you promised me. Tell Pauline to send me the summer list and the mimeographical sheet! She’s neglecting me horribly—but I suspect you’re keeping her busy, and I’m forgotten.
As you can see by this letter my finger is out of its splint and I can’t bend it much yet but on the whole it didn’t bother me too much. They marched the ass off us to-day and then put us thru’ gas chambers so that we were tear gassed—then I found out a gas mask really works. This week has been dryer (I hope you spell it that way) than heretofore—we’re having a lot of military law and company management—last night I was assistant Officer of the Day—stayed up all night—posted guards. Ran around the grounds in a car—acted important all around and got mighty tired. Week after next I know what they’ll do with me—for a few weeks anyway—but not for much more than that.
I am mighty depressed by the Libyan news. But here you can’t tell anything—but it doesn’t look good to me. Maybe I’ll get to India yet.
Give my love to the gang—I can’t write all of them separately—but I certainly miss that bunch—they’re swell and I’m lonesome for them and especially you—you old horse.
Congratulations on the May deal—no Book Club choice?
Love,
Donald
June 19, 1942
Dear Donald:
You’ve got a hell of a chutzpah kicking about my lack of writing when poor little Jezebel typed her fingers to the bone the other night on a document that was three paragraphs longer than WAR AND PEACE. And we don’t want to hear any crap about letters crossing in the mail either!
By the time this letter reaches you Pat will already have told you all the social news. Here is the business dope in a nutshell.
Good old Moriarty died on Wednesday night. I am sure you will feel just as badly about it as I did. Paul Rossiter took care of sending flowers for us. Paul will probably get the job at the Coop [Yale].
Our old friend Zevin reports that BATTLE FOR ASIA will probably be a very big seller for them. He is making it his headline feature for the fall. While he was in a good mood about all this I sold him LAST MAN AROUND THE WORLD. He is coming up this afternoon to sign the contract and, by that time, I hope to find something else around that I can unload upon him.
Harry Maule says the new Maritta Wolff book has terrific possibilities. I won’t read it until he has cut it down a couple of hundred pages or so.
You will get six copies of ATTACK just as soon as they are ready. Looks like we may have something really big in that book.
We have decided to give PARIS a shot in the arm by trying out one of those 10% free book promotions. The first day’s response was orders for 1000 each from Baker and the News Company, and 250 from Macy. Zowie.
ONLY THE STARS ARE NEUTRAL is off to a really good start and the Benson is moving too. The enclosed ad should knock you for a loop. Sally, incidentally, was in to see me yesterday for the first time since her return and was all friendship and cream puffs. She never even mentioned the mixup over the play edition of JUNIOR MISS.
I hear that Graystone is footch. I also hear that the Doubleday plan for selling the plant to Sperry has hit a snag and is likely to fall through.
Gene Reynal got into the Navy and leaves in a few weeks. Mait Edey has just gotten his commission as Second Lieutenant in the Air Force and is off for Biloxi, Miss.
The eyes of the sporting world are on Rips 54th Street Tennis Court, where at 5 o’clock this afternoon the extremely nebich combination of Commins and Kreiswirth will undoubtedly be crushed under the smashing volleys of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett A. Cerf.
Fred Melcher gave a luncheon yesterday for about 60 publishers to enlarge your old War Council. Mention was made of the fact that you were off in the army. The vote to enlarge the work of the committee was a 64 to 1 in favor. I need hardly tell you that the guy who voted nay very loudly was old Alfie Knopf. He said he thought the whole business was a God damn waste of time. Between ourselves, I have a hunch that Alfie’s got something there!
Leah Daniels has decided to retire and be a housewife. I am trying to persuade Frances Merriam to take the job. I will let you know more about this next week.
I guess that’s about all. All of us are working like hell, but it seems to agree with us.
Love,
Bennett
Dear Cerfie—
Klopfer has been assigned for two days to Squadron 47, 180 nice little pilot cadets, and promptly was made O.D. here. He had just taken his little boys to mess and about to see that they are nicely tucked in, but at 10 o’clock. What a grand bunch of youngsters they are. If I can’t get a good job in Intelligence I am almost hoping to be a Squadron Commander with these cadets. They’re really right out of the top drawer, most of them from the Middle West, very young, very eager and quite intelligent. It might be fun wet nursing them thru’ their preliminary training. But I forgot I’m back in the work business. They’re doing a 600 page training manual out here and want it privately printed so Klopfer has been called in as an expert, and in comparison with these dopes I am. But I don’t want to be thrown into that job completely. I’d still like to go to Harrisburg but I’ll know my next assignment Monday as I’m out of school this Saturday. Expect a beautifully engraved diploma. This week I’ve been alternately getting printing quotations from Los Angeles and pulling a Colt 45 apart. I can get it apart but there are usually a few parts left over when I put it together. Wait until I get at a machine gun.
If the British pull many more Tobrucks I’ll really see active service. I can’t understand it and I can’t believe there’s any valid cause. By the time you receive this I’m sure Savestopol will have fallen and then the trouble will really begin.
Thanks so much for all the business information. How about a little of the bad news. Things can’t be going as well as you insinuate. Have they been throwing many Victory Marches back? How’s the old cash position? Will they ever sell enough books to pay off that loan? And tell Abe to send me the monthly statements. I’m really not complaining Cerfie, I’m just lonesome for the life I’ve led for 17 years, the language I’ve spoken in that time and the friends that are so dear to me.
Pat and Tony* arrived safely. We’re living in a little apartment in Laguna Beach. Mrs. K. is doing the cooking and damned well, too, and, when I get home, it’s very nice.…
I’m having a lot of fun here but it doesn’t look as tho’ I’ll get to India with a Combat Squadron. Fix it for me, please.
My love to all Bob, Saxe, Lew—my beautiful Pauline—and all and family. Kiss Phyllis and Chris for me.
Love,
Donald
Who’ll replace Leah [Gadlow] and the youngsters upstairs?
June 23, 1942
Dear Klopf:
Stung by the derisive concluding sentence of your last letter, “no book club choice?” I swung my 88mm guns yesterday at Harry Scherman, Meredith Wood and Harry Abrams, and think I’ve got them reasonably well sold on the use of THE WISDOM OF CHINA AND INDIA for a future book dividend. They fished out their own records on the sale of the little Confucius volume in the Modern Library and, when they saw that it was exceeded only by OF HUMAN BONDAGE and A FAREWELL TO ARMS, the flag of Random House began to flap victoriously in the breeze. The deal isn’t closed yet by a hell of a long shot but, from now on, I will worry them into it if I possibly can. My motto is “If a finger-breaking schlemiel like Klopfer can sell them Proust, Cerf ought to be able to sell them the great thinkers of the Orient!” I will keep you posted.
