Search Results: Letters from Royal Books, Inc.

N.p.: N.p., 1981. Archive of materials relating to director Ken Russell. Most material undated, circa 1980-1981, with much relating to the release of Russell's 1980 film "Altered States." Collection includes one postcard and two letters on Russell Films letterhead, all written by Russell to a Richard Barfield. Also in the collection are a cassette tape in a case with an adhesive label reading "Altered States 135080 Indian Music," a small newspaper clipping from an unknown source regarding audience reception of the film, a program for the film's release, and the front and back wrappers of a March 1981 issue of "Starlog" magazine with a cover story about the anticipated release of the film. Also included are a gate pass and a visitor pass for The Burbank Studios, with the visitor pass filled out for Barfield. In the postcard, postmarked October 6, 1980, Russell expresses his gratitude that Barfield had written to him regarding the successful reception of early screenings for "Altered States" by… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1979. Archive of over three dozen documents, including letters, telegrams, mailgrams, notes, forms, and other ephemera to and from director Sam Peckinpah, circa 1970-1979, the majority of which dates from 1978. Most documents regarding the director's then-current film projects, location research in Mexico and Columbia, and the dissolution of Peckinpah's production company Latigo Productions. Included in the archive are: five autograph or typescript letters signed from Peckinpah, eight autograph or typed letters signed to Peckinpah, two autograph notes by Peckinpah, three mailgrams, two telegrams, and numerous documents, memos, forms, and receipts. Detailed inventory available upon request. Among those with whom Peckinpah corresponds in the archive are his personal assistant Paul Peterson, Swedish author and composer Sture Dahlstom, author Jack Martin Smith, and comedian and actor Mort Sahl, as well as Peckinpah's legal counsel Kip Dellinger and Dellinger's wife Lori, Corporate… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1942. Archive of 38 letters and nine telegrams to publisher and progressive activist Florence Welch (then Florence Wagner), sent in response to the sudden death of Florence's husband, publisher and artist Rob L. Wagner, in 1942. Almost all letters and many telegrams with Welch's annotations in manuscript pencil, identifying senders. Additionally included in the archive are two photographs, one showing Rob Wagner with an unknown man, and the other showing Wagner's son Thom. Welch worked as a newspaper journalist and activist for women's suffrage in Topeka, Kansas, later moving to California and marrying Wagner, then a prominent artist and magazine writer. In 1929 the pair founded "Script," a left-leaning, weekly literary film magazine. Lifelong Socialists and advocates for progressive causes, the Wagners' "Script" gave a voice to blacklisted screenwriters (including Dalton Trumbo and Gordon Kahn) and prominent leftists, including Upton Sinclair, Max Eastman, and William C. deMille.… Read More

1970. Small archive including two typed letters signed from producer Leland Hayard to producer David O. Selznick regarding a new adaptation of the 1951 autobiographical novel "My Six Convicts." Also included are photostat copies of Selznick's enthusiastic responses to same. In the first of the two letters, Hayward briefly notes that he is sending Selznick a copy of Wilson's novel to consider. In the second letter, written on personal stationery with an address on Madison Avenue in New York, Hayward goes on at length regarding the possibilities of a new adaptation of the book, noting that the 1952 Stanley Kramer adaptation was "a lousy one for my taste." He goes on to note that while the language in the book-which is about a psychologist's attempt to reform six different inmates-is fairly dated, the story itself has all kinds of possibilities for melodrama and humor. Leland Hayward was a Hollywood and Broadway agent, best known for his original productions of "South Pacific" and "The Sound of… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1980. Archive of eleven photographs of theatre and early film actress Lois Moran, along with two Autograph Letters Signed from Moran, and a newspaper clipping of a 1979 article written by Moran (writing with her married name, Lois Young) for the "Red Rock News" of Sedona, Arizona. Collection also includes a brief autograph inscription signed from Moran to an admirer. The two Autograph Letters Signed are addressed to a Joseph Tufano, apparently an admirer of Moran, responding to Tufano's previous correspondence. Letters are each one leaf, and are dated November 6, 1979, and March 31, 1988, respectively. Included with the 1979 letter is the original mailing envelope. Photographs include: One satin-finish borderless portrait photograph of Moran from her 1926 film "Padlocked," with folded mimeo snipes affixed to the verso, a Paramount Pictures stamp, and a date stamp reading AUG 3 1926 One borderless portrait photograph of Moran, circa 1927, inscribed by Moran One keybook reference… Read More

