WILL JASON - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 04/03/1944 - HFSID 287424

WILL JASON
Humorous TLS to an army private, disparaging the role of a movie director
Typed Letter signed: "Will Jason", 1 page, 8¼x10¾. Culver City, California, 1944 April 3. On letterhead of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures to Pvt. John Meyers, Jr., Camp Hale, Colorado. In full:  "I appreciated your letter in which you ask for my autograph. I can't imagine what you should want with the autograph of a director of short subjects. But I suppose you know what you want. I have the feeling that you have the impression that a picture is a pretty important man, sort of like your major, or at least the C. O. of your camp. In reality, a director, in most instances, would correspond to what in the army would be a temporary sergeant, with lots of responsibility, and very little actual authority, and certainly no glory. Of course, we get our names on a nice big screen, and that's the only fun we ever get out of it, because it makes our mothers proud of us, and they brag to their friends, and that makes me happy. Now that you have a pretty good idea of what a director is, if you still want my autograph, here it is. Best of luck". Will Jason (1899-1970) was the director of many movie shorts, beginning with The Canary Comes Across (1938) and a few B- horror films (The Soul of a Monster, 1944) and comedies (Sarge Goes to College, starring Alan Hale, Jr., 1947). He became a TV director in the 1950s, including multiple episodes of Treasury Men in Action, The Whistler, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock and Shotgun Slade. He was also a composer, doing the soundtracks for many less well known films. His compositions range from "Isn't This a Night for Love?" to "The Big Bad Wolf is Dead". His brother, Leigh Jason, filled a similar directing niche. Two horizontal one vertical mailing creases. Staple holes at top left corner with rusting stains. Lightly toned around edges. Corners lightly worn. Stained at lower right edge. Pencil note (unknown hand) on verso. Otherwise, fine condition.