Stan Laurel Letters | January 1960

THE MAGIC BEHIND
THE MOVIES
by Randy Skredvedt

MARCH OF THE
WOODEN SOLDIERS

STAN AND OLLIE
by SImon Louvish

LAUREL & HARDY
COLLECTION – VOL. 1

LAUREL & HARDY
COLLECTION – VOL. 2

FROM THE FORTIES
FORWARD
by Scott MacGillivray

OCEANA LETTERHEAD - 849 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA - TYPEWRITTEN EXCERPT

                    Jan.2nd.'60.
Dear Lisa [Mitchell]:
          Am looking forward to seeing the article on you in 'LOOK' on the 19th.
          Eda joins in love & best.
          Good luck & God Bless.
                    Sincerely always:

                    STAN LAUREL.

LOOK MAGAZINE - January 19, 1960

Look Magazine

See sidebar at right for article on actress Lisa Mitchell with mention of her special friendship with Stan Laurel. —Editor

RUBBER STAMP - 849 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA - TYPEWRITTEN

                    Jan.2nd.'60.
My Dear Rita [Harrison]:-
          Thanks for your nice letter & Card.
Hope you had a merry Xmas, trust the New Year will bring you lots of good health, happiness & success.
          So pleased to know you are back home again & feeling so much better - congratulations.
          I fully understand the nature of your operation dear, too bad this was necessary, but its better to have these things attended to & avoid serious trouble in the future - you were very sensible Rita.
          We too have been having some rain, it was very welcome after such a long hot Summer - quite a relief.
          No doubt you saw your Grandad during the Yuletide, hope alls well & Happy with him - please convey our love & best.
          All for now dear. Our love & kind thoughts to yourself & Family.
          Good luck & God Bless.
                    As ever:
                    'Uncle'

                    xxxxxx
                    Stan Laurel.

STAN LAUREL LETTERHEAD - 849 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA - TYPEWRITTEN

                    January 15.'60.
Dear Frank Buxton:
          Thank you for your nice letter,7th.inst.
I appreciated very much your kind thought & sentiments, which you so graciously express.
          Am happy to know that our old films have given you so much pleasure & enjoyment thru' the years - the incidents you mention bring back some happy memories to me.
          Yes I am retired now - since '55, I suffered a slight stroke, but fortunately I made a pretty good recovery & am able to get around again, of course I shall never be in condition to work again.
          Am enclosing you a little picture - thought you might like to have one as a souvenir.
          Thanks again for your kindly interest, & wish you lots of good health & happiness in the New Year.
          My kindest regards always:
                    Sincerely:

                    STAN LAUREL.

"I wrote a fan letter to Stan and received this gracious reply along with a small autographed photo of Stan and Babe. The photograph is now in an archival frame accompanied by an original Hurrell photo of Laurel & Hardy." —Frank Buxton

STAN LAUREL LETTERHEAD - 849 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA - TYPEWRITTEN

                    January 15th.'60.
Dear Mr & Mrs Short:
          Many thanks for the nice Card. Appreciated very much your kind thought & remembrance.
          Hope you had a very Merry Xmas, & trust the New Year will bring you both lots of good health, happiness & Prosperity. Trust alls well & happy with you.
          Mrs L. joins in kindest regards.
                    Sincerely always:

                    STAN LAUREL.

STAN LAUREL LETTERHEAD - 849 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA - TYPEWRITTEN

