BIB_ID
411933
Accession number
MA 9518.18
Creator
Gielgud, John, 1904-2000.
Display Date
[1979] April 20.
Credit line
Bequest of Mrs. John C. Hughes, 1980.
Description
1 item (1 page) ; 29.9 x 21.0 cm + envelope
Notes
Envelope with stamp and postmark to "Mrs. John Hughes / Lombardy Hotel / 111 East 56th Street and Park Avenue / New York City / U.S.A."
Year of writing from postmark which is dated London, April 21, 1979.
Written on stationery printed "South Pavilion / Wotton House / Wotton Underwood / Berkshire." Berkshire has been crossed through and Gielgud has written "Aylesbury Bucks."
Gielgud played John of Gaunt in the film version of Richard II released in the United States in March, 1979.
This collection was previously accessioned as MA 4260.
Part of a large collection of letters to Mrs. Hughes bequeathed to The Morgan Library & Museum by Mrs. Hughes in 1980. The collection includes letters from statesmen, politicians, authors and others involved in the arts. Items in the collection have been described in individual records; see collection-level record for more information (MA 9518.1-19).
Margaret Kelly Hughes, known as "Mardi", was the wife of John Chambers Hughes (1891-1971), the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO from 1953-1955. Margaret Hughes lived in France during World War II and volunteered to help French prisoners of war held in Meaux. She was decorated three times by the French Government for her service to the country and wrote "Les Lauriers sont Coupés" about her experiences during the war.
Year of writing from postmark which is dated London, April 21, 1979.
Written on stationery printed "South Pavilion / Wotton House / Wotton Underwood / Berkshire." Berkshire has been crossed through and Gielgud has written "Aylesbury Bucks."
Gielgud played John of Gaunt in the film version of Richard II released in the United States in March, 1979.
This collection was previously accessioned as MA 4260.
Part of a large collection of letters to Mrs. Hughes bequeathed to The Morgan Library & Museum by Mrs. Hughes in 1980. The collection includes letters from statesmen, politicians, authors and others involved in the arts. Items in the collection have been described in individual records; see collection-level record for more information (MA 9518.1-19).
Margaret Kelly Hughes, known as "Mardi", was the wife of John Chambers Hughes (1891-1971), the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO from 1953-1955. Margaret Hughes lived in France during World War II and volunteered to help French prisoners of war held in Meaux. She was decorated three times by the French Government for her service to the country and wrote "Les Lauriers sont Coupés" about her experiences during the war.
Provenance
Bequest of Mrs. John C. Hughes, 1980.
Summary
Thanking her for her letter on his 75th birthday; saying "Lady Diane Duff-Cooper - in her late eighties now - told me 'I have a new Beau - Robert Meyer - aged 99 and still active in the Music World! which I thought rather charming to hear. So you see you have a faithful beau of 75! I'm glad you liked me as Gaunt. I couldn't see it because I was on tour in Canada at the time, but Martin said my wig and beard were dreadfully distracting and ruined my performance. This made me very angry as the make-up staff and camera-man ought to have insisted on changing it - I couldn't tell myself. They wanted me to do Prospero in the series, but I fought shy of the director and don't trust them to do justice to that difficult play - all the magic etc. I am so fond of the part and would hate to leave a record of myself in it for posterity that I felt was inadequate. Vain of me, perhaps, but I'd rather people remembered me in it in the stage productions. I did it in four different ones. wish you had been able to see it then. The spring is blossoming at last, thank God. We have had a dreadfully bad winter too. I have various TV and film commitments for the summer but no play. Though there is talk of doing 'Lear' at the National in the autumn, if only they can settle the strikes and union troubles then, which are in a very bad stage. And no 'Times' all these months - oh dear, perhaps the Conservatives will win the Election, which might make the tax position a little better for our profession. But can a woman Prime Minister manage this deeply disturbed country. I only pray things may gradually improve;" adding, at the top of the letter, "Richardson presented a beautiful radio programme for my birthday;" saying he will send her a copy of the cassette recording when it is issued.
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