JAYNE MEADOWS - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 09/05/1995 - HFSID 323814

JAYNE MEADOWS
An extremely lengthy and friendly letter from the actress to a fan, thanking him for his previous letter detailing his own life, and going on to speak about her admiration for Pearl Buck, her trip to the U.S.S.R., her acting career, and her hope to meet the recipient one day. A wonderful and warm insight into the actress' personal life
Typed letter signed: "Jayne Meadows", in blue ink, 3 pages, 7¼x10½. September 5, 1995. Accompanied by original envelope. In Part: "Dear John, Although we've never met, I deliberately choose to address you by yours first name rather than more formally partly because you kindly provided so much information about your personal history, in your lovely letter of July 1, that I actually have the feeling we're already friends. It's kind of you to suggest that I write a book, (I've been working on it) but it seems to me that you're the one who ought to do so…For example, I share your admiration for Pearl Buck…Pearl Buck visited us here once and although it was a delight to share her company, there was some disappointment to the meeting in that, having discovered that we knew Walt Disney personally, she asked us to invite him to the same dinner party. He accepted but later his secretary had to call back and tell us that he was ill…it was not long after that he passed away…Since you and I live 3,000 miles apart, it's not possible to predict when and where we might meet…Steve has a trip to Washington, DC coming up…I'll be glad to let you know, in advance, that we're coming to town". Breaking into showbiz as a radio disc jockey, the multitalented Steve Allen (1921-2000) learned that inserting humor would draw a lot more attention to himself than merely announcing. In order to supply himself with an endless stream of material, he memorized every joke book and "college humor" magazine that he could get his hands on; the result was his uncanny ability to conjure up precisely the right wisecrack at the right time. Allen received his first network exposure in 1949, and he was also featured in several films, including Down Memory Lane (1949) and I'll Get By (1950). Allen was nominated for six Primetime Emmys, although he never won one. In 1953, He was hired to host a local late-night program on New York's WNBC-TV, which later developed into the NBC network's Tonight Show. Allen was also an accomplished composer (he wrote over 7,400 songs, including his signature song This Could Be The Start of Something Big) and piano player, and he filled up his spare time by writing more than 50 books as well as plays and magazine articles. Stage and screen actress Jayne Meadows (1919-2015) began her film career in the mid-1940s as a contract player at MGM. She excelled as cold-blooded "other women", vitriolic divorcees and neurotic murderesses. One popular screen role was as the double- and triple-crossing Mildred Haveland in Lady in the Lake (1946). Meadows has appeared on dozens of variety programs and game shows. Her film credits include Casino (1995) and The Player (1992). Over the course of her career, she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards in three different decades. She married multitalented comedian, actor, author and songwriter Steve Allen (1921-2000) in 1954. The two made guest appearances as a couple in a few different television productions until his death. Her sister was fellow actress Audrey Meadows (1922-1996). Normal mailing folds. Light surface creases. Corners slightly worn. Otherwise, fine condition.