Business continues very brisk on PARIS. It is still first in the Tribune surveys and we’ve crossed the 35,000 mark. In fact, it is safe to say we are pretty close to 40,000. Meanwhile, Quent’s book is really off with a bang. Peggy Byrnes and George were at the house last night for dinner. Peg says it is selling faster at Macy’s than any other book in the department at the moment. They sold 50 copies on Saturday and Monday! We are printing a new edition, bringing the total printed to 15,000, and the outlook couldn’t be brighter. ST. LOUIS is over 7000 and still moving, but it hasn’t got the zoom of the other two. CLARK GIFFORD is out today and I think it is absolutely hopeless, and I won’t spend more than $100.00 in advertising. In fact, I may not spend a cent on it. The same goes for THUNDERBIRDS. We’ll sell our 2000 copies (in addition to the 2000 to Fox) and forget about it. Bob is working hard on ATTACK and so is Saxe. We may have a real dark horse in this one.
The total May figures are as follows: M.L., $19044.43; M.L.G., $13074.80, R.H., $46,000 ($25,000 for June 1941).
The figures up to June 17th are: M.L. and M.L.G., $19,000 ($16,000 for June 1941); R.H., $46,000 ($25,000 for June 1941).
I wish we had more cash in the joint but, outside of that, everything is hunky dory and I really think that, with all of us watching the new printings like hawks, we are going to save an awful lot of money along this line in the months to come.
I am terribly anxious to hear what the future holds in store for you. Saturday will mark the close of your four-week period, and I hope that you will soon know where you are booked for next. Please write the very minute you find out.
The news from Libya is certainly discouraging. John Gunther was at the house last night with Bubbles [Leonora Hornblow], but couldn’t contribute any new facts for our enlightenment. Have I told you that Cecil Brown has landed the coveted five-minute news spot occupied by Elmer Davis? That won’t hurt our book. Incidentally, the title of the Brown book has been changed to FROM SUEZ TO SINGAPORE. Do you like it?
I have been talking with Dan Longwell about that old plan for a Life book of war photographs. Wolff’s estimate, however, for a 320 page book comes to about $1.10 a copy. To that we have to add a goodly sum for an editor and, all in all, the total investment would not be under $25,000.00. The Book-of-the-Month Club was very cold on the idea of using this book as a dividend and we have accordingly decided to turn the whole thing down flat. I am writing Longwell that we’ll be interested when the war is actually over, but that if he wants to go ahead with one now, he will have to give it to another publisher. I am sure you will approve of this course.
The inter-office tennis matches on Friday produced some spirited competition. Thrup and I trimmed Jezebel and Saxe, but when Abe replaced Saxe we went down to inglorious defeat. Jez and Thrup looked magnificent on the court until a familiar-looking female began playing on the adjoining court. Her name was Alice Marble. Even Jezebel’s incredible conceit collapsed in the face of a menace like this!
I hope that you’ve got a nice apartment at Laguna and that Pat is seeing enough of you to make her trip worth while. Write as often as you can and remember that everybody here loves you very much.
As ever,
Bennett
June 26, 1942
Dear Donald:
We were all deeply interested to hear that you are back at the old routine of getting printed quotations. My hunch is that you will turn out such a good job on this particular project that you will probably end up by producing the Congressional Record. After you have read a couple of issues of that, you will know something, my boy!
You ask for some of the bad business news along with the good. Honest Injun, Klopfer, there isn’t any bad news at the moment except our cash position, which I presume is a reasonably familiar problem to you. At the present moment, we have accounts payable of $60,000, notes payable of $66,000. The latter figure includes $35,000 to the bank, $15,000 to ourselves and $16,000 in trade acceptances. Against that we have cash of only $11,000. The accounts receivable is between $130,000 and $140,000. This situation will probably get a little worse between now and September, but we are watching things very carefully and I don’t think the adverse balance will grow alarmingly. From September on we really should right ourselves very quickly.
We are being absolutely ruthless about taking on new projects for next year. Every time I see the length of our Fall list, I froth at the mouth, but that is water under the bridge now and the only thing we can do is to really live up to our resolutions in the future. This I promise you faithfully will be done.
Very few of the VICTORY MARCH are bouncing back. It hasn’t been a sensation anywhere, but everybody seems to realize that it is the time of year and not the book and they all are willing to string along until the Fall, when they think they will really go to town with the book. The sales chart shows 2463 copies for June up to the 22nd, making the total just a few hundred over the 50,000 mark. Under the circumstances, I think it is a great showing, and since we were smart enough not to reprint, we are sitting pretty. The June 22nd total on the card for PARIS is 34,000. This week will show about 3000 more. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS is up to 7500 with about 400 added this week. ONLY THE STARS, by the end of this week, will be around the 10,000 mark. It will be 11th on the Tribune best seller chart week after this. PARIS falls to second on that chart, but it is a photo finish. On the second string, PAN AMERICAN SPANISH is rapidly approaching the 5000 mark. The first 22 days of June we sold 388 STORM, bringing the total up to 26,000. GREEK DRAMA is nudging the 15,000 mark (427 in the first three weeks of this month!). A CHILD’S BOOK OF PRAYERS goes on its merry way with over 600 this month and a total of almost 26,000. KEEPER OF THE FLAME is around 3300 and will probably die there. As you know, Grosset have this title for the Fall.
Zevin, as I think I told you, has taken LAST MAN AROUND THE WORLD and will probably add one or more other titles of ours later on. Doc Lewis [bookseller] has earmarked PRESCRIPTION FOR MURDER and AIR FORCE GIRL.
I am having Ernst Reichl design the whole WISDOM FOR CHINA AND INDIA and will have dummies to send to the Book-of-the-Month Club in about a week’s time. We will also soon expect to get dummies of that JANE EYRE–WUTHERING HEIGHTS BOM dividend. We may be able to work out a special deal with Monroe Greenthal of United Artists on the Jane Eyre half of the dividend. That would be pure gravy, of course.
The final profit, after Martin Podoll got finished with his handiwork, was just over $2000.00. The terrific mark-off in inventory, a goodly part of which was absolutely necessary and not optional, shows where too much of our money has been going.
Georgie Opp called me up frantically at 2 o’clock this morning to tell me how anxious he is to get into some branch of service where, to quote him, he will be in danger. He says he’d like to have about twelve men under him and do a propaganda short somewhere in the firing line. It was all I could do to keep from laughing over the phone. George really is the world’s greatest ass at times like this. I promised to speak to Lynn Farnol for him, but the mere thought of Oppenheimer in charge of a group of men at the front is enough to make me want to conclude a separate peace of my own with Japan.
John Gunther had a huge cocktail party the other day. Then a whole bunch of us spent an old-time New York night wandering the town. The tour included the Colony for dinner, the Barberry Room for drinks, and a final windup at “21.” I should worry; the bills were all Gunther’s, and I hate to think of what the total must have been. Included in the party were Bill Shirer, Bob Riskin, [Harold] Ross, Marc Connolly, [Samuel] Behrman, Major [Anatole] Litvak (!!!), Fay Wray, Jean Dalrymple, Howard Lindsay and his wife [Dorothy Stickney], and God knows who else. They came and went like ships in the night, if I may coin a phrase.
Two moves are on foot. One is to get Elmer Davis to do a 15-minute broadcast to the nation every week. I think this would be a wonderful idea and would do much to clarify the atmosphere. The second move involves a “Draft Willkie” campaign for the Governorship. I have agreed to do a little work on this project because I’d dearly love to see Mr. Dewey erased from the scene, and Willkie is obviously the only man who can stop Dewey from getting the Republican nomination. At 2 o’clock this morning Mankiewicz came running over in triumph to state that he had won the campaign for Willkie by definitely committing Harold Ross to coming out publicly for Dewey. And what PW and Mr. Winchell have done to him since beggars description.
