Director, best known for Frankenstein. Whale grew up poor in an English mining town, where he learned to put on plays in a World War I German prison camp. Postwar theatre work took him to the London stage, then Broadway, then a contract with Paramount, as dialog director for Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels (1930). He began his contribution to the horror film genre with his move to Universal, directing Boris Karloff in Frankenstein (1931), notable for its sympathetic presentation of the monster, and The Invisible Man (1933) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935), both notable for the humor he injected into horror. As horror movies lost favor, he retreated to a more private and hedonistic life including painting and all-male pool parties, at one point separating from his longtime lover David Lewis, suffering several strokes, finally committing suicide by drowning in his pool (he was afraid of water). His suicide note, to Lewis, read 'The future is just old age and illness and pain...I must have peace and this is the only way.' ALS signed 'Jimmy,' two pages both sides, 8.5 x 11, Tiffany-Stahl Productions letterhead, January 29, 1930. Letter to his ex-roommate Geoffrey Cooke. Whale writes 'It seems absolutely absurd that I am still here in California after nearly one year's absence from the rest when I left for one month to go to New York, but here I am. So much has happened and so many possibilities have come my way that I should have been insane to ignore them...I have done the only wise thing to have snatched the golden eggs the moment I saw the bird leave them unprotected.' He goes on to discuss household matters and tax bills, 'I should hate to pay Income tax here, as I certainly shall have to do, and in England, as I may have to do if I am silly and do not get it fixed legally.' He goes on to discuss his recently completed film Journey's End, 'I have finished the picture and am now editing and cutting the actual film. It is most exciting and I think it is going to be a knockout. I believe it is better than the play. Colin Clive was of course magnificent. Nothing is lost - the most intimate joy and grief is shown and you get right into the minds, hearts and souls of the characters by the close ups! I have added a lot of trench scenes, mud, machine guns, raid(s), Germans, wiring parties coming up to the line, and the actual real personal experience of my own capture is faithfully and excitingly reproduced. The sound is the best I have ever heard recorded and you become quite unconscious of looking at a film inexactly the same way as one becomes unconscious of looking at the play.' He concludes that 'after the completion of Journey's End - my price will go up lot - probably double itself. It is not unusual for a first class director to make from 10,000 to 50,000 a year! My shares are well up just now but it will need a little of the native home tact to bring off a big deal. I have a manager negotiating for me asking 500 a week but I may have to take less - one must first gamble a bit - I have turned down 250 as being not enough for the famous James!' Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, addressed in Whale's hand. In fine condition, with some light toning and expected folds. RRAuction COA.
