My Favourite Letters

Here is a list of my 30 favourite letters (in random order):

David Selznick to Will Hays -Selznick's plea to use the word "damn" in Gone With The Wind.

Correspondence between Grace Kelly and Alfred Hitchcock -letters regarding Grace's withdrawal from Marnie.

Jessica Tandy to Marlon Brando -Tandy reprimands Brando on his work ethic and mumbling on stage during the Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Humphrey Bogart to Irving Kovner -Bogie played chess with Kovner via letters and postcards, the game on the chess board in the opening scene of Casablanca being a real game they were playing.

Correspondence between Barbara Stanwyck and Jack Warner -Warner decided not to cast Barbara in The Fountainhead, causing Barbara to terminate her contract with Warner Bros.

Billy Wilder to the National Legion of Decency -telegram from Wilder regarding the censorship of The Seven Year Itch.

Letters from the public to David Selznick -Selznick is told to hurry up with the casting of Scarlett O'Hara and is also given casting suggestions.

Mark Damon to Vincent Price -Damon praises the man behind the actor.

The Physicians Advisory Committee to Alfred Hitchcock -letter regarding a medical inaccuracy in Psycho.

Joan Crawford to Barbara Stanwyck -season's greetings from Joan with interesting comment from Barbara.

Jennifer Jones to David Selznick -Jones talks about her problems on the set of Beat the Devil, her letter clearly showing how insecure she was.

Cary Grant to Art Roth from Levi Strauss -Grant thanks Strauss in a very amusing way for the shirts he was given.

Groucho Marx to Warner Brothers -hilarious letter from Groucho regarding the use of the word 'Casablanca' in the title of the next Marx Brothers' film.  

Charles Laughton to Billy Wilder -Laughton's view on the Oscars.

David Selznick to his associate Daniel O'Shea -Selznick is annoyed with George Cukor for rejecting his assignments while being on Selznick's payroll.

Clara Bow to Marlon Brando -Bow's fan letter to Brando.

Letters from the public to Walter Winchell and J. Edgar Hoover about Lucille Ball -angry citizens accuse Ball of having communist ties during the HUAC period.

Correspondence between Groucho Marx and Jerry Lewis -exchange of letters following Jerry Lewis' problems with Dean Martin, with Groucho giving Jerry advice.

Clark Gable to his Dad -27-year-old Gable writes to his estranged Dad.

Hermione Gingold to an anonymous letter-writer -hilarious letter from Gingold to an anonymous "friend" who was shocked by Gingold's stage performance and subsequently threatened her.

Lauren Bacall to John Wayne -Bacall thanks Wayne for standing up for her during production of Blood Alley.  

Bette Davis to Jack Warner -two letters from Davis complaining about her contract.

Alfred Hitchcock to Joan Crawford -amusing letter regarding Joan's article in Vogue and her cooking. 

Darryl Zanuck to Nunnally Johnson -Zanuck writes to producer Johnson following the disappointing box-office results of The Gunfighter, which he partly attributes to Gregory Peck's moustache.

Margaret Mitchell to Sidney Howard -Mitchell writes to Gone With The Wind's screenwriter Howard that she doesn't want anything to do with the script.

Errol Flynn to Lili Damita -funny letter about a flute Flynn gave his son Sean for his birthday; Flynn wants the instrument back to take to the pawn shop in case Sean doesn't play it.

Barbara Stanwyck to students and film historians of the University of Wyoming -letter from Barbara accompanying a donation of scripts of The Colby Show, stressing the importance of good dialogue.

David Selznick to Vivien Leigh -Selznick tells Leigh that she would be all wrong for the role of the 2nd Mrs de Winter in Rebecca, a role Leigh coveted.

Greta Garbo to Jacqueline Kennedy -Garbo's letter to the first lady regarding the president's 'tooth'.

Tallulah Bankhead to J. Edgar Hoover about Billy Holiday -Bankhead pleads Holiday's case after Holiday had been arrested for possession of opium.

Updated on 17 February 2019.