Collection of letters to William Gray, comprised of seven ALSs and a Christmas card, all signed “Joanne,” dating from 1955 to 1989. A selection for the letters reads: “I'm back in Hollywood—this time to make a picture called ‘A Kiss Before Dying,’ with Robert Wagner, of all people…we're going on location Friday, three weeks in Tucson, Arizona. They could have chosen almost any place else. Then a week back here for interiors, a week for retakes, & I‘ll be hurrying back to New York…I'm terribly excited about going to Paris in August to do a film TV show with Charles Boyer —I don‘t know yet whether 20th [Century] will let me, but I‘m keeping my fingers crossed…as you know—we got married on Jan. 29th, went to Europe for three weeks, came back & I got the Oscar, moved into a new house, event back to N.Y., came back here & started another picture (Rally Round the Flag, Boys), had my family out for a visit, and now have Paul's three children with us…but we each have another picture to do after this—mine is ‘The Sound and the Fury’—playing Quentin. Then we will go back to N.Y. in November for a year while Paul does ‘Sweet Bird of Youth’… go to night classes at Columbia. I‘ve started taking correspondence courses at U.C.L.A.; I‘m determined to get that Masters in Psychology…we leave Hollywood in a few weeks, & Paul will start rehearsals on Tennessee's new play on Jan. 5. If it runs, will be there for a year.”
She also writes of her life as an actress, “I've been meaning (as usual) to write you for ages—but life has been hectic…I can’t wait to settle down quietly…we finished ‘The Sound and the Fury’ a few weeks ago, so now I‘m able to bulge as much as I like” In another, she expresses her wish to be pregnant, “I have a baby (I hope)…isn't it wonderful about the baby! I’m doing natural childbirth exercises, and enjoying the whole experience of being pregnant enormously”; and in another, depicts her emotions during important parts of her life, “I cried at my wedding, and when I accepted the Oscar—my emotions are inappropriate too.” Mentioning Tennessee Williams and his works, she writes “I’m reading ‘Hard Candy’ now and like some of the stories very much…Meade is writing the screen adaptation of ‘Orpheus Descending,’ and the producers are very pleased with it.” Also included is a color snapshot of her two young children swimming, notated on the back by Woodward, “Here are two of our daughters—Nell & Clea”; as well as a secretarially signed letter to Gray, and a letter from her assistant. In overall fine condition. RR Auction COA.