                    JAN.19th.1960.
Dear Ernie [Murphy]:
          Thanks yours,13th.inst.
I remember now the news article you sent me about Gleason
& Rooney intending to do a film of L&H.
          Rooney did contact us in regard to the matter some months ago, but being unable at the time to get Gleason he gave up the idea, as Gleason had just opened in a show on Broadway & the length of the run was indefinite, especially that it was a big success & could run for a couple of years or so. Had Gleason been free I think the deal would have materialized as Mickey was very enthusiastic about it, he called me several times in regard to me supervising the story & production - incidentally it was'nt going to he our life story - just our characters in a regular comedy film.
          Am terribly sorry to hear of your health condition Ernie, sincerely hope the check-up & findings will prove negative. The cost of medical attention these days is a shocking situation - as you say, many people die because they can't afford treatment or the high cost of prescriptions etc. the profiteering in drugs is incredible, a bottle of pills that cost 25 cents you are charged 7 to
$10. - Govt. investigations prove that.
          I do know that Babe's year of illness cost over
$30,000. they had to sell the home to clear this amount. Was sorry to hear about Neill's estate situation also the trouble with his sister, but I guess it will eventually be straightened out. There always seems to be great difficulty with inheritance business, it's profitable to the lawyers to keep dragging it out.
          I already sent a picture to Clarence Langer - no
doubt he has recd. it by now.
          Note you saw "Bohemian Girl" on TV, too bad so much is cut our of these old films - frankly, I do'nt bother to took at them anymore, its amazing to me that they continue to be so popular, even in this condition.
          Happy to note you had a Merry Yuletide & made
the 'Rounds', sounds like you had a wonderful time visiting friends.
          I understand Betty Healy looked over the property in Miami, Ariz. & is pretty familiar with the town, she too has relatives there who she has visited many times in recent years & from what I gather its quite a prosperous little town due to the Copper industry.
          I do know the property is pretty old & probably is run-down, but being in the center of town, the land may be of some value in the future. There is quite a land boom in Arizona & they predict it will be another So. California in growth of population etc. I get this information from several friends I correspond with there & are buying all the property they can get as an investment - Miami is only about 60 miles from Phoenix, & is growing by leaps a bounds (Phoenix I mean), so if Betty can hang on to most of the property, she should in time be able to sell it & make good money for herself.
          That was funny re Madam Queen doing a 'Gracie' down the steps, thats if she wasn't hurt in anyway.
          Think thats about all for now Ernie - hope
to hear from you soon in regard to your check-up.
          Love & bestest from us both here.
          Take care of yourself.
          Good luck & God bless.
                    As ever:

STAN LAUREL LETTERHEAD - 849 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA - TYPEWRITTEN

                    JAN. 25th.'60.
Dear Marie Hatfield:
          Thanks yours,12th.inst.
Was terribly sorry to hear about your Flu attack - that must have been a frightening experience for you, especially happening at such an inopportune time - anyway, am pleased you recovered in time to enjoy a nice Xmas.
         Yes I saw the Hedda Hopper show - enjoyed it very much. Hedda looked exceptionally good & was in fine fettle & still very attractive.
         We had a nice rain here too, very welcome after that long hot summer, it really freshened things us.
         Nothing much exciting to tell you, so all for now.
         Mrs L. joins in kindest & best to yourself, Bob & Mother.
                    Sincerely always:

                    STAN LAUREL.

Hedda Hopper (1885–1966) was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became as notorious as many of Hopper's columns. On January 10, 1960, a TV special, "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood," aired on NBC. Hosted by Hopper, guest interviews included: Lucille Ball, Marion Davies, Walt Disney, Bob Hope, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, and Gloria Swanson.—Editor

THE STAN LAUREL
CORRESPONDENCE ARCHIVE PROJECT
HOPES TO COLLECT AND CATALOG
LETTERS FROM STAN TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND HIS LIFE AND CELEBRATE
HIS COMEDIC GENIUS.

IF YOU HAVE AN ORIGINAL
LETTER FROM STAN OR HAVE A COPY
NOT INCLUDED IN THESE ARCHIVES,
PLEASE ADD A COPY OF YOUR LETTER
BY CONTACTING US VIA E-MAIL AT:
INFO@LETTERSFROMSTAN.COM

Maurice Chevalier poses with Lisa Mitchell. She got role, by "seizing the opportunity."

Girl students in Hollywood often keep one eye on their books and the other on opportunities to get a glamorous job. One of them, Lisa Mitchell, needed money to complete her studies at a Catholic girls' college.
"I asked God for His help," she says, "in getting me a vacation job."
Lisa landed a four-month stint as one of ten dancers in "Can-Can," at $300 a week. Picked from 100 applicants, she says.

Lisa Mitchell
At nearby zoo, she laughs at antics of a tapir she was drawing for art class. She takes her lunch to school and says, "I saved $100 while working in the movie by taking my lunch to the set."

"They almost let me go when they learned I wasn't a professional dancer.
"I'm convinced God gave me the job-and He got me through it."
An art major. Lisa carried textbooks to the set every day. She also carried her New Testament. She feels she never really became a member of the "gang."
"At first. I wanted to be accepted as one of them, and I'd go along with jokes that I didn't think were very funny. But I soon gave up. Still, nothing about this wonderful job was a bore—I even liked hating it."

Lisa Mitchell
"I'm a daydreamer, even in class... Some people say I look like Vivien Leigh. This goes like wine to my head."

Miss Mitchell has lived in Hollywood most of her life and has one special friend and idol: Stall Laurel, the thin member of the onetime Laurel and Hardy comedy team. She visits Stan regularly in Santa Monica, where he lives in retirement, and sits with him as she re-enacts the Laurel parts in the old comedies—and Laurel plays Hardy's.
"My special requirement of a husband," says Lisa, "is that he must love Laurel and Hardy."

—Look (January 19, 1960)