OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND - TYPED LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 80694

OLIVIA de HAVILLAND
Olivia de Havilland sends a typed letter discussing the plays she saw while in New York.
Typed Letter Signed: "OdH", 2p, 5½x7 personal letterhead. Hollywood, California, no date. To Herb Geller, in full: "Got your letter a few days ago and it was most interesting. You ask what shows we saw in New York; they were 'Happy Birthday' in which Hayes was superb, 'Years Ago' which we adored- my favorite of them all-; 'John Loves Mary' which was amusing, 'Joan of Lorraine' in which Bergman was finer than the play I thought;- 'Burlesque' which was well done; 'Importance of being Earnest' which was marvelous. I'd have liked to have seen more but we had no more time. So you see your guesses were pretty accurate- and as you guessed there were no musicals. I agree with you about Shaw's Saint Joan being better than the Anderson drama. I've always loved the former. Now for the advice part of your letter. No, I don't think 25 is too old to start a career- but you see you really needn't wait all that time. You can be writing articles and reviews while in college, and should do it- even if you don't sell them- just for the practice. About studio jobs in publicity and writing, I hate to discourage you but they are impossible, and I mean just that, to get without a lot of precious experience. In the writing end the way to get into a studio would be by writing stories or books or articles which made you known. In the publicity end, you need publicity experience. The studios are no place to break into a job. It's like acting- the best way to get ahead on the screen is still to have your stage training, either in little drama schools, or stock. It's really a question of chipping away, Herb- and persistence is the answer. We flew both ways on our recent trip. About the picture, no, they haven't found any of the rest of the cast yet. It's hard to get the male leads set because everyone seems tied up with a previous commitment. We'd like to get Dana Andrews, for instance- but he is working. This is always a problem with a picture. Well this is all for now. I realize I haven't really answered the above question fully- and the rest of the answer would be as I see it, to get a job with a paper and learn your trade there. A good journalism course should be of some help here. Best wishes," 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. Fold crease not near signature. Lightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition.