Letter from Lillian Gish, Chicago, Illinois, to Edward Wagenknecht, 1940 July 8 : typescript signed.

Responding that she knows about "the proposed D.W. Griffith show", adding that she would like to talk with him "about this situation of the modern arts", and sending him some clippings; informing him that "The Duell of the publishing house you mentioned is the son of Holland Duell, older brother of Charles H. [Duell]. It was Holland who tried his brother's first case against me", going on to state that it was her "privilege later on to disbar him from ever practicing in the New York courts. This I did not do as I felt he was being used and did not know the truth until the case was being tried.", adding that she was told that the son wanted to change his name "because of the after-effects of that scandal."; writing that it must be a relief to have his "History of the novel" in the hands of the publisher, and mentioning that "The big show is about to open here" (a reference to the 1940 Democratic National Convention) and "[Jim] Farley and his entourage are ensconced on the floor below me. We shall see what we shall see."