SHERWOOD, Robert

Typed Letter Signed

A long Typed Letter Signed ("Bob Sherwood") and corrected in pencil, dated 12 February 1937. Approximately 13" x 8.5", folded as mailed, a little crinkled and with a short tear (affecting no words) at the upper right corner else about fine. To "Freddie," an actor about to appear as Shakespeare, the lead role in the play This Side Idolatry by playwright and screenwriter Talbot Jennings, which was about to open in New York after a successful run in London with Leslie Howard as the Bard. Sherwood offers a detailed and in depth critique of the play, which he saw in London and had since read, and particularly the character. He criticizes the weakness of the way the character is written in detail, and gives the actor permission to show Sherwood's critique to Jennings, so it doesn't appear the actor wants Jennings to strengthen the part as part of a "star's demands." An incisive and interesting letter revealing the analytical skills of the three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (Abe Lincoln in Illinois, There Shall Be No Night, Idiot's Delight) and Academy Award-winning screenwriter (The Best Years of Our Lives).

[BTC #36620]