NICK "THE REBEL" ADAMS - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 03/28/1956 - HFSID 294072

NICK ADAMS
Remarkable letter to friends, describing his recent financial difficulties, his new breakthrough in films, and his desire to write about "Jimmy" (his close friend James Dean, who had died 6 months before).
Autograph Letter Signed: "Nick", 2 pages (front and verso), 7½x9½ No place, 1956 March 28. To "Dear Shirley and Bob", in full: "Please forgive me for not writing sooner. I was pretty miserable for about 4 months. I didn't have any work, I was up to my ears in debt and they were all set to take my house away from me. Things were really bad. I didn't feel like seeing or talking to anyone. So please forgive me for not writing. Things have picked up a lot. I have just finished doing one of the leads in a picture at Republic called 'White Nightmare'. Joan Evans, Marla English & Ben Cooper are in it. I had a great part. A killer. And I just got a great part in a picture at 20th Century Fox called 'The Last Wagon'. It's a real big Western in color & cinemascope. I have the lead with Richard Widmark & Joan Collins. I started to write the novel that we discussed Bob, but I just don't know how to write so I gave it up and wrote a short story about Jimmy for a magazine and told them to use whatever money they wanted to give for the story to buy or have a picture painted of Jimmy or a bust made and give it to Marcus & Hortense. When the story comes out I'll let you know what magazine it's in. Please write & let me know what's new and please forgive me for not writing. And please send me Jimmy Grandfather's [sic] address. Write soon. Sincerely". Nick Adams (1931-1968) starred as "Johnny Yuma", a former Confederate soldier, in The Rebel on ABC from 1959-1961. Among his films were Mr. Roberts, Picnic and Rebel Without a Cause, and he was nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar for Twilight of Honor in 1963. Adams was 36 when he died of an overdose of medication he was taking for a nervous disorder. The film White Nightmare - mentioned here by Adams as a turning point in his fortunes - was renamed A Strange Adventure. Adams was a very close friend of James Dean, whom he had met in 1950 while filming a commercial. They certainly became close friends. Some writers have alleged that Adams and Dean were bi-sexual, and had an amorous relationship, but these claims are conjectural and very much in dispute. In any case, Adams sought to capitalize on his friendship with Dean after the latter's death in a car crash on September 30, 1955: writing articles and giving interviews to fan magazines, and having himself photographed at Dean's gravesite. (Marcus and Hortense Winslow, mentioned by Adams, were the aunt and uncle of James Dean, having raised the young man after the early death of his mother.) Adams would soon develop - and some would say exploit - another close friendship - with Elvis Presley. Multiple mailing folds. Fine condition.