“I HAVE ANOTHER LETTER FROM HOWARD HAWKS… I WANT A SHARE IN THE PICTURES FOR THE CAPITAL GAINS BUSINESS”: ORIGINAL LETTER, SIGNED BY RAYMOND CHANDLER, WRITTEN TO HIS HOLLYWOOD AGENT IN 1956, DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF TWO FILM PROJECTS WITH HAWKS, WHO DIRECTED CHANDLER’S THE BIG SLEEP IN 1946

CHANDLER, Raymond. Typed letter signed. London, 1956. Single original pale blue sheet measuring 8 by 10 inches typed on recto. $6500.

Original letter written by Raymond Chandler to his longtime agent H.N. Swanson, discussing potential film projects proposed by director Howard Hawks (The Big Sleep), signed “Ray,” with margin notes and penciled notations from Swanson’s office, an exceptional glimpse into the final years of the writer whose Philip Marlowe redefined the detective novel. Includes lengthy discussions of contracts and payments.

Devastated by his wife's death in late 1954, the American-born Raymond Chandler decided to return to England where he lived from the age of seven until 23. At the time of this letter, Chandler was living in London, renting a small flat in a house at 49 Carlton Hill, close to his good friends Stephen and Natasha Spender. The previous year Chandler's The Long Goodbye had received an Edgar award for best mystery novel but at the time of the letter he was between writing projects and hopeful about working on another film with Howard Hawks, who directed the adaptation of Chandler's The Big Sleep in 1946. "Although generally contemptuous of directors, Chandler recognized that Hawks had 'the gift of atmosphere and the requisite touch of hidden sadism… [and] was pleased by the final film." This letter from Chandler to his agent, responding to earlier interest from the director, speaks not only to the writer's desire to work again in film, but also to serious financial concerns caused by an ambiguity in Chandler's status as a naturalized British citizen—a situation that caused England to charge him with taxes incurred during an earlier, overextended stay in 1955 and ultimately forced him to sue for reinstatement of his American citizenship. Because "he could not afford a similar financial blow in 1956," Chandler left England within two months of this letter's date, before any contract with Hawks could be finalized, and soon entered a physical and emotional "decline that before long was to prove irreversible" (MacShane, 125-26, 245). He would not be able to return to England until 1958, several months before publication of his final novel Playback, and would remain in London only briefly. The proposed collaboration with Hawks never materialized, and no other feature film adaptation of his work would be produced before Chandler died in California in March 1959.

Chandler's typed letter, showing his address as "49, Carlton Hill, London, N.W. 8" and dated "22nd March, 1956," is addressed to his agent H.N. Swanson at 8523 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood 46. Chandler writes, "Dear Swanie, I have another letter from Howard Hawks, in which he said he wants to make two pictures over here, one in Rome and one in London. He wants to work with Harry Kurnitz and myself on the scripts, partly where he is, at Klosters in Switzerland, and partly where the picture is to be shot. I haven't answered the letter, because nothing has been pinned down. I want to know where I should have to work, and for how long, and how much money I am going to get out of it. Actually, I want a share in the picture, however small, for the capital gains business. I don't care so much about the immediate payment, since it merely adds to my financial troubles, but there could be an initial payment as an advance against a percentage. It may sound silly to you, but $5,000 acquired in a method that capital gains can apply to would be more valuable to me if I am subject to English tax (and that is still a debatable question, and is being debated) than $10,000 salary. The surtax rate goes up so rapidly here than an income of $10,000 would probably end as a net income between $3,000 and $4,000. Furthermore, Howard has to be pinned down. There has to be a contract, and there has to be a firm contract. The poor guy broke his leg skiing a short time ago. I don't understand his situation at all. I don't know whether he has a great deal of money which he sneaked out of the United States, or whether he has a backer. In any case, I won't do anything about it, although he is a good man to work with, until the arrangements are very definite, and if they become so, I would not cut Curtis Brown in on anything if I were you. Yours always, [signed] Ray." Along the letter's left margin is an inked "Paris" that corresponds to the word "London" crossed out in the third sentence. In addition, two penciled strokes punctuate two sentences of the same paragraph. Along the top left corner of the letter is a penciled note, "Ethel—Show all correspondence to Eddie." Beneath is a penciled line and another note, "Ed—how we handle?": both comments seemingly written by Chandler's agent Swanson to his associates. Harry Kurnitz, named as a potential co-writer on the Hawks projects, was a respected screenwriter who soon worked with the director on Land of the Pharaohs (1955) and Hatari! (1962). Curtis Brown, mentioned in the last line of Chandler's letter, refers to a British literary agent.

Tiny pinholes to upper left corner. A rare letter by one of America’s finest mystery writers, in fine condition.