HOWARD W. KOCH - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 04/06/1993 CO-SIGNED BY: R. D. HUBBARD - HFSID 270581

HOWARD W. KOCH
TLS: "Howard W. Koch" as a Member of the Board of Directors and "R.D. Hubbard" as Chairman, 1 page, 8½x11. Inglewood, California, 1993 April 6. On letterhead of Hollywood Park Operating Company to comedienne and actress Phyllis Diller, Los Angeles, California. Begins: "Dear Ms. Diller". In full: "We cordially invite you to be our special guest at a Hollywood get-together where back-end deals take on a whole new meaning. Hollywood Park, the first of many Jack Warner productions, has been restored to its former glory with more than $20 million in renovations completed in 1992, establishing it as the premier thoroughbred racing track in the country. What better place for Hollywood's royalty to experience the 'sport of kings?' On Friday, May 7, Hollywood Park will open the doors of its exclusive invitation-only Directors Room to you and your colleagues for an evening of fine food, drink and world-class horse racing. This night marks the opening of Friday night racing for the 1993 spring/summer meet and promises to be an evening of exceptional entertainment, in a plush and private setting. Cocktails will be served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; followed by a lavish dinner buffet. The first race begins at 7 p.m. You will be receiving a more formal invitation shortly with complete details for this unique party. In the meantime, you are welcome to call our representative, Terry Saucier, ... if you have any questions. See you at Hollywood Park! Regards". HOWARD W. KOCH (1916-2001) produced such films as War Paint (1953), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Come Blow Your Horn (1963), None But the Brave (1965), The Odd Couple (1968), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), Plaza Suite (1971), The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1972), Airplane! (1980), Ghost (1990), and Keeping the Faith (2000). He was also the director of films including Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958), Frankenstein 1970 (1958) and Born Reckless (1959). Koch, who was executive producer for Frank Sinatra Enterprises from 1961-1964, then became production head at Paramount before forming his own production unit two years later. He also co-produced (with Aubrey Schenck) the TV series, Miami Undercover, and worked as a director on the TV series Maverick, Hawaiian Eye, Cheyenne and The Untouchables. The President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1977-1979, Koch was honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1990. Comedienne PHYLLIS DILLER (1917-2012), known for her outrageous appearance, zany outfits, distinctive laugh and a stand-up act that featured frequent references to her fictional husband, "Fang", and zingers about her sex appeal and numerous plastic surgeries, got her big break in March 1955 (at age 37), when she debuted at San Francisco's Purple Onion club. A subsequent appearance on The Tonight Show hosted by Jack Paar launched her national career, which got a big boost after Bob Hope saw Diller in a Washington, D.C. club. A favorite of the comedian, Diller would appear in three of Hope's films and 23 of his TV specials. Diller, who recorded her first comedy record album in 1959, took her groundbreaking "funny hausfrau" act to nightclubs and television variety shows and specials and she also appeared on the big screen. Her feature film credits include Splendor in the Grass (1961), The Fat Spy (1966), Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966), The Sunshine Boys (1975) and The Silence of the Hams (1994), and she provided the voice of the Queen in A Bug's Life (1998). By 2000, the comedienne, who had trained as a concert pianist before her marriage (1939-1965) to Sherwood Anderson Diller, had appeared as a piano soloist with 100 symphony orchestras across the U.S. Despite retiring from nightclub/stage tours in May 2002 at the age of 84, Diller continued to make films (Motorcross Kids, 2004; Forget About It, 2005) and occasionally appear on TV programs, including two episodes of 7th Heaven (2002, 2003) and a guest shot on The Wayne Brady Show (2004). Lightly creased with folds, not at signatures. Paper remnants at upper blank margin. Fine condition.