Well, that’s enough for this time. Let me know just as soon as your plans are settled for the next few weeks. And I hope to God it will be Harrisburg or some other place even nearer home.
My love to Pat, Tony and yourself.
As ever,
Bennett
P.S. My social secretary (slang for Jezebel) reminds me that Tuesday is your wedding anniversary. My heartiest congratulations to both of you, and here’s hoping it is the last one that we spend apart!
Dear Don:
All of us were staggered by the knowledge that you are practically back in the publishing business. Two months to finish one book indeed! Why, in that time, Klopfer, Commins and I expect to turn out two volumes of Thomas Aquinas, one volume of St. Augustine, and the Sex Life of Elmer Adler. We are torn between pleasure at the knowledge that you are doing something you really know something about, and worry that you will fret at such a humdrum interlude in what promised to be the high road to adventure. Don’t forget we are all pulling for you no matter what you do, and we are still hoping that something will bring you East. Why the hell don’t you tell them that you can finish that book much faster in New York where your former cronies will help you, if they absolutely have to.
Many thanks for the renewed invitation to use the farm. I hope to take advantage of it either myself sometime in July, or when Phyllis gets back in August. As I think I have written you, she is leaving with Bubbles one week from today for the coast for a three week vacation. Bubbles is treating her to the round trip and both of them will be boarding with Anne Shirley, so the price looked right to us! I urged her to go since, under present circumstances, it is unlikely that I will get more than a week at a time off, if that much.
Business news in a nutshell: I asked Mannie to send you the May statement which is a pippin. June will be even better but, of course, a lot of the profit in June will be a bit on the phony side since we are selling thousands of dollars worth of inventory that is marked down on our books to next to nothing. Not one remainder was disposed of in May, however, so the May figure is strictly kosher. The Reynolds and the Paul books keep up beautifully. You will remember that we made a 10% free book offer on PARIS a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday Harold Williams called up and bought his third thousand on that basis! My God, how the dollars—at least the accounts receivable—roll in!
Frances Merriam is going to take Leah Daniels’ place beginning Monday, and I think we are damn lucky to get her. The picture of you in uniform decided her to take the job and she has agreed to take a $10.00 cut in salary the minute you come back. My God, how you mesmerize those Macy gals.
Believe it or not, we haven’t signed a contract for a new book in three weeks. Harry Maule is home today whipping the new Maritta Wolff book into shape. He says it is going to be a world beater. A new manuscript from Chris Massie arrived yesterday along with a voice from the dead in the shape of a long new novel by Morley Callighan. The Fearing novel is a complete flop, as expected. ST. LOUIS is tapering off, but will do well over 8000, which isn’t bad in these times.
I honestly think that is all the news I can give you. Elliot Paul has blown into town and is waiting outside to have lunch with me. Next thing you know, you will be getting a telephone call or something from Mrs. Bennett Cerf. She should arrive on the coast about July 10th.
My love to you.
As ever,
Bennett
Dear Bennett—
I’ve neglected to write before this as I haven’t known my plans. We drove across the continent in the six days allotted to us and I reported Tuesday morning.* Hoisington had arrived before me having sold a hill of goods to the training command at Ft. Worth. We’ve reworked the book and he’s off for Ft. Worth and Washington to-morrow. If he sells the idea of printing it at an outside printer I’ll be back in N.Y. next week. If not I won’t be back until after the war. My present assignment is in charge of Training Aids out here. If I stay I can build up this department into something really big. We can do one helluva job but I don’t know how long I’ll be left here. It seems like a long way to the Harrisburg School but you never can tell what will happen in the army.
We’re living at the Santa Ana Hotel until I hear from Perry next week. Saw Georgie over the week-end. He thinks he’s going to get a commission in the motion picture division of the Air Corps. Which is where he belongs.
Tell Bob that I’ve dropped Bob Jr. [a Navy pilot] a line.…
I’m sure I’ll get him this time if he’s here.
Give my love to all of the gang.… I left rather abruptly without telling you how grand it was to be back even for a little while. Please use the farm for your vacation.… And use some of my liquor. It’ll spoil. Kiss Jez for me.
Love,
Donald
Dear Cap:
A sudden burst of frigid weather sent us scampering home from Maine a few days ahead of schedule, and what did we do over the weekend but pack up Christopher, his nurse Margaret, his potty and various and sundry other accoutrements, took Edith and Lewis Young along as a happy afterthought, and proceed down to the Klopfer farm for as nice a weekend as I have had in a long, long time. Before I go any further, I want to thank you both very much indeed.
It rained all day Saturday and I read Maritta Wolff’s NIGHT SHIFT straight through. The book could have been cut a little bit more, but it certainly has in it everything but the kitchen stove, and I think we can push it in something like the fashion that Viking adopted for THE SUN IS MY UNDOING. I have already given Johnny Beecroft a terrific sales talk on the book. Galleys are in his hands and we can only hope. While I am on the subject, Bob is handling the Dinesen negotiations with the BOMC. It is an “A” book and we are all in high hopes. The Lin Yutang looks dubious for a strange reason. Merry Wood and Harry Abrams are all for it, but Harry Scherman is very frigid about the whole scheme. The reason, believe it or not, is that he is sore as hell at Lin for his attitude on India and the Far East today. Mind you, Harry doesn’t say this in so many words, but it seemed perfectly obvious to both Bob and me on separate visits. I am afraid that all those arguments that you and I had with Harry about India and so forth didn’t help the situation any. It is sort of a wry joke that, after all the Chinese stuff the Club has adopted, Harry should go off on this angle just when we have something to throw into the pot! I haven’t given up on the Lin book yet, but if we can jam it by Harry in his present state of mind, it will be a minor miracle.
To go on with the tale of the weekend, yesterday was perfect and we played lots of paddle tennis. The farm is in wonderful condition. The corn and the peaches are beyond description (Lewis and I each ate exactly twelve ears of corn apiece while we were there). I came in this morning on your regular train which, in honor of my presence, was forty minutes late, thus enabling me to get to the office at my usual hour and preserving Jezebel’s sanity, such as it is, for another few days.
Gaston seemed really glad to see us. Marguerite* seems pretty well recovered, but now has hay fever to bother her and Gaston thinks this will retard her complete convalescence for several additional weeks. She is expecting Pat on September 9th. Is that correct? Thrup is finding out what the expenses were for the weekend and we insist on your accepting remuneration for the same. Don’t forget that we agreed on this basis before you left. I don’t want any shenanigans from you about it.
Business is sound and PARIS and STARS keep up amazingly. We had to borrow another twenty from the bank today to cover royalty payments, but that looks like the last trip we’ll have to make to this particular well, and I honestly think that, by January 1st, we’ll be financially sound, at last.
I don’t quite understand your new post. If you have time, I wish you’d explain it to me a little more fully. I do hope you will be able to make New York again this Fall. I miss you badly enough at the office here, but down at the farm it gave me a strange empty feeling not to have you pottering around in your handsome blue overalls. Tell Pat I missed her very much at the farm too—honest. As for Thrup, she is your wife’s devoted slave and champion.
