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FORD JOHN: (1894-1973) Irish-American Film Director, Academy Award winner.
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Description
FORD JOHN: (1894-1973) Irish-American Film Director, Academy Award winner. A good collection of twelve A.Ls.S. and two T.Ls.S., most signed Pappy, mainly on picture postcards although a few letters on folio sheets of feint ruled paper, various places, 1942-64 and a few undated, all to Meta Stern. The director writes a series of social letters to his friend, stating, in part, ‘We are all well and send our love. However, life here is not all hula girls’ (also signed by four others and written on a postcard from the Moana Hotel at Waikiki and postmarked by the US Navy, March 1942), ‘No kidding, this is Pappy writing you a letter at long last, but when I start to write there just doesn’t seem to be anything to say. I think I’m getting war weary. The boys all came through the invasion in great style……Meta, war is hell, especially in Washington. I’m a wreck…..Willy-nilly Navy may order me to M.G.M. for temporary duty (God what a war) to direct “They Were Expendable”. The money, of course, I will use as trust fund for my boys….’ (14th September 1944, signed ‘The Director’ in bold pencil and accompanied by an unsigned carbon typed copy), ‘St. Pat’s day greetings. Tell the ladies of the “Green Valley” club that we have our party on my return’ (14th March 1955), ‘Start in coupla days. Looks good. Swell cast etc.’ (26th March 1956), , ‘finish to-morra, cast weather swell. Its been really fun. 4 days ahead’ (3rd April 1956), ‘Iceland bound…..wrapped up in blankets & sister is it cold……this is fairly legible for a guy writing with gloves on, eh?.....Mark the saluting Demon is aide-de-camping all over the place – gold ropes on his shoulder – sir this, sir that & has everything all screwed up. My address is Rear Admiral John Ford USNR….Navy No 510….New York. Hell Meta I’ll write when I get there. My hands are freezing…..We are now turning South & going to the Azores!!!! S-H-I-T’ (‘Somewhere in the Artic’, n.d.), ‘Quite a movie colony here – Raoul Walsh…..Harry Cohen’s, Geo. Sidneys, L. K. Sidney, Alfred Hitchcock und frau & assorted characters whom I know not….’ (n.d.). Also including an original telegram (received copy) from Ford to Sterne, dated 18th April 1947 and stating, in part, ‘Please have Hank Fonda remake following lines because of dirty negatives quote I have no wine for the mass stop quote Is there any in the house stop……’. Some light creasing and age wear to the letters and one with a large tear crudely repaired with Sellotape and just affecting a few words of text but not the signature. FR (1), G to generally VG, 16 Meta Stern (1899-1975) American Researcher & Script Supervisor who worked on various films, mainly during the 1940s and 1950s, including twelve which were directed by John Ford, amongst them The Grapes of Wrath (1940), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and The Quiet Man (1952). John Ford served as head of the photographic unit for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, making documentaries for the Navy Department. Commissioned as a Commander in the United States Navy Reserve, Ford won two Oscars during this time. The director filmed the Japanese attack on Midway and was also present at Omaha Beach on D-Day. His last wartime film, mentioned in the present letters, was They Were Expendable (1945) which provided an account of America’s disastrous defeat in The Philippines. Ford repeatedly declared that he disliked the film and had never watched it, complaining that he had been forced into making it. Ford remained an officer in the United States Navy Reserve after World War II, returning to active service in the Korean War and being promoted to Rear Admiral on his final day of service.
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FORD JOHN: (1894-1973) Irish-American Film Director, Academy Award winner. A good collection of twelve A.Ls.S. and two T.Ls.S., most signed Pappy, mainly on picture postcards although a few letters on folio sheets of feint ruled paper, various places, 1942-64 and a few undated, all to Meta Stern. The director writes a series of social letters to his friend, stating, in part, ‘We are all well and send our love. However, life here is not all hula girls’ (also signed by four others and written on a postcard from the Moana Hotel at Waikiki and postmarked by the US Navy, March 1942), ‘No kidding, this is Pappy writing you a letter at long last, but when I start to write there just doesn’t seem to be anything to say. I think I’m getting war weary. The boys all came through the invasion in great style……Meta, war is hell, especially in Washington. I’m a wreck…..Willy-nilly Navy may order me to M.G.M. for temporary duty (God what a war) to direct “They Were Expendable”. The money, of course, I will use as trust fund for my boys….’ (14th September 1944, signed ‘The Director’ in bold pencil and accompanied by an unsigned carbon typed copy), ‘St. Pat’s day greetings. Tell the ladies of the “Green Valley” club that we have our party on my return’ (14th March 1955), ‘Start in coupla days. Looks good. Swell cast etc.’ (26th March 1956), , ‘finish to-morra, cast weather swell. Its been really fun. 4 days ahead’ (3rd April 1956), ‘Iceland bound…..wrapped up in blankets & sister is it cold……this is fairly legible for a guy writing with gloves on, eh?.....Mark the saluting Demon is aide-de-camping all over the place – gold ropes on his shoulder – sir this, sir that & has everything all screwed up. My address is Rear Admiral John Ford USNR….Navy No 510….New York. Hell Meta I’ll write when I get there. My hands are freezing…..We are now turning South & going to the Azores!!!! S-H-I-T’ (‘Somewhere in the Artic’, n.d.), ‘Quite a movie colony here – Raoul Walsh…..Harry Cohen’s, Geo. Sidneys, L. K. Sidney, Alfred Hitchcock und frau & assorted characters whom I know not….’ (n.d.). Also including an original telegram (received copy) from Ford to Sterne, dated 18th April 1947 and stating, in part, ‘Please have Hank Fonda remake following lines because of dirty negatives quote I have no wine for the mass stop quote Is there any in the house stop……’. Some light creasing and age wear to the letters and one with a large tear crudely repaired with Sellotape and just affecting a few words of text but not the signature. FR (1), G to generally VG, 16 Meta Stern (1899-1975) American Researcher & Script Supervisor who worked on various films, mainly during the 1940s and 1950s, including twelve which were directed by John Ford, amongst them The Grapes of Wrath (1940), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and The Quiet Man (1952). John Ford served as head of the photographic unit for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, making documentaries for the Navy Department. Commissioned as a Commander in the United States Navy Reserve, Ford won two Oscars during this time. The director filmed the Japanese attack on Midway and was also present at Omaha Beach on D-Day. His last wartime film, mentioned in the present letters, was They Were Expendable (1945) which provided an account of America’s disastrous defeat in The Philippines. Ford repeatedly declared that he disliked the film and had never watched it, complaining that he had been forced into making it. Ford remained an officer in the United States Navy Reserve after World War II, returning to active service in the Korean War and being promoted to Rear Admiral on his final day of service.
Autograph Auction
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Lots: 300
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Nottinghamshire
NG7 6LH
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Shipment value including premium. Charge
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