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Lot 1219
A Marlene Dietrich signed letter and handwritten notes
10 December 2019, 14:00 PST
Los AngelesUS$700 - US$900
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A Marlene Dietrich signed letter and handwritten notes
Comprising a Typed Letter Signed ("M. Dietrich"), 2 pp recto, 4to, Flint, Michigan, June 17, 1975, to Frank Rio, on Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge stationery, with original autograph transmittal envelope; an Autograph Note; an Autograph Note Signed ("M.D."); a Marlene Dietrich program with her handwritten notes; an article with Dietrich's handwritten annotations; and 3 telegrams between Dietrich and Rio, all housed in a white 3-ring binder. During the 1970s, Dietrich performed on stage, touring throughout the country and Europe. When Dietrich writes to her agent, Frank Rio, "Are you ever going to get it?????" it sets the tone for their relationship. In her handwritten notes, she writes in caps (which denotes screaming), "NO ADS ANYWHERE / I HOPE YOU WATCH YOUR OTHER CLIENTS BETTER THAN M.D." and repeatedly berates Rio for every failure. She was now performing to demanding crowds who were more interested in getting drunk than watching the show, and her missives betray an exasperated woman whose "living legend" status offers no comfort as she toils on the road to make a living.
Letters and notes: 8.5 x 11 in. and smaller
Letters and notes: 8.5 x 11 in. and smaller