We’ll take care of Sergeant Moore’s manuscript when it gets here. My desk is an awful-looking mess, so I will cut this now and write again when I am caught up with myself.
Love,
Bennett
P.S. Did I tell you that I am working on an anthology of military humor for Pocket Books? I hope you will send along any funny stories connected with the war that you can think of. Keep ’em clean; this book is aimed at the army purchasing commission and the Red Cross, and if I do a decent job, I honestly think it will sell a half a million copies.
P.P.S. Just as I finished dictating this letter, Jezebel informed me that she had gotten a note from you this morning saying that the manual had been canned in Washington. Why in hell she didn’t tell me this while I was dictating this note is a problem more for a psychiatrist than for myself. Does this all mean that all the months’ work that has been put in on the manual goes for nothing? And is there no chance of a reversal somewhere?
Sept. 1 — 1942
Dear Bennett—
I’ve been a bit neglectful about writing lately but things have gotten dull around here. The Manual has been canned by Col. Smith in Washington after receiving the blessings of the Training Command in Ft. Worth. We were to do it for the whole country but I guess the Washington boys will want credit for it so they’ll probably come out with one like it in time for the next war. It’s pretty discouraging and is symbolic of the nonsense that still goes on here in Washington. God save me from Headquarters anywhere. I haven’t gotten any details from Perry yet but I guess he’ll be back in another week and then I’ll hear all about his misadventures. In the meantime, we are working along here on our little projects to help out wherever we can in training these cadets so that they won’t commit suicide when they have to fly against some real opposition.
We took a little house at Lido Isle—get into it September 20th—that’s OK since Pat is returning to New York on Saturday and I would not want to “keep house” by myself. It has three bedrooms and two baths and is about 100 yards from the water. So if you can get out here, there’s plenty of room for you. My wife will do the cooking and cleaning but it’s very compact so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I’ll expect to lose weight then and I can stand it.
I seem to be further and futher from action in this job and I really miss the gang and the business like the devil. This seems like so much play when there’s real work to be done.
Give my love to Thrup, Bob and the whole office. Let me hear from you once in a while.
Love,
Donald
September 4, 1942
Dear Donald:
Your letter of September 1st sounded a little down in the mouth to me, and I hope it was only a passing mood. I have got enough sense to understand your feeling of complete frustration over the manual debacle, and I also understand that the prospects of teaching a lot of squirts at Santa Ana for an indefinite period is not too glamourous. On the other hand, another shift may come along at any second and the first thing you know, you will find yourself ordered to some foreign clime. And just think, you might have been stuck down in Washington. I had dinner with Chester Kerr on Wednesday evening, and I gather that the guys who are stationed down there, both in uniform and in offices like the CWI, are in a state bordering on complete dementia. In spite of all this, things do seem to be getting done and, if the Russians can only hold in the South a little bit longer, the tide may turn once and for all.
David Ormsby’s THE SOUND OF AN AMERICAN has finally been published by Dutton’s and is getting incredibly mixed reviews. Some of them are devastating, but the book is going to sell, possibly better even than anything he ever did under the Longstreet handle. It certainly wasn’t anything for the Random House list, even if it hits 100,000.
Yesterday’s total on PARIS is exactly 846 copies, and we are well over 50,000, and I think there is another ten or fifteen thousand in the woods on it for sure. We gave Saxe a $500.00 bonus the other day for his work on the book and I am sure you will approve of this gesture. Needless to say, he was delighted.
Under separate cover, I have sent you a set of bound galleys of the Cecil Brown book. That is the next baby on which we are going to concentrate our big guns. The Maritta Wolff opus is in line to follow. You can rest easy that the Fall list is going to go over big and that everything possible is being done for it.
Frances Merriam is working out in a brilliant fashion and is a great addition to our ranks.
I wish to hell you were sitting across that desk from me at this moment.
As ever,
Bennett
P.S. I have just received the enclosed letter from Manny Piller. Will this guy be anything for us in case we found an opening? Please return his note to me along with your comments.
September 11, 1942
Dear Klopf:
At the end of a long and particularly trying day, I shall cease potching Jezebel just long enough to write you a brief report.
1. Interest in the Cecil Brown book is terrific. It’s been made an “A” book along with the Dinesen [Winter’s Tales].
Maybe out of the two, we’ll get one windfall! The Philadelphia Inquirer has bought the second serial rights to SUEZ for the unbelievable sum of $1200.00 and, using this as a lever, we got the even more unbelievable sum of $1400.00 from the New York Post. Unfortunately, we had to throw the New York deal into the pot to sweeten the deal with the United Features Syndicate so, although we get half of the Philadelphia jack, we’ll only get 25% of the New York sum and similar ones that follow. United Features rang up $18,000.00 worth of sales on this hitherto undreamed of end of the affair alone. We are releasing second serial rights on December 7th, which is a date that may have some connotations for you!
2. Hollywood is seemingly very excited over NIGHT SHIFT. Today, at the last moment, the William Morris office called to calmly tell us that Maritta Wolff has made them her movie agent. Harry Maule is in Maine, as you know, so Bob and I will have to try to find out what kind of idiocy this is. I told the smooth and hitherto unheard of bastard at the Morris office that his coming in at this particular time was like somebody claiming a commission for getting F.D.R. some time on the networks. I won’t even give him galleys until I see what’s what. We’re in for 20% of these movie rights and mean to protect our interests to the last ditch, even if you have to go to jail for it!
3. Walter Black has taken RINGED WITH FIRE for his Detective Book Club.
4. We wangled Twentieth Century-Fox into buying 500 of our remaining 700 copies of THE OX-BOW INCIDENT at $1.00 a copy net.
5. Elmer Davis has written that Brown’s book will go through Washington O.K. with just a few minor changes.
6. We are turning down a putrid adventure story by Randau and Zugsmith that is just a musical comedy version of THE SETTING SUN OF JAPAN. Collier’s has bought it and some publisher will undoubtedly do it, but it stinks on ice and, when good old Max Lieber said we couldn’t have any share of the movie rights, we gave him the old brusheroo.
7. Kenneth Fearing has turned in some stinker that he dug out of the trunk in an obvious effort to end his contract with us. We are going to let him get away with it. I am just fed up with shenanigans of the likes of him. I hope this meets with your approval.
8. All of the above will give you a rough idea of what our business days are like right now.
Pat and Tony blew into the office to say hello on Tuesday, but we’ve seen no sign of her since. That evening, at about 7:30, good old Rae called up to say she was having a party for Pat and had forgotten to ask us. This squares us up for the Junior Miss party. If she ever brings that up again, I will push her teeth in. In fact, I’d be glad to do this anyhow. Thrup has been trying to get Pat over for dinner, and I hope we will be able to make a date with her when she gets her deck cleared.
Jez has promised to send you all important books from now on. Let’s presume for the nonce that she knows an important book when she sees one. She’ll have to prove it to me. (Faces are being made while I dictate this.)