France: 79th Division, 1919. An archive of material from James M. Cain's estate, originally from his office, relating to the newspaper edited (and largely written) by James M. Cain, The Lorraine Cross, during his service with the 79th Division of the US Army of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War I. Included are: James M. Cain's own copy of the final issue of The Lorraine Cross, published just prior to the division's soldiers return to the US at the end of the war. A typed letter signed from the division's commanding General Joseph E. Kuhn to Cain, praising him and the paper's staff for their efforts. An original broadside printed in red and blue: "Have You Subscribed to The Lorraine Cross?" printed in red and two shades of blue with a comic drawing of doughboys reading the paper. Also included is Cain's copy of "Seventy-ninth Division, Headquarters Troop: A Record," a summary of the division's activities in the war, assessed mostly in a long essay, with illustrations. Cain is… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1921. Archive of 41 autograph letters from early silent film actor William S. Hart to his fiancée, actress Jane Novak, written on Hart's personal letterhead and dated between May 4 and 26, 1921. Included with the letters are their original mailing envelopes (addressed to Novak's residence at the Biltmore in New York) as well as typescript transcriptions of the letters, with occasional manuscript ink annotations amending errors and providing details on locations, written on Novak's orange and purple letterhead. The archive also contains two typescript pages from an introduction to a children's book written by Hart, the final story in his "Boys Golden West" series, about the adventures of two boys-one Native American boy named Injun and one white boy named Whitey. One of the great Western actors of the early silent film era, Hart quickly gained fame in 1915, after appearing in a series of popular two-reel Western short films for producer Thomas Ince. The shorts' success led to a series… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1956. Archive of material belonging to noted British film producer John Palmer. Included in the archive are leaves from a photo album with over 100 photographs of Palmer's friends and family members, a photograph of the St. James Street Post Office dated 1929 and mounted on stiff brown board, two leatherbound albums containing 101 vernacular photographs of Europe during the last few months of World War II, a typed letter signed from actor Bernard Miles to Palmer's wife Molly, a manuscript letter from writer Alex Waugh to Palmer, a brief typed letter to Palmer from a columnist at "The Cinema Gazette," a manuscript letter from Palmer to his mother written on Adolf Hitler's personal letterhead, and a typed letter from a BBC executive returning a brief typescript about the war submitted for consideration by Palmer. Several photographs with manuscript ink annotations to the album pages and photograph versos, identifying subjects, although many are not captioned. From the collection of noted… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1997. Archive of 22 pieces of correspondence between writer Larry Gelbart and director Robert Parrish, consisting of nine typescripts, six of which are INSCRIBED, plus three autographed letters signed, one typed letter signed, and six autographed notes from Gelbart to Parrish, as well as three outgoing carbons of letters written from Parrish to Gelbart and a seven-page typescript of Parrish's essay "Beverly Hills Breakfast Briefing." Gelbart, known primarily for having written "Tootsie" (1982) and for creating the television show "MASH," maintained a close friendship with "Casino Royale" director Robert Parrish and his wife Kathleen, as seen here via nearly 20 years of kind correspondence that touches upon the two men's writings, careers, and family lives. An uncommonly charming and frequently hilarious documentation of a film industry relationship. Typescript, photocopy, and manuscript. Variously bound: loose leaves, corner-stapled, three typescripts have two gold brads, and one is… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1976. Archive of six autograph letters signed and one typed letter signed from Kathy Acker to fellow experimental novelist Rudolph Wurlitzer, twenty five pages total, undated, but written during the first half of 1976 based on dates mentioned in the body of one of the letters. From the collection of Rudolph Wurlitzer, with provenance. Acker and Wurlitzer were in a relationship, begun while they were both in New York, and continuing briefly after he left the city for Nova Scotia, where he was a the time of this correspondence. Two of the letters directly address their relationship, and correspond to letters written by Wurlitzer as quoted in Chris Kraus' 2017 biography of the late writer, "After Kathy Acker." The letters offered here were not available to Kraus, something she mentions when discussing the relationship with Wurlitzer, and have never been published or previously available for sale. In addition to Acker's frank discussion of her feelings toward Wurlitzer, the letters take a… Read More

