ARTHUR HORNBLOW JR. - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 12/13/1941 - HFSID 317257

ARTHUR HORNBLOW, JR.
Six days after Pearl Harbor, he hopes to meet a New York colleague who is joining the Navy. "I envy you the chance to do something emphatic ..."
Typed Letter signed: "Arthur Hornblow Jr.", 1 page, 8½x11. Hollywood, California, 1941 December 13. On letterhead of Paramount Pictures West Coast Studios to Anthony A. Bliss, First-to-Fight Division, New York City. In full: "Thank you for your long and interesting letter of the 9th. I will be glad to receive the duplicate receipts if only to keep my accountant happy. The originals never arrived. I have not been in New York, nor am I coming until our own problems here are a bit more settled than at the moment. However, when that time comes I shall hope to have the cocktail I offer. In the meantime, my very best wishes to you for good luck in the Navy. I envy you the chance to do something emphatic about the cause for which we have felt so warmly. Sincerely". Arthur Hornblow, Jr. (1893-1973) was a movie producer working directly for Samuel Goldwyn, then directly for MGM, and finally as an independent. He had worked on Broadway scripts in the 1920s, but left New York in disgust when the lesbian theme of his A Kiss of Importance (1930) was raided by police, with its cast - including Basil Rathbone - temporarily arrested. Hornblow produced many high quality films, starting with his first effort, The Pursuit of Happiness (1934). His other productions included Gaslight (1944), Asphalt Jungle (1950), Oklahoma (1955) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). His last film, War Hunt (1962), was Robert Redford's first. This letter raises intriguing questions. The 24th Infantry Division, stationed at Pearl Harbor, was already calling itself "the First to Fight Division," but Hornblow's correspondent appears to be joining the Navy, not the Army. And if joining either service in the opening days of World War II, his chances of meeting Hornblow in New York for cocktails in the immediate future would seem to have been slim. Finally, was this the same Anthony A. Bliss (1913-1991) who would become a prominent New York lawyer closely associated with the City's cultural life, and especially with the Metropolitan Opera and the Joffrey Ballet? An interesting, war-dated letter! Normal mailing folds. Creased and toned. Edges and corners lightly worn. Pencil notes (unknown hand) at top left corner. Otherwise, fine condition.