In addition to the office work, and the Saturday Review column, I am spending countless hours at night on my Pocket Book anthology of war humor. Jesus, what a job this is turning out to be. If you know any clean jokes about either the Army or the Navy, for God’s sake send them to me. I am particularly light on Navy stories. I think, however, that the book is going to be a reasonably amusing one—if Jez and I live long enough to finish it.
Social life is practically nil. We spent last weekend at Neysa’s. This Saturday we are going down to the Guggenheims and next weekend is reserved for the Schermans, where I am going to make one more effort to put over the Lin Yutang. I still have hopes in this connection.
Well, I am back to the potching. Write soon and know that all of us here miss you terribly and love you very, very much.
As ever,
Bennett
September 17, 1942
Dear Donald:
Funny thing: Your distinctly nostalgic note about our beloved Minsk Bombshell arrived just about ten minutes after Belle Becker had come in to tell me that she had lunch today with Marian.* Incidentally, Belle reports that Marian never looked prettier or more glamorous in her life, and that she seemed happy and that Henry seems well on his way toward getting a commission somewhere or other. Speaking of anniversaries, today is my second, putting all my previous records, of course, completely to rout. Klopfer, let’s face the fact that we are both rapidly approaching the A. K. stage.….
Bob has wired you the BOMC news. I never really expected that they would take the Cecil Brown book and the door is still open on the Dinesen, so after the first bitter moment of disappointment, my spirits rallied pretty quickly. I agree with you that all the worst sides of Brown’s personality crop up in the book and mar it to a considerable extent. We took out what we could in the editing, but you can’t change a leopard’s spots entirely, if I may coin a phrase. Nevertheless, I think it is going to be a wow of a best seller. The Dinesen will be reconsidered at the next meeting when the judges will have a chance to read the last three stories that we are missing in the manuscript that we were able to give them for this session. Major Haas* has his heart set on consummating this deal and the Major has never let us down yet. (I’m no fool. I know he is going to see the carbon of this letter.)
Lew Miller† is in Washington, so of course Joe Margolies [a book buyer] appeared in New York today. I am going down to sell him myself tomorrow morning at 10 and hope I haven’t lost the old knack of wangling good quantities from him. The only way I can describe business is to say that it is incredible. Yesterday, for instance, there were over 500 PARIS and over 250 STARS. In my next letter I am hoping to have a movie sale of NIGHT SHIFT to report to you.
Tony has approved of a lot of my jokes for the war book so I am beginning to be afraid that it stinks. And between your letters and Pat’s verbal explanations, I think I am beginning to understand something about what you are doing out there. I know how you are missing the publishing business here but, on the other hand, don’t forget that I am stamping around wishing to God I could get into uniform. A simple case of green pastures, my boy.
Write as often as you can.
Love,
Bennett
Dear Bennett—
I’m sorry I plum forgot about your anniversary. Somehow or other I thought it was nearer the end of the month. Anyway you don’t have to have me tell you what I wish Thrup and you. Nothing’s too good for you two and I certainly will you the moon. But I will not admit that I am getting to be an A.K. Maybe you are, but I’m just hitting the prime of life. One more month before I start to collapse!
Spent the week-end at Georgie’s. He’s going nuts waiting for his commission to come thru. If it doesn’t I think he’ll kill himself. He’s about to sell his house and really sever all connections with the past. Had dinner at Kenneth McKenna’s and played hearts with the boys resulting in a decided victory for the last!
I’ll be curious to see about that book of yours. I haven’t heard one good story of this war. And that’s not kidding.
Thanks for the news about business. I hope Lew is planning to make a distribution of one juvenile as per heretofore. Charlie Howe is awaiting on it. Stopped in to see Phil Kubel on my way to Georgie’s. God he looks like a corpse. I’m sure the Cecil Brown will sell like hell. How many are you printing?
No news from here. I’m flying down to San Diego tomorrow to see what the Navy has to offer. Hope I can see Bob Jr. Coming back in the late afternoon. Won’t give me much time.
My love to all at the office. I miss you guys like hell! Potch Jez for me. Is Saxe O.K. or killing himself with work. Watch out for him.
Love,
Donald
Dear Don:
Since you are busy defending Democracy, it fell to the lot of Maestro Luigi Miller and myself to journey up to Boston on Thursday for a party thrown by the Hillyers in honor of MY HEART FOR HOSTAGE. The party was staged at the new Hillyer home at 39 Pinckney Street. Dorothy has done a wonderful job of decorating the place, it looks like a miniature edition of Hampshire House. And boy, did she draw out the crowd for this party. Alfred McIntyre, Henry Houghton (proxy at Houghton Mifflin), the Ray Everitts, the John Dos Passos’, the Benny de Votos, Ted Weeks, Bush Campbell, Dick Fuller, Alice Bond, Mark Schorer and God knows who else turned up—over 90 guests in all, with a buffet supper, champagne, and an accordion player to enliven the proceedings. The party began at 5 and ended at 2 in the morning, and I should say it was a huge success.… Dale Warren and Mrs. Dos Passos executed a rhumba so gracefully that they fell down a flight of stairs. George Frazier brought his new wife, Mimsie, who is an absolute knockout. I thought it was good policy to devote a little of my own time to one of our author’s wives.… Alice Bond ended her feud with Dorothy Hillyer long enough to pose for a picture with Dorothy and Dick Fuller. Only a few people vomited. What with one thing and another, the party certainly reminded me of our famous shindig at Princeton two years ago.
Incidentally, Bush Campbell, while he was still coherent, said some wonderful things about you and, in fact, everybody in Boston has been so taken in by that superficial charm of yours that not one of them realizes what a terrible bastard you really are underneath.
Business news is scarce at the moment, but our big books are now in the offing and the dam will soon bust. We had lunch with Quent Reynolds yesterday. He is going to dash off a quickie for us on the Dieppe affair which will probably be called “Dress Rehearsal.” Selwyn James has turned in his manuscript of SOUTH OF THE CONGO. With a little fixing, it will be an important book about the one part of the world that hasn’t been covered yet, and I think it will be good for 6000 at least. Another piece of the Sheean manuscript has come in just about on scheduled time. Red Lewis, as I told you, promised us his complete manuscript for Christmas day. The movie rights to NIGHT SHIFT have not yet been sold, but I think Warners will sign up at any minute. Ben Zevin just sent in contracts for reprint editions of THE MAN WITH NO FACE, WATCH ON THE RHINE, and VOLTAIRE’S PHILOSOPHICAL DICTIONARY—the last one of Luigi’s Carlton House numbers. (Remember?) There is nothing to stop PARIS and STARS. Even HAYS NONNY NONNY may surprise us. Harry Bull just called up and bought one of the chapters for TOWN AND COUNTRY for 300 bucks.
I am now getting all my advance material together on the Lin Yutang for one more onslaught on the Harry Scherman citadel. The news on the other new books can wait for another time, but baby, it’s all good. It looks like Jezebel will be wearing sables before the war is over—that is, if she is willing to comply with certain conditions that I have set forth.
I have been slaving night after night on that damn war humor anthology and hope to turn the finished manuscript in to Bob de Graff sometime next week. If anybody so much as breathes a war joke to me after that period, I will probably club him with a baseball bat.
I was sorry to hear about Pat’s illness. I am sure everything will be okay in a couple of days.
