NEIL "DOC" SIMON - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 12/09/1996 - HFSID 287514

NEIL SIMON
Writing to Rex McGee, a former protégé of film director Billy Wilder, Simon notes that "the great Wilder was also a mentor to me."
Autograph Letter signed: "Neil Simon", 1 page, 7x9. No place, 1996 December 9. On personal letterhead to "Dear Rex McGee", in full: "Thanks so much for your letter. I'm glad 'Rewrites' had an effect on you. The great Wilder was also a mentor to me even though he never personally took me under his wing. I just had a lot of dinners with he and his wife Audrey, and I just listened to him talk. Even as the years went on, he never lost his wit, his edge and his dark look at what was wrong with Hollywood. I hope you come out of your 'it sucks' period. I have mine too but I just write through it and hope something good will come out the other side. I agree with you about 'stopping the book' when I did, which won't prevent me from doing the second and final book. I still have a few things left to say. Best of luck."  Playwright Simon (1927-2018) has won three Tony Awards for Best Play (The Odd Couple, 1965; Biloxi Blues, 1985; Lost in Yonkers, 1991), a Pulitzer Prize (Lost in Yonkers, 1991), two Emmys for his television writing and a 1978 Golden Globe for his screenplay for The Goodbye Girl. His other Tony-nominated Broadway plays include Barefoot in the Park (1964), Sweet Charity (1966), Plaza Suite (1968), Promises, Promises (1969), The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1972), The Sunshine Boys (1973) and They're Playing Our Song (1979). He has scripted more than 20 films, adaptations of his plays and also original works like The Out of Towners, Murder by Death and The Goodbye Girl, receiving 4 Oscar nominations. His many honors include the Mark Twain Prize for American humor (2006). This letter is from the personal collection of its recipient, REX McGEE (b. 1936), who assisted acclaimed director BILLY WILDER (1906-2002) on his later films. Wilder was nominated for eight Oscars, second most for any director, and won the coveted statuette for The Lost Weekend and The Apartment. When he received this letter, McGee had already written the screenplay for Pure Country (starring George Strait, 1992). While teaching film at SMU, he has subsequently written a semi-autobiographical TV movie, Where There's a Will (1996) and co-written the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain (2005). Normal mailing folds. Penny size soil mark at bottom center (not affecting signature). Small soil mark in between first two sentences at top center. Otherwise, fine condition.