Los Angeles: N.p., 1935. Archive of material regarding a pair of prospective African American child actors, including four black and white photographs of the children, four autograph letters signed from a "Madame Fay," variously addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Martin Smith and an unnamed "Mr. Agent," and one typescript letter, unsigned (but seemingly from one of the Smiths), responding to Fay's previous correspondence. Two photographs with the stamp of Adair's Studio at 4105 Central Avenue on the verso. Fay's letters, which identify the children as twins, broadly discuss her hopes of securing acting representation for the twins, facilitated by the Smiths, who seem to have had some connections within the film industry. The letters also frankly address Fay's financial hardships, noting, "I don't expect much for myself in the start buy if I only know that I have a Dependance I will feel safer. I don't think I shall ever be able to go into any ones kitchen and the lisence is so high for readings that unless… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1956. Autograph note signed from a very young Angelica Huston to "Uncle Paul," John Huston's longtime agent Paul Kohner, thanking him for the Christmas gift of a "[pair of] mittens and cap." She goes on to detail gifts she received from her father, mother, and Santa, as well as a gift her brother Tony received. Although the note is undated (other than "Sunday"), it bears the address of "St. Clerans, Craughwell," in Co. Galway, Ireland where John Huston purchased an estate and moved his family in 1956. In the note, Angelica Huston also mentions she "will wear [the mittens and cap] in Switzerland." Given that she was five when the family moved to Ireland, and that the handwriting is clearly a young child's, we speculate that this is an oblique (and unknowing) reference to her father being attached to direct and ultimately quitting David O. Selznick's 1957 production of "A Farewell to Arms," shot on location in the Alps. 7 x 9 inches. Printed in blue ballpoint on both recto and verso,… Read More

1969. Autograph note signed from composer Adele Franz to producer Daniel Selznick. The note, executed on Franz's stationery, noting that she is delivering herewith the LP soundtrack recording for an obscure play titled, "Long Time Between Loves," along with a script for same. Included is a photostat of Selznick's detailed response, in which he mentions his favorite songs on the record, noting that it has "the primitive charm of French cabaret music." Adele Franz worked most notably as an actress under the name Adele Longmire, and is best known for her roles in "Battle Circus" (1953) and the film noir, "The Turning Point" (1952). Daniel Selznick, the son of David O. Selznick, is best known as a producer for films such as Peter Bogdanovich's "Targets" (1968) and various documentaries about Hollywood. His association with his father allowed him many opportunities to meet and correspond with numerous actors, actresses, and directors of note. Note: 5 x 4 inches. Bonded stationery stock, Near Fine.… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1944. Three page Autograph Letter Signed from writer Lillian Hellman to producer and longtime friend Herman Shumlin. Letter written in Fairbanks, Alaska, circa 1944. Shumlin first met Hellman, then an aspiring playwright working as a reader in Shumlin's office, in 1934. Sensing Hellman's talent after reading early drafts of "The Children's Hour," Shumlin agreed to produce and direct the play. The resultant production, Hellman's debut, would launch the playwright into the public eye, and nearly won her the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Shumlin would go on to produce and direct four other Hellman plays, including "The Little Foxes," "Watch on the Rhine," and "The Searching Wind." Hellman received a passport to Russia in August, 1944, as part of a goodwill program managed by the Society of Cultural Relations with the Soviet Union. On the first leg of the journey Hellman flew from Hollywood to Seattle to Fairbanks, Alaska, where she was picked up by the Russians for the voyage to Moscow. The… Read More

