James Thurber: "The Cat and the Riddle" Musical Program

"The Cat and the Riddle" was performed by the Scarlet Mask Club of Ohio State University on February 4-6, 1924. Billed as "a two act musical mystery" by James G. Thurber '19, the score is credited to eighteen songwriting collaborators, and Thurber was the lyricist in at least one of the numbers. Today it seems an extravagance to publish the sheet music for a three-night production, but it gives us what must be the best record we have of the performance today. Thurber's dialogue has evidently been lost. The musical program, currently listed on eBay, is not surprisingly quite scarce.

James Thurber
"The Cat and the Riddle" Musical Program
eBay listing accessed November 21, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1924-JAMES-THURBER-Cat-and-the-Riddle-OHIO-STATE-UNIVERSITY-SCARLET-MASK-CLUB/362411980402?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225086%26meid%3D199b8f5e23334dd39992034b0bb33462%26pid%3D100227%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D362411980402%26itm%3D362411980402%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2053904&_trksid=p2053904.c100227.m3827

James Thurber
"The Cat and the Riddle" Musical Program
eBay item description

Is $399.99 a fair price for such a program? The market will have to decide that. One wishes one had noted the listing on Everything but the House (EBTH) back in September, where a different copy sold for what was clearly way too little:

James Thurber
"The Cat and the Riddle" Musical Program
Everything but the House listing ended September 18, 2020

https://www.ebth.com/items/11788438-ohio-state-university-the-cat-and-the-riddle-musical-program-1924

"Javaland"
Words by James G. Thurber '19
Music by Robert B. Jennings '26

No copy of this musical program had been located by Edwin T. Bowden when he compiled his Thurber bibliography in 1968:

Bowden, Edwin T. James Thurber:  A Bibliography. Ohio State University Press, 1968, p. 210

Bowden, Edwin T. James Thurber:  A Bibliography. Ohio State University Press, 1968, p. 212

Bowden, Edwin T. James Thurber:  A Bibliography. Ohio State University Press, 1968, p. 228

Note:  Thanks to Scott Burns of Armadillo & Dicker Books for bringing the eBay listing to my attention.

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James Thurber: Doubles Tennis

In 2007, Sotheby's sold this sensational tennis drawing by James Thurber which is not among those catalogued in Bowden. Note how Thurber abandons any semblance of one-point perspective, and how the composition seems to work extremely well without it. Tennis, anyone?

"I got it!"
James Thurber

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/fine-books-and-manuscripts-including-americana-n08330/lot.141.html

"I got it!"
James Thurber

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/fine-books-and-manuscripts-including-americana-n08330/lot.141.html

November 17, 2013 Update:  This drawing was published in the New Yorker issue of May 23, 1936 with the caption "Mine!" The different published caption may be the reason this drawing could not be identified in Bowden. Otherwise, I find it hard to imagine that a published New Yorker cartoon would have escaped Bowden's attention. For the record, I don't have a preference for either caption; they both seem truly inspired.

James Thurber, "Mine!"
The New Yorker, May 23, 1936, page 28

James Thurber, "Mine!"
The New Yorker, May 23, 1936, page 28

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