OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 02/25/1947 - HFSID 80699

OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND
In this signed, typewritten letter, she says she can't offer advice on how to become a movie critic, and then offers some.
Typed Letter Signed: "O De H", 1 page, 5½x6½. Hollywood, California, 1947 February 25. To Herbert Geller. In full: "Thanks for another very interesting letter. I'm so glad you had such and interesting time in New York. How nice that you got such a wonderful letter from Elinor Hughes, and with so much good advice. I wish I could offer some suggestions also on becoming a drama critic, but frankly it is outside my scope. I should suggest writing sample criticisms of all the shows and movies you see however, and submitting the best of them to the various local managing editors who might thereby put you on as an assistant to cover occasional shows. This would at least be a start. Thanks again for all the good wishes, and do write soon," Hand-written postscript in left margin: "I'll go before the Screen Guild on March 3rd re 'Kitty Foyle' and I do hope you can listen in." Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020), the sister of actress Joan Fontaine, received critical acclaim and Best Actress Academy Awards for her roles in To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949). She was also nominated for an Oscar for Gone With the Wind (1939), of which she is the last surviving star, Hold Back the Dawn (1941) and The Snake Pit (1948). In addition to her acting on the stage and screen, de Havilland is known for fighting the studio system. The actress sued Warner Bros. for extending her seven-year contract by tacking on several months for which she had been suspended for refusing to take a part. Although de Havilland spent three years off the screen, she ultimately won her case, and the "De Havilland Law", as it came to be called, ensured that studios were no longer able to engage in the practice of extending contract time. The 1940 film that she mentions Kitty Foyle, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Ginger Rogers who starred won the Best Actress Oscar for her dramatic portrayal. Fine condition.