CHANDLER, RAYMOND.
“TELEVISION WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING UNTIL SOME MEANS IS DEVISED TO MAKE THE CUSTOMER PAY FOR HIS ENTERTAINMENT.”
Typed Letter Signed (“Ray”), 1 p, 4to, La Jolla, CA, January 18, 1951, to H.N. Swanson, on personal letterhead, with annotations in pink ink, regarding the sale of television rights to certain works, very minor thumbing to leaf, otherwise fine.
Chandler writes an amusing letter to his Hollywood agent accompanying a copy of “Professor Bingo’s Snuff,” which his agent has requested. In part: “Of course I can understand your point of view about a television show of Philip Marlowe, although I don’t quite agree that because a thing has been done badly it’s too late to do it well. You may be right on the theory that bad money drives out good. But I still think that television can deliver a personality and a character, something which is not possessed by either Ralph Bellamy or Bill Gargan.” Chandler discusses other potential sales of his properties to television interests, complaining that “the television people don’t have much money—not much money for writing anyhow. And I thoroughly agree with Joe Sistrom that television will never amount to anything until some means is devised to make the customer pay for his entertainment. But I think a dollar to see a picture is too much. They’ll have to get the price down below that.”
