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Rosalind Russell Personal Typed & Handwritten Signed Letter To Van Johnson

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Autographs - Original Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 300.00 USD
Rosalind Russell Personal Typed & Handwritten Signed Letter To Van Johnson
Rosalind Russell Personal Typed & Handwritten Signed Letter To Van Johnson - In a time long before e-mail, text, selfies, and Twitter, people actually used to write real letters to each other. And unlike the sanitized digital words we see today on our iPhones, there was something about handwriting, or even typed letters with cross-outs, typos and hand-drawn arrows, dashes and personal markings that said so much more than just the words themselves. These remarkable artifacts are as dead as the dinosaur, so finding such raw and personal memorabilia is rare indeed. This is a truly fascinating typed, and hand-marked letter from legendary stage and screen actress Rosalind Russell, perhaps best known as the independent and fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy classic "His Girl Friday", as well, of course, as creating and playing the title role in "Gypsy", and "Auntie Mame". Typewritten, perhaps after a bit of celebratory "refreshments", and then augmented by a great deal of pen corrections, this extremely free-flowing newsy letter was written to her close friends actor Van Johnson and his beloved wife Evie. It was written from the Hotel Pierre (and on their stationary) in New York City right after the Broadway opening of her producer husband Frederick Brisson's (famous for bringing such classics as "Damn Yankees" and "Pajama Game" to the stage and screen), new musical "New Girl In Town". She talks about problems with star and Tony Award winner Thelma Ritter, as well as the musical's playwright George Abbott and co-producer Bobby Griffith. Russell also takes us on the adventure of going to Sardis after opening night to read the reviews, as well as wonderful details of the life of a glamorous Hollywood legend, including gossip about her friends Loretta Young, Noel Coward, Greer Garson and Oscar nominated Celeste Holm, not to mention famous Jeweler Harry Winston and society impresario and promoter Earl Blackwell. The letter is signed in her intimate "Roz", and she addressed the back in her handwriting by her married name: "R. Brisson". The letter comes with the original envelope addressed to the Johnson's home in Beverly Hills, and is postmarked in New York City on May 27, 1957, along with a cancelled six-cent Air Mail Stamp. This remarkable intimate letter is from the personal collection and estate of Van Johnson and includes a Letter of Provenience from his daughter.