EUGENIE LEONTOVICH - TYPED LETTER TWICE SIGNED 11/14/1947 - HFSID 201663

EUGENIE LEONTOVICH
The Broadway legend gushes over the good news about the possible production of her play, signs name twice in black ink
Typed letter signed twice: "Eugenie" and "G" in black ink. 1 page, 7¼x10½. Addressed to producer "Robert Reud" of New York City. Beverly Hills, California. November 14, 1947. In full: "Mr. MacCallum's letter made a deep impression on me and proved to me again that he has an exquisite talent plus tolerance of a real gentleman and scholar. It also makes me happy to read in his letter that he wants us all to meet very soon. Let's do it Robert! Let's put all our forces together to see this exciting play produced. Another thing I like in his letter is the suggestion to get for our director some young yet unknown person. I personally never believe in any "prima-donna" director, unless he is a real one, as it was in the case of Mr. Dowling. It seems to me that a young anxious to work unknown man of the Theatre can help us a great deal. With my personal regards to Mr. and Mrs. MacCallum, I remain, Yours ever". Autograph post script: "My tribe is sending you their warmest Greeting -". Broadway producer and press agent Robert Reud, whom these letters are addressed to, was involved with New York theatre for over twenty years, including productions of Hello, Daddy (1929), Our Town (1938), The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1943), Ramshackle Inn (1944), The Odds on Mrs. Oakley (1944), and Duet for Two Hands (1947); he was friends with many actresses including Elisabeth Bergner and Greta Garbo. EUGENIE LEONTOVICH (1900-1993) was a Russian-born American stage actress who also appeared on film and television, described as "one of the most colorful figures of the 20th-century theatre, a successful actress, producer, playwright and teacher". Born in Moscow, after studying at the city's Imperial School of Dramatic Art and the Moscow Art Theatre, Leontovich suffered tragedy when her father and brothers, officers in the Russian Imperial Army, were murdered by the Bolsheviks during the Revolution; she eventually found her way to New York and mastered English, leading her to Broadway stardom. She was first noticed as the dancer Grusinkaya in Grand Hotel (1930), and went on to appear as Lilly Garland in Twentieth Century (1932), and on the West End as Archduchess in Tovarich (1935). Leontovich originated the role of the Dowager Empress in the Broadway production of Anastasia (1954), the Queen in Cave Dwellers (1957) for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in 1958, and Mademoiselle Kuprin in A Call on Kuprin (1961), and in 1972 wrote her own adaptation of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, going on to star and direct the production. She often appeared on film in productions of The Rains of Ranchipur (1955) and The Rains Came (1939). She spent the rest of her life as a teacher, referred to as "Madame" at her schools in New York and Chicago. Normal mailing folds. Lightly toned. Light surface creases. Light stains throughout. Otherwise, fine condition.