We miss you more all the time.
As ever,
Bennett
Oct. 1, 1942
Dear Bennett,
Thanks for taking Patsy out in New York. The kid has had a busy time between her family, my family and closing up the farm. She writes me that you’re crammed full of the joke book. I haven’t heard a decent clean story about this war. I hope there are some around, but they don’t percolate thru’ to this rare atmosphere.
This week I went up to Victorville for a day. It’s a bombardier school and advanced flying. I flew for about 2½ hours in the bombardier’s seat in the nose of the ship. You are surrounded by nothing but transparent plastic and believe me you get a wonderful view of everything. We flew over Lake Arrowhead and the mountains and into Arizona. Came back and a friend of mine flew me back to Santa Ana, letting me take the controls for a while. I think I’d make a hot pilot. If I’m ever transferred to a small field I’m going to learn to fly. It’s the only way to get around this part of the world with a 35 mi. speed limit.
Business goes on as usual. I hope R.H. does too. Mannie writes we may be able to pay off the 20M to-day and the balance the end of the month. That would be great. I’m keeping fingers crossed for Blyer. Will you tell Jez I have not received a single book from R.H. out here! Only Brown proofs.
My love to the gang. I miss all of you. Kiss Thrup for me and tell her she ought to write me a long love letter.
Love,
Donald
October 6, 1942
Dear Don:
I was bowled over by your two letters which arrived here simultaneously yesterday. The thought of you actually flying a plane has me so green with envy that one of our new nearsighted employees on the eighth floor mistook me for an advance copy of Peter Rainier’s GREEN FIRE.
The intelligence test certainly sounds as though something might be stirring, and I am sure I don’t have to tell you I hope you get what you want. Personally, I wish they’d transfer you to some post within twenty miles of here, so we can see that granite-like puss of yours once in a while. I was terribly sorry to hear about Georgie’s commission falling through. What the hell happened?
Here’s the last-minute news from Random House in a nutshell. Warner’s bought NIGHT SHIFT today for $25,000.00. We are in for 20%, which is only terrific, if you get what I mean. SUEZ TO SINGAPORE has been raised to $3.50, and I am sure you will agree with the wisdom of this move when you see how imposing the book actually looks. We are printing 40,000 copies of this little baby, and I don’t see what can stop it. Second serial rights have already been sold to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Akron and Miami, and Colin Miller is out now on a special trip for United Features to work on this book alone. I honestly believe that our share on second serial rights alone will top $3000.00 by the time we are finished.
Selwyn James has delivered the manuscript of his South African book. It is going to be called SOUTH OF THE CONGO and, after a little fixing up by the old maestro Commins, should be a strong entry for our Spring list.
That old stinker Watt cabled that Graves refused to make any changes in his novel on the life of Milton and offered to let us out of the contract if we felt so inclined. We felt so inclined; in fact, we broke a couple of legs getting the cable off to tell him so. That is a palooka off our hands and no mistake.
The rest of our business is simply incredible. The Monday invoices are on my desk and the pile is so high it will take me three trips to the can to get through them. I have promised De Graff the complete manuscript for the War Book a week from today, so that headache will soon be off my mind. My social life has been nil except for the ball game on Saturday and yesterday. Satenstein was the host yesterday, and Milo Sutliff and Frank Henry were the other members of the party. The poor old Yanks never had a prayer; the Cards simply rushed them off their feet. I would say something about tempus fugit, but what’s the use of talking Latin to a dumb bastard like you.
Love,
Bennett
October 16, 1942
CAPTAIN DONALD S. KLOPFER
DINESEN A DUAL SELECTION. AS I ALWAYS SAID IT’S A WONDERFUL BOARD OF JUDGES. LOVE AND KISSES
BENNETT
Oct. 16, 1942
Dear Benito—
Thanks a thousand fold for the telegram announcing the good news of La Belle Dinesen. It’s really very exciting and our good partner RKH [Random House Knopf Warehouse] must be in a disgusting state of self satisfaction. I always did like the Danes, but what’s happened to the Chinese. Old Lin Yu Tang has lost the golden touch I take it because he doesn’t think the British are God’s gift to this war. I think we’ll do damned well with the book anyway, but it would make such a good dividend!
Pat got back last Sunday, felt rotten on Monday, had the doctor down on Tuesday and on Tuesday night was in the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood. She came out too soon after her operation and was completely pooped so she had to go somewhere where she would be taken care of, namely in hospital. I’ve been driving up there each night so I haven’t had much chance to write. I hope she’ll be out to-morrow or Sunday and will go over to Edgar’s for a few days. She can’t come back here until she’s really strong as she has to do all of her own work. Servants just are impossible to find out here. Incidentally, Cerfie, Pat says that the date she had with you was one of the two dates she had other than family while in N.Y. Thanks for taking her out.
My department is clicking along in all four these days. We’re badly stuck for lack of space but that can’t be helped until they give us a building of our own. That will come along soon and then we can be well organized. I’ve really been working hard lately, believe it or not!
My best love to everyone around the place. I miss all of you like the devil. Potch Thrup for me—
All love,
Donald
October 19, 1942
Dear Bennett:
Thanks for your letter of October 16th with the figures attached thereto. It looks to me as though we were romping ahead at a pretty good pace. I am glad to see that SPY NOVELS is over the 5,000 mark and I am sure it will continue to sell. PAN-AMERICAN SPANISH also looks as though it would go on for a long time. In fact, I can’t see anything to complain about as far as business is concerned. According to Pauline’s figures, October should be a “wow” of a month. I hope to God that Harry Sherman really gets a fond reaction to his test mailing on the LIN YUTANG. It is really wonderful news about the Dinesen book. I passed Marian Hunter’s book shop yesterday (Sunday) and she had a fine display of SUEZ TO SINGAPORE in the window—one week before publication date. That’s what I like to see in a book seller.
Pat is out of the hospital now but staying up at Beverly for the balance of this week. After that, I feel sure that she will be well enough to come down and cook for me. Laugh that off. With regard to your insulting remarks about Pauline—to me she looks like a combination of Hedy Lamarr, Greta Garbo, and Ann Sheridan. I’ll bet she is just as glad to get rid of that damn joke book as you are. I saw Private Oppenheimer yesterday and he is happy as a lark in his new guise of a buck private. The rear view of him in G.I. OD’s looks a little bit like Oliver Hardy wandering down Wilshire Boulevard. I am delighted to hear that you have gotten mixed up in the Council on Books in war Time. I doubt if you can fill my shoes but at least you can try,
As always,
Donald
October 30, 1942
Dear Don:
How come these beautifully typewritten letters? Have you managed to snag some beautiful young WAAC to act as your secretary? And if you are, is she as potchable as Jezebel? This letter is being typed by an absolute stranger since Jezebel went into a swoon when she read your remark that she looked like a combination of Lamarr, Garbo and Sheridan, and we have not been able to revive her since. The poor creature has become more gullible than your first bride. (Remember?)
