Correspondence of Tennessee Williams to George Roy Hill, along with Typescript Draft Pages for William s Play, *Period of Adjustment*

WILLIAMS, Tennessee. (George Roy Hill)

Published by New York, 1960

Three Typed Letters Signed by playwright Tennessee Williams sent to director George Roy Hill, along with nine Typescript Draft Pages with corrections for Williams play, *Period of Adjustment*. Overall very good with typical folds for mailing and a few stains, housed in a custom cloth clamshell case with black morocco spine label gilt. In 1960, Tennessee Williams was busy developing *The Night of the Iguana* while also working on a new, somewhat uncharacteristic play, *Period of Adjustment*. A departure from his usually dark dramas, *Period of Adjustment* was instead what Williams called "a serious comedy." Elia Kazan was originally tapped to direct the play but was forced to withdraw due to film commitments, so a young actor and theater director, George Roy Hill, stepped in. The play opened in November 1959, running for 132 performances, and in 1962 MGM Pictures asked Hill to direct the film version, in what would be his directorial screen debut. The resulting film starred Jane Fonda in one of her first leading roles and garnered generally favorable reviews. Hill subsequently became a prolific director of films, including *Thoroughly Modern Millie* (1967), *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* (1969), and *The Sting* (1973), for which he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Director. These three letters and typescript draft pages provide insight into the working relationship between Williams and Hill, as well as their personal connection. The pages of the script differ markedly from the final printed version of the play, and between these drafts and the discussions evident in the letters, this material is also a depiction of Williams creative and collaborative process. The archive consists of: 1. Typescript draft pages for the play *Period of Adjustment*. Undated [1960]. Nine quarto leaves, seven typed on letterhead of the Warwick Hotel, Philadelphia, typed rectos only with autograph annotations and emendations in pencil and ink in Williams hand throughout. These draft excerpts are rewrites of the Act I curtain and the opening of Act II. Annotations include dialogue changes and cuts, as well as stage directions. 2. Typed Letter Signed ("Tenn"), September 1960. Quarto. On letterhead of the Sheraton-Charles Hotel, New Orleans; written on recto only. Williams writes to Hill about the Miami preview performance of his new play, *The Night of the Iguana*, which he says "has left me with a bit of a trauma… ." Williams had just returned from some time off in Havana, where he worked on a rewrite, and after a stop in his "old turf in New Orleans," He was heading back to New York to meet with Hill about the new script for the film version of *Period of Adjustment*. Williams also discusses casting for *Period*, deferring to Hill s opinion on the choice for the female protagonist. 3. Typed Letter Signed ("Tenn") no date [1960]. Quarto. Typed recto only, with autograph postscript and date ("Monday P.M."). Williams consoles Hill after having chosen Frank Corsaro to direct *The Night of the Iguana*, as well as not mentioning Hill the night before on David Susskind s television show *Open End*, both apparently perceived by Hill as slights. Williams explains that he selected Corsaro long before he and Hill became acquainted, and his omission of Hill in his *Open End* remarks were attributable to his need to patch up a misunderstanding with Elia Kazan. Williams, referring to Kazan by his nickname: "Baby, I thought you knew that Gadg became very angry with me because he had been attacked for distorting my plays and I had not come to his defense." He explains he had taken this opportunity on Susskind s show to make a "public refutation" and praise Kazan, though he acknowledges to Hill he "should have made some reference to the truly happy and gratifying experience I have had with you as director" of *Period of Adjustment*. The autograph postscript reads: "I notice you sent the wire at 3:00 A.M. I was stoned too." 4. Typed Letter Signed ("Ten. Seller Inventory # 467082

Bibliographic Details

Title: Correspondence of Tennessee Williams to ...
Publisher: New York
Publication Date: 1960
Binding: Unbound
Condition: Near Fine
Signed: Signed by Author(s)