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Handwritten note by Steve McQueen, one folded page, 8 x 3.5, no date (circa 1961–1962), unsigned. Penned in red ballpoint, McQueen writes a quick message to Elisabeth “Liz” Osborn, his personal assistant while he was in England filming The War Lover, the only motion picture he made in the United Kingdom. The note reads: “I’m writing in Blood so you will know I’m sincere, ‘A man once said,’ It’s the little things that Count.” Includes its original transmittal envelope, inscribed by McQueen to “Liz,” and an original glossy 10 x 8 photograph of McQueen seated with producer Hilliard Elkins, producer Howard Koch, and Osborn during the film’s production, with the reverse annotated, “1962 with Hilliard Elkins, Howard Koch and Liz Charles-Williams.” In fine condition.
Osborn, a British native then known as Liz Charles-Williams, served as McQueen’s personal assistant during the production of The War Lover. According to Osborn, the note was written as an apology after a telegram sent in her name resulted in her dismissal from the production, prompting McQueen to hire her as his personal assistant for the remainder of the shoot.
Filmed in England in 1961 and released the following year, The War Lover starred Steve McQueen as a reckless American bomber pilot opposite Robert Wagner and Shirley Anne Field. The film represented one of McQueen’s earliest dramatic starring vehicles. During production, McQueen developed a friendship with Elizabeth Osborne (née Charles-Williams), who later recalled: “Steve was an absolutely delightful man and my time with him was a wonderful experience.” Preserved with its original envelope and an accompanying production-era photograph, this handwritten note offers an unusually personal glimpse of McQueen during a formative period in his rise to international stardom.
Provenance: Bonhams & Butterfields, An Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcycles and Related Memorabilia, Property from Elisabeth Osborn, Lot 220; November 11, 2006.
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