World War II-dated TLS signed “Jim,” one page, 8.5 x 11, personal letterhead, October 26, 1944. Letter to literary agent H. N. Swanson, in full: "Have pondered the 'Serenade' question at some length and come to this conclusion: If this were the year 1907 and K. M. Landis were a judge here, we probably would have a fine chance at proving an anti-trust law violation against the Hays Office, because it certainly works out as a combination in restraint of trade. The companies pool their resources to get expert advice, but they don't pool their stratagems to take advantage of that advice. That leaves me holding the bag, and cinematically speaking, I don't know whether I have a property or not. However, even with K. M. Landis, it would be a somewhat barren victory if I had to win it from Metro, and the Universal thing taught me quite a lesson. My suggestion would be that you go to whoever at Metro has such things in charge and offer to buy, for $1, the treatment Breen passed, which I wrote for them in the form of a letter addressed to Fritz Stephani, on the ground that since they have rejected the book it does them no good, but unless I own it, it does me a great deal of harm. For several of the ideas in it were mine, and I have tried to sell them for a good many years, and yet as the thing stands now, no company would be sure whether they could make use of this treatment or not. Jerrico was in today, and he has an independent deal in mind which doesn't look bad, so that clearing up this censorship question is really important." In fine condition, with staple holes to the upper left corner.
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