HOWARD HUGHES - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: JEAN PETERS - HFSID 36780

HOWARD HUGHES and JEAN PETERS
Hughes writes to his wife, Jean, asking if she will "please do one little something for me tonight?" when they meet later. She responds, saying "Please don't worry - I won't disappoint you". A reclusive billionaire, Hughes lived in separate quarters (but in the same house) from his wife and was mostly confined to his bedroom, speaking to her almost entirely in notes and letters.
Autograph letter signed: "Howard", "J", 1 page, 8½x14 (front and verso). No place, no date, but circa 1964.Hughes' letter begins: "Dearest Sweetheart". In full: "I love you very very especially much. Well, you can believe it or not, but the barber is on the air and everything is set for me to be shorn + de-contaminated tonight. I love you and will be so happy to show you your new husband. Meanwhile, will you please do one little something for me tonight? Please, sweet love. I am only asking you, and as humbly as I know how. I'll send you another message later, and it won't be too late. Love again". Peters' letter, written beneath her husband's, begins: "Dearest Love-". In full: "Please don't worry - I won't disappoint you. I am working on my tapes - There is nothing on TV that I want to see. But I would like to try to sleep earlier 11:30 - 12:00 tonight. I hope the barber gets here - Do you want me do anything to facilitate the operation? Love". The relationship between business tycoon HOWARD HUGHES (1905-1976) and actress JEAN PETERS (1926-2000), which was marked with strange meeting rituals and periods of little or no direct contact, was anything but normal, yet their sincere devotion to each other endured throughout their 14-year marriage. The dashing aviator and movie mogul had met Peters in 1946, when she had come to Hollywood as a prize for winning the Miss Ohio state title. Hughes was intrigued by Twentieth Century-Fox's rising star, who made her film debut in 1947. Following 11 years of sporadic dating, the two were married in a small mining town outside of Las Vegas on January 12, 1957. Hughes, known for working odd hours into the night, preferred to relay his business and personal directives via memos and hand-written notes rather than the spoken word, and he would communicate with his wife in this same manner. They jotted notes about planned meetings, films, business and opinions in general. In 1964, Mr. and Mrs. Hughes lived at the fashionable address of 1001 Bel Aire. However, their marital arrangements included separate living quarters, and Jean often was required to make an appointment with Hughes' aides in order to see her husband. By this time in their marriage, the couple was known to usually spend a half hour together after 11 p.m. before retiring to their separate bedrooms. In November 1966, Howard Hughes confined himself to a hotel penthouse in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1970, after having spent most of her married life with Hughes in separate accommodations, Jean Peters Hughes was granted a divorce. Fold in center. Light surface creases. Fine condition.