[Rarebooks] FS: Fine Irving Berlin SIGNED Letter on the Rumor that a "Colored Boy" Wrote His Songs

[Charles Agvent]

BERLIN, Irving. TYPED LETTER SIGNED (TLS) on the Rumor that a "Colored 
Boy" Wrote His Songs. On a sheet of his personal stationery (7" x 10") 
addressed to Michael de Lisio of MGM Pictures, Berlin answers an inquiry 
about a rumor, prevalent since the 1920s, that his songs had been 
written for him by an anonymous black boy. In full: "The little colored 
boy story that MacLane talks about is probably the Harry Ruby one. Some 
years ago, I walked into the Friar's Club with a three months Palm Beach 
tan and Harry Ruby, who was in the club, pointed to me and said 'there's 
the little colored fellow who writes all of Berlin's stuff.' Another 
Ruby crack about the colored fellow was -- Sometime ago, a songwriter 
asked Ruby how old the little colored boy was and Harry replied 'oh, 
about Irving's age.'" SIGNED by the composer "Irving Berlin." With a 
short typed statement by the recipient of the letter stating that he was 
working at the time for MGM in charge of publicity for EASTER PARADE. 
Superb letter. Faint folds from mailing. Near Fine. (#021565)        $1,000

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/021565/irving-berlin/typed-letter-signed-tls-on-the-rumor-that-a-colored-boy-wrote-his-songs

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