Happy Birthday, Ernest Hemingway!
Thornton Wilder writes a letter of advice to his friend, Ernest Hemingway regarding a mutual colleague of theirs. At one point, Jed Harris (who, by this point, had directed two of Wilder’s plays on Broadway—Thornton’s adaptation of A Doll’s House and Our Town—had taken an option on Hemingway's play The Fifth Column. Jed eventually he bowed out of the project. The play was adapted and heavily altered by Benjamin Glazer for a Broadway production in the spring of 1940.
Century Club I 7 West Forty-Third Street I New York
JFK
March 1 • 1938
Dear Earnest:
Should've written you long ago; but it would only have been repeating what I said over the phone.
However something new has come up.
Jed told me he was stipulating that if he does this play, he must ask you to accord him first option on your next three.1
Don't do that.
You've seen him now, and know that extraordinary bundle of lightning flash intuitions into the organization of a play; vivid psychological realism; and intelligence, devious intelligence.
But maybe you don't know the rest: tormented, jealous egotism; latent hatred of all engaged in creative work; and so on.
Use him for his great gifts-one play at a time only: But don't presuppose a long happy collaboration.
My distrust of him is bad enough, but others go far farther than I do and insist on a malignant daemonic force to destruction in him.
Anyway, his professional career is one long series of repeated patterns: trampling on the friendship, gifts and love of anybody who's been associated with him.
I feel something like a piker to write such a letter as this. Because he has done, in many places, a fine job on my work. But the friendship's over all right. He's the best in N.Y, Ernest, but after this I'm ready to work with duller managers, if only I can get reliability, truthfulness, old-fashioned character, and cooperation at the same time.
So . .. one play at a time.
This afternoon I'm leaving for 2 months in Tucson. Long walks, solitude and work. Perhaps some amateur Indian-remains archaeology on the side.
All my best to you. The play is stunning. Jed's suggestions sounded good-only arrive at the moment when you think the text is set and then stick to it. Be sure you get a Dramatist Guild contract; that gives you full power over the "words".
The best agent-and with Jed you must have an agent (I haven't rec' d a red cent yet! I will-its not dishonesty on his part; its just bad mental habits of deviousness) is Harold Freedman, Brandt & Brandt, 101 Park Ave.-agent for Sidney Howard, Phil Barry, Sam Behrman, etc.
All my best to Mrs Hemingway; salute Capt. Dart* for me.
Regard & admiration
Thornton
Captain Rollin Dart, a former Loyalist offer in Spain, was appointed by Hemingway to represent him in negotiating for stage productions of The Fifth Column while Hemingway was in Spain covering the Spanish Civil War.