GEORGE BAKER - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 287144

GEORGE BAKER
ALS to his longtime companion Suzanne LaFrance, reporting that he has sent Sad Sack books to someone, illustrating his letter with humorous drawings in the margin
Autograph Letter signed: "B.B.". 1 page, 8½x11. No place, no date. To "Hi little Pangolin" [his longtime companion Suzanne LaFrance}. A whimsical color drawing of an elongated man, perhaps a self-caricature, fills the left and bottom margins. In full: "'The blue mood is all gone. Had another relaxing day paying tennis with Goldwyn and Carlos. I had just been cooped up too long and now things look much brighter. I'm sending the Sad Sack books to Alfred and suggesting that he use them for the comic books. The material in the books approximate four years of comic strips so its as if I had continued the strip four more years. If Alfred agrees to the suggestion it will build up quite a backlog for the comic books and I won't have quite such a guilty conscience about not contributing to the comic book project. The books and the covers should be somewhat of a help to them. I'm having dinner at Dave Golding's tonight. He has a new job with Otto Preminger that will take Dave back east. He leaves this week for Michigan for the 'Anatomy of Murder' set and later will go to Israel for preliminary work on 'Exodus.' I know our association is very casual but then I probably am responsible for that attitude in most of my friends. Love from". Cartoonist George Baker (1915-1975), originally a Walt Disney animator who worked on the classic films Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi, was drafted in 1941 and was soon producing a popular comic, Sad Sack, for The Army Weekly. Sad Sack, portraying the foibles of an army private, was the periodical's most popular feature, and was used by the US Army in a 1946 re-enlistment campaign. After his discharge, Baker began drawing Sad Sack as a comic book and syndicated comic strip. Sad Sack was featured on a radio show in 1946, and Paramount Pictures used the character for a 1957 film, with Jerry Lewis in the title role. Obviously, Baker was unable to overcome Paramount's claim to the TV rights. Sad Sack never became a series. Baker also produced sketches and other art, his longtime companion Suzanne LaFrance being a frequent subject of his drawings. Filing holes at left edge. Edges light toned. Bottom right corner creased. Otherwise, fine condition.