FRANCES E. BAVIER - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 07/02/1987 - HFSID 279615

FRANCES BAVIER
The actress best known for portraying Aunt Bea wrote this letter to Joyce Kennedy, a friend, to thank one of her fans "for your friendly note" in 1987. Kennedy wrote her own letter in 1995, eight years after Frances Bavier died, to a third part about Bavier's letter, with the postscript "She had 15 cats in her house! What a stink!"
Autograph letter signed: "Frances Bavier", 1p, 5½x7¼, on stationery with a forest motif on verso. 1987 July 2, postmarked Greensboro, North Carolina, July 7, 1987. Addressed to Miss Joyce Kennedy, Siler City, North Carolina. In full: "Dear Miss Kennedy Thanks you for your friendly note. Somehow your letter was mislaid but I kept the address from the envelope - fortunately. The heat keeps me quiet - just enough energy to do a few chores - I anticipate feeling stronger and I will drop a note to you hoping we can visit - at the moment, I'll just rest - Thank you again". Lightly toned and creased. Postmark shows through from verso and touches handwriting and signature. Gold foil seal remnant at top edge. Light tear at top edge. Folded twice and unfolded. Pinhole near left edge in top fold. Light nicks at left and right edge along folds. Otherwise, fine condition. Accompanied by: Autograph letter from Joyce Moss of Wickenburg, Arizona, dated July 14 1995, on ruled paper. Moss claims in this letter that her name was Kennedy when she lived in North Carolina, but she later changed it to Moss. She writes, in part: "Hope you can use this. She died in 1989 in Siler City, NC." Moss also included a transcription of Bavier's letter "in case you can't read her writing" and adds, "P.S. She had 15 cats in her house! What a stink!" Lightly toned and creased. Pencil notations on verso in unknown hand with light show-through (does not touch signature or handwriting. Folded three times and unfolded. Otherwise, fine conditon. Stage, screen and television actress Frances Bavier (1902-1989) is best known for her role as Aunt Bea Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, which was televised on CBS from 1960 to 1968. The 249 episodes filmed are still shown in syndication, and Bavier reprised her role as Aunt Bea in Mayberry R.F.D. (1968-1970). Bavier had a successful career on Broadway before making her feature film debut in 1951 (The Day the Earth Stood Still). She continued to appear in films until 1974 (Benji), but she is best known for her television work, appearing on several TV series, including anthologies, dramas, Westerns and sit-coms, as well as starring as Aunt Bea. Two items.