STEVE ALLEN - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 01/17/1991 - HFSID 290766

STEVE ALLEN
Belated thank you letter to Edie Adams, who came to see him perform in Cinderella
Typed Letter signed: "Steve", 1 page, 8½x11. Van Nuys, California, 1991 January 7. On personal letterhead. In full: "Please forgive us for having taken so long to respond to your lovely message of December 13. As a performer yourself you naturally know how time consuming work in a musical is. 'Cinderella' was marvelous fun but it put me about six weeks behind-schedule in keeping up with paperwork. We were so pleased that you came in to see the production, and particularly appreciate your comments, because of your familiarity with the property. All good wishes to you for the New Year. Sincerely". Breaking into showbiz as a radio disc jockey, the multitalented Steve Allen (1921-2000) learned that inserting humor would draw a lot more attention to himself than merely announcing. In order to supply himself with an endless stream of material, he memorized every joke book and "college humor" magazine that he could get his hands on; the result was his uncanny ability to conjure up precisely the right wisecrack at the right time. Allen received his first network exposure in 1949, and he was also featured in several films, including Down Memory Lane (1949) and I'll Get By (1950). In 1953, Allen was hired to host a local late-night program on New York's WNBC-TV, which later developed into the NBC network's Tonight Show. Allen was also an accomplished composer (he wrote over 7,400 songs, including his signature song This Could Be The Start of Something Big) and piano player, and he filled up his spare time by writing more than 50 books as well as plays and magazine articles. Allen was married to actress Jayne Meadows from 1954 until his death. Both Allen and Meadows were nominated for Emmy Awards for a joint guest appearance on the TV series LA Law, and the couple also appeared together on Allen's memorable PBS miniseries Meeting of Minds. Allen and Meadows both appeared in a Los Angeles Civic Light Opera performance of Cinderella in December 1990. This letter was in the personal estate of singer/entertainer Edie Adams (1927-2008), and was addressed to her. Normal mailing folds. Lightly toned at lower edge. Otherwise, fine condition.