J. FRED COOTS - TYPED LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 287139

J. FRED COOTS
ALS from 1948, congratulating actress Ruth Gordon on a "memorable performance" in a play written by her and directed by her husband. (Coots' praise notwithstanding, The Leading Lady was a flop.)
Autograph Letter signed: "J. Fred Coots", 1 page, 5½x7. New York City, 1948 October 25. To Ruth Gordon, in full: "My sincere thanks to you and a distinguished cast of players, for a memorable performance. To witness such perfection of make believing in these days is in my opinion quite unusual. And the story and direction are both superb. Long may it all reign. Of course I believe it would all reach its higher level in a small playhouse of tasteful and modern accoutrement, along with a concealed musical group. But, maybe I'm asking the impossible. Best of luck to you all. You richly deserve it. Cordially". In 1934, Coots (1897-1985, born in New York City) wrote the music and Haven Gillespie wrote the lyrics to "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" for Eddie Cantor to sing on his radio show. The song was an instant success, selling four million copies of sheet music and later inspiring an animated special featuring the voice of Fred Astaire. In 1998, Coots' holiday classic was ranked second on ASCAP's "Top 25 Holiday Season Songs", and the tune has been featured in numerous films. The prolific Coots wrote over 700 other songs during his career, including music for Broadway shows, Cotton Club revues (with lyricist Benny Davis) and Hollywood films. He had a hit in 1938 with "You Go to My Head" (also with Gillespie). The songwriter and vaudeville and nightclub performer was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. Ruth Gordon (1896-1985) had a remarkable acting career, including over 60 years on Broadway stages (1915-1976) and movies such as Rosemary's Baby and Harold and Maude. Despite Coots' enthusiasm, the play he praises here was not one of the highlights. The Leading Lady, written by Gordon herself and directed by her husband, Garson Kanin, opened at the National Theater on October 18 and closed after only 8 performances. The last performance was October 23, so Coots' letter must have been aimed at consoling Gordon. (Coots himself was had no credited role in the production.) One vertical one horizontal mailing crease. Pencil note (unknown hand) near top right edge. Minor ink rubs throughout letter. Otherwise, fine condition.