Jun 15, 2023 - Sale 2641

Sale 2641 - Lot 24

Price Realized: $ 1,250
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
ON "ROGUE" MAGAZINE: "YOU GUYS REALLY CRACK ME UP . . . IT'S REALLY VERY GOOD" BRUCE, LENNY. Group of 4 letters to Rogue magazine editors Frank M. Robinson or Harlan Ellison, including a brief AL, a TLS, a TL, and a TL containing 8 holograph lines, mostly relating to his articles. Each 1 page, 4to or small 4to, 1960 letter on Rogue stationery; most with staple holes at upper left, most with moderate toning, one with doodles and notes in unknown hand, one with punch holes in left margin, folds. One with original envelope, addressed in holograph. Vp, circa 1960

Additional Details

17 November 1960, AL, written in blank spaces on Robinson's letter to him: "Is it possible for you to come to NY about 15th for a day to listen to a proposition . . . ." With two postscripts: "Write me special delivery c/o [arrow pointing to his address in Robinson's letter]"; "Maybe if you can come to N.Y. [arrow pointing to Robinson's question whether Bruce would continue writing his column]."
Nd, LS: "Rec'd check thanks. I told Harlan Ellison a week ago to send me the material that wasn't printed yet. Since I hadn't seen it for a while I could probably punch it up with some more humor. I also requested about 40 copies of 'Rouge' [sic] to send to my friends (a mailing list that rambles from Dorothy Killgallen and Pat Brown the Gov. of Calif. to Mickey Cohen and Tony Yuterio the head of the mob in RIO DE etc.[)] He yes yessed me and nada. . . . I explained to Harlan under the article I wanted a small box inside would be the motion picture that pleased me and the album . . . . [H]e agreed to this but I didn't see them. I'm earning $4000.00 a week now plus my album, the reason I mention this is to make sure you don't think these are bread and butter plugs. I want it in there I can make it funny and interesting. . . ."
Nd, TL: "Don't send any more copies of Rouge to anyone till I tell you. Let them buy them.
". . . Could you come in and be my guest bring your date wife whatever . . . . Don't bring any body from the magazine please. Just you and a lady. I have some interesting plans.
"When Hammel leaned over the table in his square fuckin tartan plaid urbane bachelor and said to Renfrew the Canadian distributor, 'We get into places that Playboy isn't allowed. Do [you] know they are banned in most of New England' I almost had an attack a stroke or something. I see now why the girls look like that. . . ."
Nd, TL, to Ellison: ". . . You guys really crack me up with the magazine. It's really very good. . . .
"You did an excellent job on . . . 'The Money I'm Stealing.' So get to work on this material. You can probably get about five or six bits out of it. . . . I want you to leave the names in, 'cause they are friends of mine. No payola I just like them. . . ." With holograph postscript written in upper margin and verso: "Most important Harlan please send immediately at least one copy of each story I've done for Rouge so far. I need them within a week also. Can you send me to this address above Sir[?] 6 real early issue of Rouge. I want to do a bit on the magazine for the stage."
With--A Western Union telegram from Bruce to Rogue and an archive of 20 retained copies of Robinson's letters to Bruce or his friend Dave Richards. The telegram, unsigned, requesting images. 1 page, oblong 8vo, "Western Union" form. Philadelphia, 18 April 1960. The archive of letters, sending checks or galleys or photographs [not present]. Together 24 pages, 4to, carbon copies. [Chicago], 1959-61.
On December 5, 1962, Bruce performed at the Gate of Horn in Chicago, which included a bit involving his showing the audience a copy of Rogue, a "men's magazine" for which he wrote a column between 1959 and 1961; this performance was interrupted by police, who then arrested Bruce on an obscenity charge and detained some insubordinate audience members, including George Carlin.