Letter to Dave, (possibly David Lamson), relating to Nolan's blossoming stage career

Lloyd Nolan to David Lamson A.L.S. 17 April 1935 Undergraduate 1926

40 East 18th St. N.Y.C. Tuesday; Apr, 17th

Dear Dane;

Can't say how glad I was to receive our letter- especially to learn that things look brighter for you. Would have answered sooner but my own affairs were in a pretty chaotic state- I think opening, and closing, two shows within one month on Broadway deserves the term "chaotic". Following that I was a bit disgusted with the way things had turned out and decided to sell my soul down the river to the movies to the highest bidder. That would seen to be Paramount. Accordingly, I took a test last Friday that will serve as my calling card to the mogals on the coast and have nothing to do now but sit back and await developments. Haven't seen the test yet so I can't say whether I'm a Valentina or a Lou Chaney. If the answer is "yes" I should be on the coast within a month to stay for a term of either 13 or 26 weeks (as yet undetermined.) My main desire in doing this is to get enough money back of me to be able to sit back and pick scripts instead of diving into shows that I know to be faulty but which

I hope will turn out good in rehearsal. Both times I've done that the shows became decidedly worse instead of better. In the case of "Gentlewoman" (about which you asked) I had turned down the script several months previous saying that if they would cut out several tons of allegory and get someone like Iva Claire for the lead I would be glad to do it. I chose "Ragged Army" instead because the part was so completely different and mainly because of my faith in the director. Rehearsals were postponed for five weeks, the director walked out in disgust and was replaced by a youth who had never directed a show in his life and certainly never should again- the two authors turned out to be shell-locks, who treasured every word they had penned and just knew their show was a hit without any unnecessary tinkering. Result:- the show ran two performances. Meanwhile the group had approached me again with "Gentlewoman" saying they had made the necessary cuts, that Stella Adler was doing a wonderful job in the lead and that - after trying out five leading men in the part - they would pay the cost for three weeks extra rehearsal if I agreed to do the part. So, wanting to believe them very much, I signed.

That was mistake number two. I went to rehearsal to find Stella Adler unbelievably bad, monotonous, and miscast, the remainder of the cast just fair and the script still talkey and vague - cut a a bit, yet, but not patched. The final week of rehearsals they began to see the truth of my com= plaints and started cutting great hunks of dialogue scenes, etc. John Howard Lawson appeared utterly incapable of re-writing a scene as substituting new material. As a result, same for the first act, the logic of though and emotion was so undetermined that many long speeches, arguments, etc; seemed to spring from nowhere and with one special cause. It caused an impression of confusion that I can well understand must have baffled, and after a fashion, enraged the first nighters. As I have found to be true, no N.Y. reviewer, no matter how sagacious and seasoned, can differentiate between a good part and a good performance. If the part is bad - no matter how well you handle it and cover it's flaws - you too are bad. Parts that "naturals" and that any ham actor can recognize at a shot, will get the actor good notices just as long as he doesn't mangle it beyond recognition. The lack of knowledge of acting amongst the reviewers is a shocking revelation. But it's true. About plays

they are usually pretty good. Benchley, in the New Yorker and Sobol of the Mirror are about the only two that avoid personal bitterness an attitude that the entire thing was planned as an insult for them alone. (Later- Thursday)

Well, them's my trouble - but then you asked to hear them. Just what I'll do during the summer I'm not certain. Just to-day saw a movie-test I made a week ago - it's a strange sensation. Should the test prove me worth the money I'm asking I shall probably spend 6 months on the coast and 6 months on Broadway each year. I'm most anxious to see the West again after their six years, and also that my wife (yes, I am) should see it. She's never been further west than Philadelphia. If the deal doesn't go through - well there's always radio. Now that I can trade on my name they make it worth while.

Les Vail (Leib) opened to-night in a play called, "Are you Decent?" at the Ambassador. I heard the broadcast review and it was only fair. Evidently the play is extremely dirty and funny in spots - but not funny enough. Les has had rather bad luck