Howard answers questions about romance, marriage and the temptations of Hollywood. "Is Movie Love Too Real?" Screenland, April, 1934
Leslie Howard's diary entries concerning his wife:
Sunday, 13th January: Quiet day. Rose at gentleman's hour of 1.30 [p.m.]. Wilfred [Noy] and family to lunch and for day. Edifying pastimes such as puzzles, electric trains, short walk, newspapers, much conversation, meals, etc. Just a nice suburban Sunday. Feeling immensely pure despite Ruth's doubts.
Thursday, 31st January: Day of incredible idleness. Fiddled from morning to night (no connection with violin). My poor Wink still in bed but improving. After show am visited by one Heenan of Majestic (steamship) accompanied by sultry vamp. Arrive home, I regret, in yellow taxi (or was it green?) at unseemly hour, beating dawn by a short head. Not unreasonable annoyance on part of wife.
Friday, 1st February: Perfect day (climatically). Went walking with Ruth and, in spite of late night, insisted on faun-like dance in main road—Spring being distinctly in the air. Ruth full of apprehension about 12th child this last 12 months. To Laurettes [Taylor] after play. Ran into Jack Buchanan, Gertrude Lawrence, 'Mattie' [A. E. Matthews], Violet Heming, Freddie Lonsdale, Ethel Barrymore, Daniell, Rubinstein. Retired at 5 a.m.—Hartley [Manners] giving up his room to me.
Sunday, 10th February: To day we wake up to find first snow of the winter. Wink very excited. We make attempt at tobogganing. Scott Fitzgerald calls up at midnight asking me to go over to their party. Ruth threatens separation if I go—so decide it isn't worth it.
Friday, 7th March: Missed drawing lesson on account of water on the knee. Another memorable day for the poor cat who, having produced four dusky offspring, has three of them destroyed by Ruth with spartan ruthlessness. Justifiable kittencide! One consolation in being human—one can have fourteen with impunity. Perhaps the cat is better off after all.
Sunday, 23rd March: Drive to town. Tea at Margalo's [Gillmore] large party. To Laurette's [Taylor] to dinner. Small but amusing party. Played various absurd games till small hours, during one of which made brilliant speech on birth control—or lack of it. Home 4 a.m. [Howard had most likely learned that his wife was pregnant at about this time.]
Wednesday, 28th May: Say sad farewell to my Ruthy at Grand Central amid confusion and babel of traffic. It is always so hard to leave the ones one loves. A long tedious train journey and Buffalo at ten at night.
Trivial Fond Records, pgs. 41-48
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