I take it that you have received your detailed copy of the September statement. The profit figure simply staggered me. Klopfer, my boy, you are getting rich while you sit on that fat can of yours idling away the time in sunny California. At least, you are getting rich on paper. At least you are getting rich until the Government takes it all away from you, which will be any minute now. Seriously, we are going to have one hell of a tax problem this year unless I can mark the Greek Drama and the Duplaix swag to minus 10¢ a copy instead of plus. I have a conference on tap with Senor Podoll to see if we can institute some kind of a dividend system or something, which will make the rap as painless as possible. We are out of the bank, at last, and unless some utterly unforeseen catastrophe occurs, there really ought to be some cash rolling around here in short order.
We gave Ann Rann a raise from $40.00 to $60.00, and Frances Merriam an equal $10.00 boost. We also gave Florence a $4.00 raise. These three girls have been doing wonderful work for us. I am particularly delighted with Frances Merriam. I am enclosing herewith a direct mailing piece which she worked out for the Modern Library, and also a throw away for the Lin Yutang. I hope you will agree that they are absolutely top notch.
She has certainly been a great addition to the Random House ranks. The kids on the eighth floor are slaving religiously and, when Christmas time comes around, we expect, with your permission, to hand out some really substantial bonuses. I suppose we’ll have to give some good raises too, to everybody, that is, but Jezebel, who is willing to take it out in love. Anyhow, she obviously has an outside income because she certainly didn’t get those two mink coats and that sable wrap on the salary she makes here.
SUEZ TO SINGAPORE looks like an absolute smash. The News Company reordered 1000 yesterday, and Marshall Field reordered 250. The next two weeks should tell us just how big it is going to be. Hillyer’s MY HEART FOR HOSTAGE and Samuel Adams’ THE HARVEY GIRLS are both pleasant surprises, and we’ll make plenty on both of them. The complete Sheean is in and we also have the first draft of Sinclair Lewis’ book, so both of these are sure for February.
My desk is piled so high that it has flowed over onto yours, and I am going slightly bats. Forgive me if this letter is a little bit incoherent. God damn it, how I wish you were here with us!
As ever,
Bennett
November 3, 1942
Dear Bennett:
The secret of those beautifully typewritten letters is that I inherited a secretary from the good old Hoisington days and I can’t get rid of her. The only trouble with her is that there are approximately 15,000 so called cadets on the field ranging in age from 20 to 26 and she is constantly going around and getting herself engaged to one or another of these flea-bitten youngsters. It is perfectly obvious that she doesn’t appreciate the wisdom and beauty of maturity, besides which, she is constantly pining for Hoisington. So you may know that all my loyalty and love are for my beautiful Pauline, who should constantly be swooning over me unless she is silly enough to fall for your fumbling potching.
Yes, I was terribly pleased to get the financial statement and now that my Uncle Sam is protecting me by forbidding you thieves from raising your salaries, maybe we’ll get luscious dividends out of Random House. But all kidding aside, you know I heartily approve of giving substantial bonuses for the whole office if we have the dough in the bank; but don’t forget Miller’s 2% on volume over $50,000. He’s going to get a big wad again this year. Keep those in your calculations. Obviously Pauline doesn’t need a raise. If she has only two fur coats, she is holding out on you. I gave her three myself—sable, chinchilla, and ermine.
I am delighted to continue to get news of good business. I hope SUEZ TO SINGAPORE hits 100,000. All my work here continues to pile in on me so that I am deluged. I can’t see when I will ever get away from this God damn post.
Give my love to everyone at the office.
As always,
Donald
P.S. You forgot to enclose the mailing piece for Modern Library and LIN YUTANG. I wish to Hell I were back with you!
Dear Bennett,
I received the copy of Dinesen yesterday and read some of the stories last night. The gal really is one hell of a good writer. And boy, did our Robert K. spend dough on that book to bring the price up to 2.75. Two-color half titles, title page and sheets and a two cloth binding. I’ll bet that’s the last bit of real old-fashioned extravagance until after the war. It’s really an impressive job and don’t ever let the Colonel razz you about blurbs again. He must have really liked that book! I’ve heard vague rumours that our October volume was the biggest ever. Here’s hoping they don’t come bouncing back on us! Does Suez to Singapore really look like a smash?
I’ve been working all over again revising the manual once more. They tell me the way has been paved to have it published in Washington at the GPO and I’ve had to do some more work on it. I should finish that by the end of next week and then it’ll probably be rejected again! That, plus all of my normal work makes my time pretty well occupied but I can’t complain. I seem to be getting to be the general utility man around this field, which is fun but is a helluva way to win a war. I hope to hell that the British are really pushing the Germans around in Africa. It looks kosher but I don’t trust the news reports.
My spies tell me that you’ve been working like a beaver. Has Bob’s new job meant very much more time for him to be away from the office—or is it mostly night work? Remember the old ML days when neither of us did a damned thing and we really made some money?
Pat’s back on the job again and feeling okay for a change. I hope she stays that way.
Give my best to all the office people. I sure do miss all of you and wish I were back again bothering around with all the details of the publishing business which are really so much fun. My love to Thrup and Chris—
Love,
Donald
November 9, 1942
Dear Don:
I don’t suppose you see my column in the Saturday Review any more, thereby missing one of the great literary treats of the day—so I am enclosing herewith a copy of a recent column in which I credited you with a pretty funny gag. No charge for this service.
I am also enclosing a copy of a whopping ad that we ran in the past few days in both the Times and the Tribune and will repeat in a few other papers scattered about the country. I figure that we might as well make a big splurge in advertising in the next couple of months; Mr. Morgenthau will be paying most of the bills.
Your comment about my fumbling potching has stirred me into fresh efforts, so I have no more time to dictate letters to the likes of you. Upward and onward is my motto. Incidentally, I wish to hell you’d stick to your own territory.
Resentfully,
Bennett
Bennett conceived of an anthology of inspirational writings to be edited by Lloyd C. Douglas, author of the international best-seller The Robe, and turned to Donald for help since Douglas lived in California. The situation was further complicated by the fact that Douglas was published by Houghton Mifflin.
November 9, 1942
CAPTAIN DONALD S. KLOPFER
THINK IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU CAN DO A GREAT TURN FOR RANDOM HOUSE OVER WEEKEND. CAN YOU PHONE ME SOMETIME TONIGHT. DON’T CARE WHAT HOUR YOU WAKE ME. I WILL BE HOME ALL EVENING. CRAZY TO TALK TO YOU ANYHOW.
BENNETT
November 10, 1942
Dear Donald:
Between my phone conversation with you last night and the Colonel’s letter (under my tutelage you will notice that his literary style is showing signs of improvement) I think you’ve got about all the ammunition we can give you for your onslaught on Lloyd Douglas. I can only add the following:
1. The 300 to 350 page length is the merest suggestion. If Douglas thinks it ought to go to another 100 pages more or so, that, of course, is up to him.
2. Be sure that you stress the spiritual side of the project as much as the financial one. If we can sell Douglas the idea that he will be making a terrific contribution to American morale and that the Office of War Information is very, very keen about the notion (which indeed is the truth) he may undertake the project as a patriotic duty. That doesn’t mean, of course, that you won’t impress upon him the fact that if this thing sells the way it ought to, he’ll make a lot of money out of it. Furthermore, it should continue selling for years, which will mean royalties for him when he is old and gray. (I may burst into tears at any moment.)
