Sir Noel Coward (1899 to 1973 ) was an English playwright, composer, director ,actor and singer. Known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise". Coward made his professional stage debut at the age of 11. As a teenager he was introduced into high society in which most of his plays would be set. Coward achieved enduring success as a playwright , publishing more than 50 plays from his teens onwards. Many of his works such as Hay Fever, Private Lives, Present Laughter and Blithe Spirit have remained to this day in the regular theater repertoire. He composed hundreds of songs, in addition two well over a dozen musical Theatre works as well as screenplays, poetry, short stories and a three volume autobiography. Cowards stage and film acting and directing career spanned six decades, during which he starred in many of his own works as well as those of others. During the war years he worked with the British Secret Service seeking to use his influence to persuade the American public and government to help Britain. He was knighted in 1969.
 
This one page letter written on both sides in Noel coward's hand and signed by him is on a Savoy Hotel London letterhead dated July the 24th 1941. Letter to  “CV”, in part
“I am terribly sorry but I do not think I can manage to come and help at the” Rag “-I cannot promise to be there and I do hate saying I will do something and then not turning up -I don't even like “engagements permitting”-and I really have got a lot of work to do .So will you please forgive me. There is one thing I'm sure you've got wrong -I did not steal a song from you - I know I didn't !”