IRVING BERLIN - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 07/22/1949 - HFSID 254188

IRVING BERLIN. TLS: "Irving Berlin", 1p, 7¼x10½ . New York, 1949 July 22. On stationery imprinted with his name to Mrs. Henry B. Harris, New York City. Begins: "Dear Renee". In full: "I have your letter and think you have a good idea, but I'm afraid we would not be interested in anything like that for the moment. I'm leaving soon to go to California, but when I get back I'll be glad to discuss it with you sometime. It was nice hearing from you. My best." IRVING BERLIN (1888-1989), born Israel Isidore Baline in Tumen, Siberia, Russia, was such a force in American music that in 1924, when Berlin was just 37, songwriter Jerome Kern gave this assessment: "Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American music." If the only song he ever wrote was "God Bless America", made famous by Kate Smith, Berlin would be an important part of American music. But Berlin wrote more than 900 songs, including the classics "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody", "There's No Business Like Show Business", "Always", "Easter Parade" and "Blue Skies", 19 musicals, including Annie Get Your Gun and Call Me Madam, and the scores of 18 movies, including Holiday Inn, which featured his 1942 Academy Award-winning song, "White Christmas". On July 15, 1949, exactly a week before this letter was written, Berlin's musical, Miss Liberty, had opened on Broadway. The show would run until April 8, 1950. Berlin was likely going to Hollywood to write the musical score for the 1950 film, Annie Get Your Gun, adapted from his 1946 Broadway play. IRENE "RENEE" WALLACE (MRS. HENRY B.) HARRIS (1876-1979) had performed on Broadway (1904) and was a producer and director of several Broadway shows. Her husband, HENRY BIRKHARDT HARRIS (1866-1912), was a producer of early Broadway shows and owned and operated Broadway theaters, including the Helen Hayes Theatre. In 1912, Mrs. Harris and her husband were first class passengers on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. The 35-year-old socialite was rescued from lifeboat D by the Carpathia, but her 45-year-old husband died in the sinking and his body was never recovered. Slightly soiled. Regular folds. Fine condition.