Typed letter signed "John Golden" to "Mr. Halpern" (Seymour Halpern) in reply to Halpern's inquiry regarding the key to success in life.
New York: August 30, 1930.
Price: $75.00
About the item
1p. on "John Golden Inc." letterhead. 8 1/2 x 11 inches. Fine.
Item #310039
A letter from the American songwriter best known for co-writing the pop standard "Poor Butterfly." Reading in part: "Success in anyone's life is generally the result of a certian amount of talent or aptitude for a chosen work, plus an enormous amount of application, and I might say, devotion to the job in hand."
John Lionel Golden (2874-1955) was an American actor, songwriter, and theatrical producer. Golden produced dozens of Broadway shows and four films but is perhaps best known for the song "Poor Butterfly," which was first sung by Sophie Bernard for The Big Show, which opened in 1916 at the New York Hippodrome. The song has been recorded by scores of performers since including Julie Andrews, Frank Sinatra, and Sarah Vaughan.
As a high school student, Seymour Halpern (1913-1997), wrote letters to many notables of the day including politicians, military officers, entertainers, diplomats, artists, activists, writers, and businessmen, inquiring about their ideas to the keys to success in life. Halpern would later go on to serve as Republican from New York to the 86th, 87th, 88th, 89th, 90th, 91st and 92nd United States Congresses, holding office from January 3, 1959, to January 3, 1973.
