MAURICE ZOLOTOW
The celebrity biographer shares his feelings about his subject matter: "I'd rather write about the heroic people of show business than the sordid, ugly ones, although the latter seems to be more in fashion at the moment."
Typed Letter signed: "Maurice", 1 page, 6¾x10¼. Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, 1965 February 12. On personal letterhead to "Dear Mr Louis [Sobol], in full: "Merci mille fois for your kind words about STAGESTRUCK. It has been getting kind reviews all over the land and shapes up as my best-selling book to date - it's going into a third printing. I was reading the Journal-American the other day in the lobby of the Summit Hotel - waiting for my wife - when I saw your item about Irving Berlin having chosen his biographer - namely Ellin Berlin. That was the first I had heard about it, about him rejecting me. Well, it IS a problem finding a subject as worthy as the Lunts, since I'd rather write about the heroic people of show business than the sordid, ugly ones, although the latter seems to be more in fashion at the moment. Sincerely". Maurice Zolotow (1913-1991) was among the first to write realistic Hollywood biographies, including the only biography of Marilyn Monroe published in her lifetime. (No fewer than 23 subsequent chroniclers of Monroe have used references from Zolotow's book.) Other biographies included John Wayne, Billy Wilder, and Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne (titled Stagestruck, the book mentioned in this letter). He wrote shorter profiles of many other celebrities, including Grace Kelly, for Life, Collier's and other journals. His youthful admiration of Harry Houdini inspired his novel The Great Balsamo. Zolotow who wrote the first national review of Duke Ellington, also wrote on food and drink for Playboy, and published a book about his days at the racetrack. Louis Sobol wrote an entertainment column, "New York Cavalcade", for the Hearst newspapers. Light surface creases. Corners slightly worn. Pencil notes (unknown hand). Faint staining. Lightly toned. Otherwise, fine condition.