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Tay Garnett (1894-1977) was one of the great American film directors of Hollywood's Golden Age. His six-decade career spanned silents for Mack Sennett, Hal Roach and Pathé, to major studio blockbusters like China Seas (1935), Mrs. Parkington (1944), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949), and the MGM film noir masterpiece, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). At the end of his career, he set out compiling views on directing from the greatest in the American film industry and international cinema. This collection of correspondence and books was assembled by him in the course of research. His book, "Directing: Learn from the Masters" (Scarecrow Press, 1996), published posthumously, ultimately presented the views of 43 of the world's greatest directors. In the mid 1970s, Garnett sent a questionnaire of 21 key questions about the specifics of film directing and their careers to directors around the world. The correspondence, dated between 1974 and 1977, consists of the following: 1 page TLS from ELIA KAZAN; 5 page TLS from ELIA KAZAN responding to the questionnaire in detail; TLS from director Leopoldo Torre Nilson; 1 page TLS from LOUIS MALLE; 1 page TLS from ALAIN RESNAIS; 1 page TLS from BRYAN FORBES; 2 page TLS with handwritten annotations from DINO RISI; 1 page ANS from ALLAN DWAN; four, 1-page TLSs from FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT, who authored the preface to Garnett's book; two, 1 page TLSs from RENE CLAIR; 2 page TLS from FRED ZINNEMAN; 1 page ANS from Mary Walsh, wife of RAOUL WALSH; five, 1 page ALSs and one, 2 page ALS from ALBERTO LATTUADA (who advises the best address for Fellini ".in the middle of work on 'Casanova'."). Also included are carbon copies of Garnett's letter requesting participation in the project to Clair, Truffaut, Lattauda, Stanley Kubrik, Luchino Visconti, Franco Zefferelli, Claude Lelouche and business letters to prospective publishers. The books consist of 17 titles by or about 14 directors, each inscribed by the director to the Garnett. LUIS BUNUEL inscribed "Luis Bunuel" by Raymond Durgnat (University of California Press, 1968, trade paperback). FRANK CAPRA inscribed his autobiography "Frank Capra - The Name Above the Title" (Macmillan, 1971) ". with fond memories of . those cockeyed Mac Sennett days.". RENE CLAIR inscribed, in French, his own book "Cinema Yesterday and Today" (Dover, 1977, trade paperback). GEORGE CUKOR inscribed Gavin Lambert's biography of him "On Cukor" (W. H. Allan, 1973). ALAN DWAN inscribed "Allan Dwan - The Last Pioneer" by Peter Bogdanovitch (Praeger Film Library, softcover, 1968). HOWARD HAWKS inscribed "Focus on Howard Hawks" edited by Joseph McBride (Prentice Hall, 1972, trade paperback). ELIA KAZAN inscribed "Kazan on Kazan" by Michel Clement (Viking Press, 1974). ALBERTO LATTUADA inscribed three books: F.M. de Sanctis' "Alberto Lattuada - Premier Plan" (Revue Mensuelle De Cinema, circa1965, paperback), Edoarda Bruno's "Lattuuda o la Proosta Ambigue" ( Luglio, 1968, paperback), and Angelo Zanallato's "L'uomo (Cattiva Sorte): Il Cinema di Lattuada" (Livania, 1973, trade paperback). MERVYN LEROY inscribed his autobiography "Mervyn LeRoy; Take One" (Hawthorne Books, 1974) - "for Tay, whose 'take one' was always his best, and so was his last." JEAN RENOIR inscribed his autobiography "My Life and My Films" (Collins, 1974). FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT inscribed two books, his own novelization of his film "Small Change" (Grove Press, 1977, paperback) and Don Allen's book on him "Truffaut" (Viking Press, 1974). KING VIDOR inscribed his own book "King Vidor on Film Making" (David McKay, 1972). RAOUL WALSH inscribed his own book "Each Man in His Time" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1974) - ". my good old pal in the golden days of Hollywood.". WILLIAM WYLER inscribed his autobiography. Taped-in is a ANS from Wyler. Most books are hardcover first editions unless otherwise noted, in used but presentable dustrjackets.
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