BIB_ID
453778
Accession number
MA 23840.863
Creator
Jhabvala, Ruth Prawer, 1927-2013, sender.
Credit line
Gift of James Ivory, 2021.
Description
1 items (2 pages) ; 22.3 x 17.7 cm + envelope
Notes
Year from postmark.
Envelope addressed to Mr. James Ivory, c/o Harbottle & Lewis, 34 South Moulton St. London W.1, England; postmarks illegible except for year 1971.
Accompanying note from James Ivory reads: "Two letters from Ruth Jhabvala to J.I. concerning the Nirad Chaudhuri documentary we were making, one postmarked 1969." The two letters to which he refers are this one (MA 23840.863), and MA 23840.809.
Envelope addressed to Mr. James Ivory, c/o Harbottle & Lewis, 34 South Moulton St. London W.1, England; postmarks illegible except for year 1971.
Accompanying note from James Ivory reads: "Two letters from Ruth Jhabvala to J.I. concerning the Nirad Chaudhuri documentary we were making, one postmarked 1969." The two letters to which he refers are this one (MA 23840.863), and MA 23840.809.
Provenance
James Ivory.
Summary
Offering her notes on the narration for "Adventure of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization"; claiming he must be very, very tired, otherwise he'd have no trouble writing it himself; also claiming she can't be much help as "I don't know how to write narration for a film ... I don't know what tone [underlined] your film has ... [and] I don't know exactly what is being said throughout the film"; going with what she thinks he's trying for, so "I've geared my notes to ... bringing out this Indian background. And especially the shabbiness [underlined] of it-- how can people seeing him in this grand tailor shop (e.g.) imagine where he came from?"; telling him that the film "sounds lovely" and "the BBC must be very pleased, they ought to be"; ending "Probably thees notes are no use to you at all, & probably they'll get to you too late anyway. Well, I tried."
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