3. Linscott’s exact words to me were: “The question of Lloyd Douglas is a toughie. Greater love hath no publisher than to release his most profitable author to a rival house. Nevertheless, I don’t see why you shouldn’t feel free to proposition him. If he is attracted to your suggestion and asks our advice, we shall feel free, at that time, to advise him either for or against it depending upon his plans and his desires.” I want to be absolutely sure that Douglas realizes that we had permission of Houghton Mifflin before approaching him at all.
4. Please tell Douglas that Bob Linscott at Houghton Mifflin is anxious to see the table of contents and may make a few valuable suggestions to us.
5. Assure Douglas that the book will be advertised very widely, but also in an extremely dignified manner. It will undoubtedly get tremendous attention from the critics who may not have rated his novels as the finest kind of literature. You will have to put this point over delicately, but I am sure you know what I mean. I have a hunch that Douglas, in his heart, yearns for the plaudits from guys like Fadiman and Gannett, as well as big sales to the low-brows.
6. If possible, we’d like to get a completed manuscript sometime along about March so that we can bring the book out in late summer or early fall, with plenty of advance build-up and promotion.
Good luck, toots, and if any other points come up while you’re with Douglas, I take it for granted that you will either call up long distance while you are actually with him, or get in touch with us immediately thereafter. We are counting on you to bring home the bacon.
I can’t tell you how delighted I was to hear your voice over the phone. We ought to do this oftener—once every three weeks at least.
As ever,
Bennett
1942 NOV 13 AM 2 10
BENNETT A CERF=RANDOM HOUSE
RECEIVED ALL YOUR DOPE SHEETS THANKS HAVE WRITTEN DOUGLAS FOR APPOINTMENT SUNDAY AS HIS TELEPHONE IS UNLISTED WISH ME LUCK LOVE=
DONALD.
1942 NOV 16 AM 8 48
BENNETT A CERF=
DOUGLAS REFUSES TO DO BOOK BUT SUGGEST EITHER FOSDICK OR HALFORD LUCCOCK YALES SCHOOL OF RELIGION SORRY I FUMBLED THE BALL LETTER FOLLOWS LOVE=
DONALD.
November 16, 1942
CAPTAIN DONALD S. KLOPFER
WOULD IT INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE JUST GOTTEN ANOTHER BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB DUAL SELECTION. IT IS GUADALCANAL DIARY AND IF YOU WILL PHONE ME AFTER ONE OCLOCK TONIGHT EASTERN TIME I WILL GIVE YOU THE GLORIOUS DETAILS. LOVE.
BENNETT
November 21, 1942
Dear Bennett:
I am enclosing herewith a short manuscript from Charlie Lederer, written by his wife, Virginia, who can’t spell and can’t write. None the less, since several of your friends appear in this manuscript, I thought you would be interested in reading it.
I have been pledged to secrecy about the manuscript and have pledged you to the same secrecy, since it is a pretty malicious bit.
I still think the funniest thing about it is the spelling.
As always,
Donald
November 27, 1942
Dear Don:
I am returning under separate cover Virginia Lederer’s manuscript, along with Charlie’s letter concerning same. The script arrived Wednesday night and Phyllis and I read it with considerable glee yesterday. The spelling, as you say, is atrocious, but I don’t think the story is nearly as bad as you seem to believe. The characterizations, as a matter of fact, are really excellent, and her summary of Mildred and Eddie Knopf is nothing short of brilliant. Of course, there is not enough for a book in the script, but it seems to me that if the story were tightened a little bit, she would have no trouble at all selling it to a magazine. The one phony touch in the story is the scene at the police court. That should be completely rewritten. The other stuff, with the names changed, of course, is right good! Mum will be the word around here on this manuscript. You can assure the lady of that!
I saw Pat yesterday and she sounded quite hopeful about your getting to Washington. I sure hope you make it, toots.
As ever,
Bennett
December 15, 1942
Dear Don:
Over the weekend I read the most exciting manuscript that I have ever come across in my life. It is the full story from beginning to end of the Tokyo raid as told by Captain Ted Lawson to Bob Considine. Ted is the boy who lost a leg in the raid and who appeared with me on the Council show last Sunday night. The book is done with complete simplicity and dignity and when I didn’t have tears in my eyes, I was so excited by the story that beads of perspiration stood out on my forehead. Today Saxe, Belle* and Aaron† have locked themselves into their office and are reading the book now. They are just as completely undone by it as I was.
The big catch, of course, will be getting the book through censorship in Washington. I don’t know what the odds are on this. Of course, the whole story would have to be released to the public first, but that would only add to the excitement of the book. I have got a deal all lined up with Considine and Lawson depending on Washington’s okay. We’ll probably sign a tentative contract tomorrow. They mentioned an advance of $5000.00, and I voluntarily raised that to $7500.00, probably establishing a precedent in the publishing business. I can only say that if this book goes through, I will bet even money that it sells a minimum of 100,000 copies. I will also bet even money that it is a Book-of-the-Month Club choice. It makes our GUADALCANAL DIARY sound like Irving Fineman’s JACOB. If I possibly can, I will smuggle the manuscript out to you by the end of the week with the understanding that you won’t tell a soul about it and will mail it back to me the moment you’ve finished it. Even if we don’t get the book, the reading of it will give you the most exciting two hours that I think you have ever had in your life. (I have not gone crazy. What I am telling you here is my sincere and true feeling.) I have invited Lawson and his wife and little baby to come up and spend Christmas with us. I hope he will be able to make it. He is at the Walter Reed Hospital, but I think he can get off for a few days. After you’ve read the story, you will understand why I asked him for Christmas!
I haven’t told you much about Phyllis and Christopher. Chris walks by himself now and is making a mighty effort to talk. He is really a cute brat and I am crazy about him. Phyllis spends her mornings learning stenography and her afternoons with Peggy Goldman at the USO. She is doing a fine job there and I have heard about her work from several outside sources. I am really proud of her.
I have got my fingers crossed that you will be in New York for at least a few days sometime within the next month. I can’t tell you how much I miss you.
As ever,
Bennett
* Pat Klopfer, Donald’s wife.
* Nickname of Pauline Kreiswirth, secretary to Cerf and Klopfer.
* Robert K. Haas, partner.
† Saxe Commins, senior editor.
* Bernice Baumgarten, subsidiary rights.
† Emanuel E. Harper, assistant secretary and treasurer.
‡ Abe Friedman.
* Edgar Selwyn, Pat’s uncle.
† Alfred’s brother Edwin and wife.
* Phyllis Cerf, Bennett’s wife (after thrupence, the smallest English coin).
† Christopher Cerf, Bennett and Phyllis’s son.
* Jim Russell, RH salesman.
* Charles A. Wimpfheimer, Klopfer’s stepson.
* Klopfer had gotten leave and returned briefly to New York.
* Gaston and Marguerite ran the Klopfer country home.
* Marian Ansbacher Hart, Donald’s first wife.
* Bob Haas stayed in the reserve after WWI and received the rank of general.
† Lewis Miller, RH sales manager.
* Belle Becker, RH editor.
† Aaron Sussman, RH advertising account.