Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2327

Typed letter to Heath from Ivan Firth, 51 Morton Street, New York 14, New York. (Note that “Uncle Ned” was a nickname Ivan Firth and Gladys used for their close neighbor and friend, E.C. Riegel, though no relation to him.) See Item 2326 for full information on the monetary conference here referred to.

August 24, 1952

 

 

 

Dear Spencer,

 

Before going into the matter of Roadsend Gardens, I have just had a call from Ned Riegel. He has had an invitation to attend a conference at the Foundation for Economic Research at Irvington-on-Hudson on Tuesday 5 Sept. It is planned to have a discussion of the Theory of the Valun before dinner, and an explanation of the practical working of the Valun System after dinner.

 

Ned is VERY anxious to have you there. He wants me to read the theory, and you to take the evening session. He is working on notes for it now, and I will make extra copies for him. Please let him know if you can make it as soon as possible. I will take the day off for the occasion.

 

We have read about one third of your manuscript and consider the simple objective bridging from physical to metaphysical, from material to spiritual, sheer genius. Certainly I hope that you will be able to get to Irvington on 9 Sept. The emphasis you put on Free Exchange and the desperate need for the Valun to implement this in the face of encroaching statism combine to make such meetings as these potentially very important.

 

Now as regards the Roadsend Gardens project,

 

You had the opportunity to read something of Gladys’ background when you were last down at The Little House. As a freelance writer, she has no regular income, but as a potential money earner she has an established background as an internationally published author, a feature writer, a columnist, and a radio writer which can be capitalized on very quickly if she only had the opportunity, which the cramped conditions and pressures of city life eliminate, to complete many planned and important works that have to be written.

 

Among her tangible assets are the following:—

1.) Her big biography, BRONCHO CHARLIE, chosen as a “Book of the Week” by the Herald Tribune, is now being negotiated for reprint rights through her agent, Jean Marie d’Amat.

2.) One of the completed plays, which we wrote together, MURDER WALKS ON, is now under consideration both in London and N.Y. (same management). This has also potential film rights and is already on the Highly Recommended lists of several of the major film companies, who are awaiting the production on the stage.

5.) One her completed manuscripts, THE WAKEFIELD MOTTO, as yet unpublished, is being considered by 20^th, Century Fox and, through them, by a third party with a view to making a musical show out of the story.

4.) Next week, an option for dramatization is being discussed (also 20th. Century) of a completed synopsis of a Western play, believed to be the first with a MINING background – no cowboys. This is based on factual material from her mining engineer father.

5.) Another book, which we wrote together, NAKED MURDER, serialized under title of WHOSE WIFE?, is being offered for reprint. Both this and Broncho Charlie were syndicated by King Features.

6.) Gladys has been left in her husband’s will $7,500 Cash Bequests out of fluid funds in banks, $15,000 Insurance money and 30% of the residual estate. As you know, there has been trouble regarding this, but at least there is still $25,000 in a N.Y. bank, and about $11_,000 in a bank in Texas. She has a good lawyer in Roy Guthman, 11 West 42 N.Y.C., who is handling the matter.

7.) You may not have known that Gladys and I wrote GATEWAY TO RADIO together, which for many years and even today is a bible in some of the leading advertis­ing agencies. We also pioneered Television over W2XAB for C.B.S. for nearly two years, and I, of course, was Production Director at N.B.C. for two years.

 

When we know that the Roadsend Gardens project can be consummated, we will plan to try and sell a single weekly program – preferably during the weekend, as it would not interfere with my regular job – to a local Baltimore or Washington radio station, sustaining to start with and sponsored if possible. This program would emanate from Roadsend and would be an outlet for your Science of Society, and Ned’s Valun Plan, as well as a variety of many other subjects on which both Gladys and I are fully qualified to talk.

As far as I am personally concerned, I would arrange for a transfer from N.Y. to Baltimore or (if nothing else) Washington, so that most of my regular pay, about $340.0O monthly take-home pay with overtime, would be available for Gladys to use to meet the current expenses of rehabilitating the property as needed to make it a going concern.

Some years ago, we worked out a proposal to finance Gladys to the extent of $25,000 ($10,000 down, balance on call), so that she could be relieved of the pressures of everyday life and her creative genius given the chance to expand.

In the old days, this financing of authors was a fairly common practice. The Century Play Co., for example, advanced no less than $150,000 to Eugene O’Neill before they saw one dollar return. But they reaped a tremendous harvest.

 

The proposition was as follows:-

There were three completed plays and three planned, but not written. The completed plays comprised one mystery, one drama of the Far East (based on the British Government Opium Monopoly), and one extravaganza, ABSOLUTELY FREE, which was a “Once in a Lifetime” of radio.

 

The investor was to get in return 10% of any royalties from plays or payments for film rights – so that all eggs were not in one basket, as it were. As a matter of fact, a Broadway production, even if a failure, will often bring in a substant­ial return from Hollywood.

 

The man approached was a well-known figure in the entertainment world and he turned the matter over to his theatrical lawyer, who ran it through with a fine-tooth comb and approved it completely, adding that he considered it too generous towards the investor. He advised his client to go through with it immediately upon the renewal of his sponsored radio contract. This contract, however, was most unexpectedly not renewed, and the principal died very shortly afterwards.

 

You yourself raised the suggestion of a Deed of Gift. This could be balanced by a contract giving you and your estate, in perpetuity, a 10% interest in six plays, including those already completed and now being offered, and those planned but not yet written. This would mean 10% of all monies coming to the playwright, less agent’s fees, from play royalties or film or television rights.

 

As Gladys explained to you, her plan is to make a secure home and base of operations for a small (family) group of productive people to enable herself and them more fully to employ their individual and combined energies.

 

This group would consist of herself, as the head, myself, and Uncle Ned, who would thus be given companionship and the protection of being in a family group, and, possibly, another friend of Gladys of long standing, an established creative artist (textile designer and portrait painter) capable of giving much of value to the world.

 

It is obvious that the burden of physical labor, both planning and execution, will rest on Gladys’ shoulders, so that anything her friend, myself or Uncle Ned could contribute financially would in no way balance her contribution, particularly in view of the fact that she is offering a percentage of the returns from her own creative work in exchange for something that has not been for some years, and is not now, rendering its full potential service.

 

With Gladys at the helm, the productive energies of this group will be chann­eled into roads of both social and financial gain.

 

Gladys sends her love and says that she will be writing you herself tomorrow. I hope you had a good trip, and will look forward to hearing from you.

With kindest personal regards,

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Ivan Firth.