REFERENCE:
Maud Allan, Part V: The Years of Decline, 1915-1956
Author(s): Felix Cherniavsky
Source: Dance Chronicle, Vol. 9, No. 2 (1986), pp. 177-236
Author(s): Felix Cherniavsky
Source: Dance Chronicle, Vol. 9, No. 2 (1986), pp. 177-236
"Darling Maudie
Well, I have had an anxious few days trying to get news of you-and I feel quite exhausted. This evening I got the cable and it is some re-assurance-but I can't imagine you having gallstones-you never have had. I hope I got the truth of it all and that everyone is not lying, for I would much rather have the exact truth-I would worry less then. Anyway, dearest, I am so sorry you have been ill -- and I can tell you I felt far away when you were ill-even cables take an interminable time. Anyway, Maudie dear, I didn't know how much I love you until I heard you were critically ill. Now take of yourself and don't do anything startling, go easy.
...
Nella [an unidentified friend] was out here to supper last Sunday and we discussed you and she said to tell you that she says on no condition are you to leave Hollywood. You must stay there-conditions are more favorable to you there than here according to her stars, and then quite apart from that, remembering Marie Dressler's experience, you have only laid the pipe now or rather threaded the needle and if you come off now it will all go for nothing. You can't expect the chance you want to be waiting for you when you arrived -but now people know you and think of you when the chance comes for you. If they have to send over to London that is a different matter-ten days' delay at least-and so your best bet is to stay put." (207-8)
"Darling [Verna wrote on March 29, 1937], I know how hard it all is but you must be brave and carry on like my little soldier-I have the same to do at this end but know you have all you can carry so do not burden all the little things to you because after all I am so we are just going over the top that they don't worry me as much as they did, and I know you are too unhappy to be burdened more. But I want you to unburden to me as much as you want. Darling you must grit your teeth and be happy even if it is only to take walk with the little wee doggie. I am so sure-I can't tell you how sure I am-that the end of next year will see our troubles far behind us. That does not mean I think we must wait another year-I think they are dawning now!
...
Really and truly darling, I will not have much patience if you don't make the effort-write your opinions about anything that occurs to you.
You have had a wonderful life-and more than all else you are a wonderful person yourself and you must not let a feeling of pity and lethargy overwhelm the real, fine brain that is down under all this trouble-I don't mean your fame and all that greatness-but through everything in your life, and every bit of you I have known has shown a great, marvellously lovely character-and I want that to come out in your life story, as it is just bound to, naturally. Darling, you don't think I would have loved you all these trying, worrying years if you had just been a vain shallow creature-there is something in you that is great and lovely-that overcomes! That is not mastered by circum- stances but masters circumstances. Now, my Maudie must overcome the circumstances of the day! The little girl in you must not be afraid to cry-she must be great! You have a definite work to do, now do it!
The Ladies Committee of the Jewish Organization for Relief o Jewish Children from Germany are wanting the garden for a g party and have written to your secretary asking it from you- it is a very important list of people connected with it, I have in your name. It will be held the end of June-they are much pleased and will write to thank you. Lady Melchett and Lady Sassoon and goodness knows who else are on the working end -Mrs. Laski, a very rich woman whom you probably know was the other day-she is quite sweet .
...
You will be then and will have a new frock and will be the dear little hostess I love, with all the troubles behind. If we have enough money you shall have a gown from Molyneux. Don't laugh-things are going to come! 'Poor dear,' you are thinking, 'her troubles have gone to her head.' No, dearest, they haven't!" (209-10)
Nella [an unidentified friend] was out here to supper last Sunday and we discussed you and she said to tell you that she says on no condition are you to leave Hollywood. You must stay there-conditions are more favorable to you there than here according to her stars, and then quite apart from that, remembering Marie Dressler's experience, you have only laid the pipe now or rather threaded the needle and if you come off now it will all go for nothing. You can't expect the chance you want to be waiting for you when you arrived -but now people know you and think of you when the chance comes for you. If they have to send over to London that is a different matter-ten days' delay at least-and so your best bet is to stay put." (207-8)
"Darling [Verna wrote on March 29, 1937], I know how hard it all is but you must be brave and carry on like my little soldier-I have the same to do at this end but know you have all you can carry so do not burden all the little things to you because after all I am so we are just going over the top that they don't worry me as much as they did, and I know you are too unhappy to be burdened more. But I want you to unburden to me as much as you want. Darling you must grit your teeth and be happy even if it is only to take walk with the little wee doggie. I am so sure-I can't tell you how sure I am-that the end of next year will see our troubles far behind us. That does not mean I think we must wait another year-I think they are dawning now!
...
Really and truly darling, I will not have much patience if you don't make the effort-write your opinions about anything that occurs to you.
You have had a wonderful life-and more than all else you are a wonderful person yourself and you must not let a feeling of pity and lethargy overwhelm the real, fine brain that is down under all this trouble-I don't mean your fame and all that greatness-but through everything in your life, and every bit of you I have known has shown a great, marvellously lovely character-and I want that to come out in your life story, as it is just bound to, naturally. Darling, you don't think I would have loved you all these trying, worrying years if you had just been a vain shallow creature-there is something in you that is great and lovely-that overcomes! That is not mastered by circum- stances but masters circumstances. Now, my Maudie must overcome the circumstances of the day! The little girl in you must not be afraid to cry-she must be great! You have a definite work to do, now do it!