1968. Autograph letter signed from noted director René Clair to producer Daniel Selznick, executed on hotel airmail stationery. In French. Included are two photostat copies of related letters from Selznick to Clair (also in French), as well as a ditto-style mimeograph copy of a wire from Clair to Selznick noting where Clair is staying during May 1968. The letters involve a project for Universal, for which Selznick is soliciting Clair's involvement. A rough English translation of the letter reads: "Dear Mr. Selznick / It is with pleasure that I would examine with you the project described in your letter of July 23 (which got to my address in Paris on August 1, and was then delivered to me here). / I am in St. Moritz at the above address until August 20, then Neuilly, then Madrid.  Please let me know where and when it would be convenient for us to meet.  Warmly, René Clair." Daniel Selznick, the son of David O. Selznick, is best known as a producer for films such as Peter Bogdanovich's "Targets"… Read More

N.p.: N.p., 1937. Collection of eleven vintage postcards written to Stepin Fetchit, all from various locations in Alabama, and all post marked 1937. The postcards in the collection are all autograph letters signed, in manuscript pencil and ink, from adult and child fans in Alabama, requesting a photograph from the star, with several favorably commenting on his performances with Shirley Temple, likely referring to Fetchit's roles in the Temple vehicles "Helldorado" (1934) and "Stand Up and Cheer!" (1934), and one opining that they had seen Fetchit in "many pictures and '50 Roads to Town' [1937, the year of the postcards on offer here] was the best one." The first African American actor to become a millionaire, famed vaudevillian, comedian, and stage and screen actor, Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, best known by the stage name Stepin Fetchit, was also the first African American actor to receive a featured screen credit and have a successful film career in Hollywood. Starring in over 60 screen… Read More

New York: Doubleday, 1968. Vintage jacket art illustration for Joan Aiken's 1968 novel "The Crystal Crow," created for Doubleday by artist James Cooper. Housed in the original frame, with a letter from Harper and Row editor Lawrence Peel Ashmead to Mystery Writers of America member Mary Frisque affixed to the verso, dated March 19, 1987, donating the art for an MWA auction. Artwork: Approximately 5.5 x 8 inches (unexamined out of frame). Near Fine. Frame: 14.25 x 17.75 inches. Very Good plus, lightly scratched on the frame.

N.p.: N.p., 1987. Vintage six-page typescript for the first chapter from Dorothy Salisbury Davis' 1951 novel "A Gentle Murderer," with the author's annotations in manuscript ink and pencil throughout. Included with the manuscript is a manuscript letter from Davis to Barry Zeman, on Davis' personal letterhead, dated June 13, 1987. The letter notes the typescript as being the first draft of the opening chapter of the novel-seen here under the early working title "No Man's Guilt." Davis also humorously notes that the draft was written while she "was obviously enchanted by Soroyan," and goes on to say that she discarded the remainder of the draft long ago. Davis was nominated for an Edgar Award eight times, served as president of the Mystery Writers of America in 1956, and was declared a Grand Master by the organization in 1985. Typescript: 8.5 x 11 inches. Typescript, rectos only. Unbound. Very Good plus, with light edgewear and age toning. Letter: 8 x 11.5 inches. One leaf, recto only. Near Fine.… Read More

New York: Delacorte, 1999. First Edition. First Edition. Laid in is an Autograph Note Signed from author Thomas Harris, on his personal letterhead, thanking the recipient. The third installment in Harris' successful Hannibal Lecter series, preceded by "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs." Basis for the 2001 film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore. Fine and unread in an about Fine dust jacket.

N.p.: N.p., 1973. Lengthy typed letter signed from Stan Brakhage to Will Petersen, roughly 500 words, dated May 28, 1973. Petersen was the director of the Creative Arts Center at West Virginia University, and Brakhage's letter confirms an upcoming talk at the university and answers in some detail a number of Petersen's questions. With Brakhage's manuscript signature in black ink at the closing: "Blessings / Stan." Included is the original mailing envelope, with Brakhage's Rollinsville, Colorado PO Box address, postmarked May 29, 1973. Several ink annotations on the envelope, presumably by Petersen, some relating to thoughts on Brakhage. After briefly confirming transporation and terms for his talk, Brakhage dives into several topics, including his reaction to Petersen's stone prints for a piece called the "Prefiguration," and how desperately he wishes he could transmit the same level of detail to his own work (i.e., the celluoid canvas), that he finds Frank Samperi difficult to read, "apropo art,"… Read More