Robey (George)

A private archive of 28 autograph letters signed (with his initial 'G') to his mistress (and future wife) Blanche Littler, during his time filming Don Quixote with Feodor Chaliapin in the South of France, mostly complaining about the frustration of their separation, the bad weather, the lack of sunlight and the incessant hanging around the set. In one letter he says "My blessed Love... We went up the mountains this morning at 7 o clock & stayed till about one, did nothing whatever as it was so wet & cloudy... They have take one or two good shots, but as usual they are making it up as they go on - and they don't seem worried about the delay. I can't make it out! The Hotel is a bastard, to start with it is a Sanatorium & the mosquitos!!!", 9 September 1932; in a later letter he comments on the production "Another awful day. At 5.30 this morning I had a look out of our window & it was pouring & it hardly ceased all day... If we could only get one days sunshine we could finish it all off as far as I'm concerned - it is a calamity. Here I am sitting in the lounge listening to the most bloody & blood curdling music ? While whores and jigilos [sic] give an exhibition of public fornication." Robey hated Jazz and Jazz Bands that were fashionably sweeping the South of France at this time...I am giving Chaliapin lessons in voice production (Don't you think that's rather funny?) He says that the help that I give him in his English is the most perfect teaching he has ever experienced, he asks me to move my lips while he sings & he follows me, That's a bit of a compliment! He says I ought to make a future in teaching (if all else fails)", 19 September 1932. Towards the end of his time in France he writes "My Dearest love What a beautiful letter you sent me & which I got this evening when I arrived back. You little dear to tell me such lovely things & I know you mean every one of them. You will see that I shall make myself worthy of your love of me. Chaliapin finished today and it seems that there will only be some clearing up to do, which can't last for many more days. We did a hard days work today getting everything finished in which he was connected",1 November 1932; 62 pages in total, light folding marks and creasing, 8vo and 4to, Hotel Negresco, Nice, September-November 1932, some with envelopes; also including a black and white photograph of Robey on location, inscribed by him on the reverse "This gives a good idea of the awful place we're working in", some staining, 7.5 x 12.5cm (29)

***All the letters were written during the filming of the ‘Adventures of Don Quixote’ (released in 19330, directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst and starring Chaliapin the leading role. Robey played Sancho Panza. Robey did not like making movie but appreciated the work that had gone into the production.

Robey left his first wife Ethel Haydon whom he had married in 1898, in 1923. He met Blanche first in 1929, but they did not marry until 1938 after he was officially divorced and was free. Blanche Littler became his manager in 1930.