MOLNAR FERENC: (1878-1952) Hungarian-born author, stage director, dramatist & poet. An entertaining A.L.S., Ferenc ...

MOLNAR FERENC: (1878-1952) Hungarian-born author, stage director, dramatist & poet. An entertaining A.L.S., Ferenc Molnar, two pages, 4to, n.p. (New York), 29th May 1950, to Mr. Raeburn. Molnar sends his correspondent a story (no longer present) entitled Question Period for the book Adventure in Paris, remarking 'Its stilted, pompous language is the result of the mutual efforts of Mr. Mussey and myself. We wanted to create a slightly ridiculous, professorial, pseudo-scientific mood for this satirical piece' and further explaining that he will send 'the positively last' story this week, also commenting on a design for the dust jacket, 'In my modest opinion this design is only good if you print it without any changes, i.e. without polishing, prettifying, correcting the half-crazy, semi-idiotic, primitive, not to say pre-Raphaelitic, would-be-Chagall-Dali-Picasso-imitating surrealistic madhouse quality of it'. Molnar proceeds to write of a mutual friend ('the Actor') who he believes is still in Florida, and whom he misses for two reasons, '1. For having to do without his kind personality, his erudition, his good taste, his flawless English and mainly his good judgement unfortunately very often influenced by his good heart. 2. For not being able to meet you either telephonically or in person, both opportunities being seemingly dependent on the Actors presence in town', concluding 'Please forgive me for my English but I learned it from two Russian-born Broadway producers and from native Brooklyn waiters of some Sixth Avenue Delicatessen, not yet famed for their proficiency nay command of the King's modern American English'. In a postscript Molnar declares 'Just before licking the glue on the envelope the telephone rings and who phones but the Actor, and from New York! So please disregard the first sentence of paragraph 4 of the present letter, and be informed that the Actor just promised me to read and correct said manuscript with me today, Monday, 29 May, at Macario's, at noon sharp, while eating spaghetti without meat sauce'. The letter is written on brittle paper with age toning and some tears and small areas of paper loss at the edges. At one time the letter has also been split in two at the central horizontal fold and since re-joined to a good standard, the repairs only very slightly affecting the text. About G Ben Raeburn (1911-1997) American publisher who owned Horizon Press from 1953-84. Raeburn was known for both his editing skills and his fine eye for design. June Barrows Mussey (1910-1985) American journalist and translator who wrote under the pen name Henry Hay.