HITCHCOCK ALFRED: (1899-1980) ´.....the comfortable conditions that I had in making "Rebecca" were in a large ...

HITCHCOCK ALFRED: (1899-1980) ´.....the comfortable conditions that I had in making "Rebecca" were in a large measure responsible for its success......´

HITCHCOCK ALFRED: (1899-1980) English film director. An excellent T.L.S., Hitch, one page, 4to, n.p. (California?), 31st July 1940, to Edmond F. Bernoudy (´My dear Eddie´). Hitchcock announces ´It looks as though we aren´t going to be able to be together on the next picture I´m sorry to say´ and explains ´On my return from New York yesterday I found that RKO have allocated an assistant to me called Dewey Starkey and I know you will realize that it´s pretty difficult for me to refuse to take what I am led to believe is their number one assistant on the lot´, further remarking ´It looks to me, Eddie, as though this first picture here will have to be a miss as far as we are concerned, but nevertheless I´m going to try and make arrangements for you to come on the next one if you are free because I´m anxious not to sever our partnership. If the company had been a smaller one I would have had no difficulty in continuing our association´. Hitchcock also expresses his gratitude to Bernoudy, ´I want to thank you very much, Eddie, for all you´ve done to help me here. I would almost go as far as to say that the comfortable conditions that I had in making "Rebecca" were in a large measure responsible for its success as far as I am concerned. Had it been necessary for me to go on making it under the conditions which I started I doubt whether the results would have been the same´ and concludes ´Please let us keep in touch and God willing we will be together before you can say "Walter Wanger"!´. A letter of fine content and good association. Very slightly neatly trimmed to the edges and with a few very light, minimal creases, VG

Edmond F- Bernoudy (1901-1978) American assistant film director who had worked alongside Hitchcock on the romantic psychological thriller film Rebecca (1940).

It would seem that Hitchcock achieved his wishes and, despite the content of the present letter, Bernoudy also served as assistant director on Hitchcock´s next film, the spy thriller Foreign Correspondent, which was also released in 1940 and was produced by Walter Wanger.

Dewey Starkey (1898-1974) American assistant film director, Academy Award winner. Starkey worked on 41 films between 1930 and 1944 including Hitchcock´s romantic psychological thriller film Suspicion (1941).