...
The Ladies Committee of the Jewish Organization for Relief o Jewish Children from Germany are wanting the garden for a g party and have written to your secretary asking it from you- it is a very important list of people connected with it, I have in your name. It will be held the end of June-they are much pleased and will write to thank you. Lady Melchett and Lady Sassoon and goodness knows who else are on the working end -Mrs. Laski, a very rich woman whom you probably know was the other day-she is quite sweet .
You will be then and will have a new frock and will be the dear little hostess I love, with all the troubles behind. If we have enough money you shall have a gown from Molyneux. Don't laugh-things are going to come! 'Poor dear,' you are thinking, 'her troubles have gone to her head.' No, dearest, they haven't!" (209-10)
"Dearest Maudie, Well, I don't seem to get any letters from you, pretty soon, if you don't keep in close touch with me, you will fade away in my thoughts to just that of a distant friend-so it's up to you to keep the memory green." (210)
'"Really," she wrote from California on December 7, 1938, "I am beg to think that place hypnotizes us both-it is so lovely out here and life is so much less expensive.' (219)
"I told you a long time ago that you must never, under any circumstances, appeal to him for help" Verna wrote in a letter dated January 2, 1939), Maud had cabled one of Verna's wealthy relatives for help, referring in that cable to "Verna's personal overdraft." That debt, she reminded Maud, had incurred solely to meet "immediate property obligations to be met to save the place for you at all. I gave your interests many years of my life and I think it is a poor return that you do this"" (220-1)
"I told you a long time ago that you must never, under any circumstances, appeal to him for help" Verna wrote in a letter dated January 2, 1939), Maud had cabled one of Verna's wealthy relatives for help, referring in that cable to "Verna's personal overdraft." That debt, she reminded Maud, had incurred solely to meet "immediate property obligations to be met to save the place for you at all. I gave your interests many years of my life and I think it is a poor return that you do this"" (220-1)
"I've had a hard time this winter, much harder than anyone has realized" (221)
"I wish," she wrote on March 1, 1939, "should you leave West Wing, you would have someone level the little graves where the doggies are buried. If they are level no one will disturb them, but if they are plainly graves, they might dig them up."
"I don't want to sound cross with you, Maudie, when I know what a devilish time you are having-but you must not say that I used your Power of Attorney unwisely or unfairly- not right. I only used it for the telephone, the gas, the electronic contracts which were in your name.
It seems so good to be out of all the nightmare of worry-it seems so endless-I don't see why you ever went back to it. It hypnotized while I was there-I thought the house all important, but now that I am away from it I realize that if we had both washed our hands of it years ago, we would be much better off today. I can't understand how, when you were away from it for a few months, you ever wanted to go back to it. I do hope you can sell it for something this Spring-no matter for how little." (221)
"'I just can't do anything right now, ' she wrote on March 23, 'and it's useless to bombard me. I'm very sorry, but there it is. I can't do what I can't do, can I?'" (221)
" I remember now doing it when I thought I was packing up everything for good and that we were both returning to California. I packed your little brown leather trinket case in my trunk. I did not want to send it to storage but thought I would give it to you when I met you out here. I have sealed it with sealing wax and will deposit it with a bank or anyone you would like me to leave it with. It costs four dollars a year to leave it in the bank, but I would pre- fer to do that than keep it with me. I will send it if I get a good opportunity-but if I send it through the post you will probably have to pay duty so that's no good. They would probably charge you as much for the things as they are worth. I could have kicked myself when I found it. It was in my large trunk, not my small one with my immediate needs in it." (222)
Also, there's this nugget about Allan's relationship to India and Indian dance:
"Interviewed by the San Francisco Call and Post on March 3, 1915, Maud spoke of her plan to tour the United States "in new dances, gleaned from natives of India, and the native dances of the Orient.... I have gleaned something entirely new-steps which have never before been seen here and steps that will startle the dancing world .... The dances of India are the most expres- sive in the world-they reveal the height of expression; they reach the roots of emotion, and express this selfsame emotion in their movements-supple and divine. The native of India is the true exponent of free dancing. It is he or she who can, with the twitching of a muscle, express more than all the books of the land. Fear, love, rage, hate-everything they express in but one movement. The eyes widened, the limbs cowering, the body cringing-all in a flash they change to an expression of fear. They are marvelous. I have been able to gain a few steps from the natives, and I have improved on some of them. They will be worth seeing."(231)
"Interviewed by the San Francisco Call and Post on March 3, 1915, Maud spoke of her plan to tour the United States "in new dances, gleaned from natives of India, and the native dances of the Orient.... I have gleaned something entirely new-steps which have never before been seen here and steps that will startle the dancing world .... The dances of India are the most expres- sive in the world-they reveal the height of expression; they reach the roots of emotion, and express this selfsame emotion in their movements-supple and divine. The native of India is the true exponent of free dancing. It is he or she who can, with the twitching of a muscle, express more than all the books of the land. Fear, love, rage, hate-everything they express in but one movement. The eyes widened, the limbs cowering, the body cringing-all in a flash they change to an expression of fear. They are marvelous. I have been able to gain a few steps from the natives, and I have improved on some of them. They will be worth seeing."(231)
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