NELLE WILSON REAGAN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED CIRCA 1942 - HFSID 385

[JANE WYMAN] NELLE REAGAN
Nelle Reagan, Ronald Reagan's mother, wrote this letter for a fan of her daughter-in-law Jane Wyman in 1942. Signed "Jane" in Nelle Reagan's hand.
Autograph letter signed "Jane" in Reagan's hand. 1 page, 3¼x5½. Postmarked Los Angeles, California, Nov. 20, 1942. Written on the back of a 1¢ blank postcard. Addressed to Rosemarie Connor, Brooklyn, New York. In full: "Dear Rosemarie, Just time for a card in answer to your lovely letter. Your description of your self [sic] sounds very lovely. I am sure you ought to be able to model, and I hope you realize your ambitions. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Thanks for your high opinion of the things you think I could do. Sincerely,". On April 14, 1942, Ronald Reagan was inducted into the U.S. Army. Because of his commission in the cavalry reserve, he was made a Second Lieutenant. His years in the Army were interrupted a number of times to permit him to appear in Hollywood's contributions to the war, such as Warners' This Is the Army (1942) and USO promotional films Rear Gunner (1943) and For God and Country (1944). Captain Reagan received his Army discharge on Dec. 9, 1945. While Reagan was in the Army, Warner Bros. hired his mother NELLE REAGAN (1883-1962, born Nelle Clyde Wilson) to answer his fan mail. When he returned to Warner, they deducted what they paid her from his salary. Mrs. Reagan also answered fan mail addressed to her daughter-in-law, actress Jane Wyman, whom she mentions in this letter. There were piles of fan letters to Jane to answer but she ran out of Jane's Journal (her fan club newsletter) and photographs, so she thought it would be a good idea to disband her fan club. After becoming an actor, Ronald Reagan moved his parents from Illinois to California. His father died in 1941 and answering fan mail at home gave his mother something to do. JANE WYMAN (1914-2007, born in St. Joseph, Missouri) was married to future U.S. President Ronald Reagan from 1940 to 1948. Emerging as a major film star with The Lost Weekend (1945), she won the Oscar for Best Actress in Johnny Belinda (1948), and was nominated for the same award for The Yearling (1946), The Blue Veil (1951) and The Magnificent Obsession (1954). She hosted a twice Emmy-nominated dramatic anthology on TV, The Jane Wyman Show (1955-1958), and returned to the small screen as the ruthless Angela Channing in the series Falcon Crest (1981-1990). Lightly toned and creased. Normal postal stamps; show though touches handwriting but not signature. Otherwise in fine condition.