MARCEL HILLAIRE - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 09/23/1984 - HFSID 39501

MARCEL HILLAIRE
Hillaire handwrote, dated and signed this letter on his personalized stationery to Todd Axelrod in 1984. In it he talks about the ups and downs of his career, adding: "About the 'Downs' this writer keeps a tactful silence". Accompanied by original mailing envelope.
Autograph letter signed "Marcel Hillaire" in blue ink. 1 page, 8½x11, on Hillaire's personalized fabric-textured stationery. September 23, 1984. Addressed to "Todd Axelrod". In full: "Dear Todd Axelrod! I feel deeply honored by your thoughtful letter. An actor's career having - most naturally - its ups and downs I will in this writ here stay exclusively with some of the 'ups' ('ups' - this is such a precarious word that I even got jittery writing these 3 letters: U - p - s.) All right, dear Todd: 'Ups' were the Cooking Professor in 'Sabrina', Crysanthemum in "I Spy" and Inspector LeDouse in 'Evening in Byzantium'. About the 'Downs' this writer keeps a tactful silence..... Yours ever,".Lightly creased. Handwriting is lightly smeared in places but legible. Random ink stains. Folded thrice and unfolded. Otherwise in fine condition. Accompanied by: Original mailing envelope. Addressed to Mr. Todd M. Axelrod, The American Museum of Historical Documents, Las Vegas, Nevada. Lightly creased. Neatly cut open at top edge. Tape remnants on flap. Otherwise in fine condition. Hillaire (1908-1988, born Erwin Ottmar Hiller in Cologne, Germany) was a character actor with almost 70 movies and TV shows to his credit. Hillaire had frequent performances in the spy and thriller genres, including Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962) and in episodes of I Spy, The Man from U. N. C. L. E. and Mission: Impossible, as well as the spy spoofs Murderer's Row (1966) and Get Smart. But his real life was, if anything, more exciting and dramatic than any of his roles. Hillaire changed his name from Erwin Hiller to Harry Furster during the Nazi regime in Germany. He acted on stage and served in the German army under this name until he was discovered and imprisoned. He escaped and made his way to the United States, where he changed his name to Marcel Hillaire.