Dear hjforman:

Unfortunately, I don't have any information on locating a copy of the film, though I'd appreciate knowing anything you find out. My mother, Roslyn Rosen, was the writer of the cantata's libretto with Earl Robinson. She died just this past October at the age of 96. My brother appeared in the chorus that sang in the Chicago production of "When We Grow Up." I do have access to a copy of the published version of the cantata--though it'd take me a little while to get at it--and I believe there is at least one photo from the film on the cover of the sheet music. I'll try to find that and scan it, if you don't already have that, and if it'd be helpful to you.

George H. Rosen

Thank you for your reply. I have a photo of a rehearsal, held in Brooklyn, where the movie was filmed. I'm wondering if the Library of Congress might have a copy. I'm sorry I don't remember your mother - I was probably around 10 years old at that time. If you are able to scan in the photo from the sheet music, that would be wonderful.
Helen Forman

Dear Ms. Forman

I'm not sure my mother was actually in New York for the Brooklyn performance. (I think I was barely five at the time and apparently too unruly to appear in the Chicago version.) My parents and I lived in Chicago, Earl and his family lived in New York--or were just about to move there from Los Angeles--at the time, and to make things even more complicated, my mother and Earl did a good deal of the writing, I believe, in New Mexico, where a group of left-wing families hung out together in the summers. My guess is that each of them took responsibility for a "local" production of the cantata. (They both had a good deal of theatrical experience, having met each other, in fact, performing in politically committed small-theater groups in the thirties.)

I'll chase down the cover of the music for you (The only issue is whether it's here at my home in Massachusetts or still in my mother's apartment in Illinois.)

If you haven't already, you might try to contact Perry Robinson, the jazz clarinetist, who I believe is in New York and is Earl's son. I'm sure he hasn't a clue who I am. I think I only "met" him at Clint Jencks' ranch in New Mexico where I was a very little kid, and he was one of a group of teenagers many levels above the likes of me. But he might know about existing copies of the movie. I don't know enough about the Library of Congress's relation to movies, as opposed to books, of which by law they have copies of everything, of course, to know if they have a copy. (Or whether what they do have has been transferred to generally available digital form....)
Yours, George Rosen

I was also in "When We Grow Up!" Does the name Ellis Herwig mean anything? It was a name I greatly disliked and later legally changed to Spencer Grant but in those innocent days I was Ellis. Lots of Brooklyn Heights kids were involved in "The Chorus" (the formal name of the group -- we paid 50 cents per meeting)but the only one I remember clearly was my P.S. 8 classmate Jennifer Salt with whom I was hopelessly in love. She went on to success as an actress. I wonder if she remembers me? I doubt it but I like to think so. The movie was made over several Saturdays at a small studio on Flatbush Avenue Extension. We watched Buster Keaton talkie between scenes. If you're interested, let me know. -- spencergrant@cox.net