Exhibit at Morgan Library in New York reportedly contains important information about Winston Churchill anecdote/quotation

[Garson O'Toole]

George: Here is a tale from Bennett Cerf that might be the one you
remember about the "Brothers Shubert" and Walter Winchell who angered
the producers by publishing an unflattering anecdote.

Cite: 1944, Try and Stop Me by Bennett Cerf, Page 192, Simon &
Schuster, New York. (Verified on paper)

The producers promptly barred Winchell from all their theatres. It was
a spectacular feud. "I can't go to their openings, eh?" said Winchell.
"Okay. I'll wait three days and go to the closings." The Marx Brothers
disguised him in false whiskers, dark glasses, and a putty nose one
night and introduced him to Lee Shubert back-stage as their long-lost
uncle. The Shuberts finally gave up the battle. They couldn't take it
any more

On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 1:08 PM, George Thompson <george.thompson at nyu.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Exhibit at Morgan Library in New York reportedly contains
>               important information about Winston Churchill anecdote/quotation
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> This reminds me of a vaguely remembererd joke, probably encountered in one
> of Bennett Cerf's compilations, 50+ years ago: A theatrical producer tells
> a waspish drama critic that he will order him barred from his theatre on
> opening night; The critic replies, very well, I will go the second night
> and review the closing.
>
> I was in the Morgan a couple of weeks ago, but did not go into the
> Churchill exhibition, and am not likely to be there again before it closes.
>
> GAT
>
> On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 1:26 AM, Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> The Morgan Library and Museum in New York currently is presenting an
>> exhibition called "Churchill: The Power of Words". It runs from June 8
>> through September 23, 2012. An email correspondent told me that the
>> exhibit includes a letter that discusses the famous anecdote involving
>> George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill. Here is one version of the
>> celebrated dialog:
>>
>> Shaw: I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play;
>> bring a friend - if you have one.
>> Churchill: Cannot possibly attend first night; will attend second - if
>> there is one.
>> http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/03/25/two-tickets-shaw/
>>
>> The recent visitor to the exhibit emailed me and stated that: "The
>> Churchill exhibit contains correspondence indicating that this
>> exchange did not occur." He also stated that: "One of the letters is
>> from the late 1940's from a playwright (Coward or Shaw??). Can't
>> recall."
>>
>> Has any list member seen this exhibit? Is anyone planning to see this
>> exhibit?
>>
>> The library has been directly contacted, and I will try to follow this
>> avenue to gain information. But it would be great if someone could
>> visit the exhibit and take a cell-phone picture(s) of the letter(s)
>> and companion description(s) (if the museum allows photographs).
>>
>> Thanks for any help you can provide,
>> Garson
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
>
> --
> George A. Thompson
> Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
> Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much since then.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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