Description:

Katharine Hepburn ALS Re: "Coco" Broadway Opening

A 2pp autograph letter signed by legendary actress Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) as "Kate" at the conclusion. N.d., n.p. but the postmark of the original transmittal envelope indicates December 30, 1969, New York, New York. Inscribed in black felt tip pen on the outermost sides of a custom card embossed in red as "Katharine Houghton Hepburn" at the top. The inner pages are blank. Expected wear including isolated foxing confined mostly to the inner pages, else near fine. Folded, measures 6.5" x 4.375." Hepburn has also partially engrossed the envelope with her correspondents' names, "Mr + Mrs Mario Fratti." The envelope bears a cancelled stamp and is neatly letter-opened verso.

Hepburn wrote this thank-you letter to Laura Dubman Fratti (ca. 1925-1993) in acknowledgment of congratulatory gifts sent to the actress shortly after the Broadway premiere of her latest vehicle, the unexpected musical "Coco," loosely based on the life of French fashion designer Coco Chanel.

Hepburn wrote in full:

"Dear Laura - I love all my presents - my opening chicken wire was a delight. I was so numb that I couldn't react -

Now the cake and book - You are an angel - And you + Mario were so satisfactory on the opening - What a real tie is sympatico of heart + mind - That's what I feel for you and Valentina's Laurie - Bellissima -

love -

Kate."

"Coco" had opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway just two weeks earlier, on December 18, 1969. With music by André Previn, lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, elaborate sets and costumes by Cecil Beaton, and Hepburn in the starring role, the musical proved incredibly popular to audiences, if not to critics. "Coco" ran for 40 previews and 329 performances before closing in New York in early October 1970. From January to June 1971, the show went on a national tour. The cast and crew collected seven Tony Award nominations for the production, including Hepburn's nomination as Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.

Dubman was a classically trained concert pianist who had given Hepburn expert musical instruction during the production of the MGM romantic drama "Song of Love" (1947) some 20 years earlier. Then, as now, Hepburn took the musical aspects of her roles extremely seriously. Just as she had studied and practiced before portraying Clara Schumann in "Song of Love," Hepburn received vocal coaching for nearly two weeks before "Coco" rehearsals began in September 1969. Hepburn's friend Laura later married Italian playwright Mario Fratti in 1964, and their only daughter Valentina became Hepburn's goddaughter.

Over Katharine Hepburn's 66-year-long acting career, she would star in dozens of films, television movies, and stage productions. Named the leading female actress of Hollywood Classic Cinema by the American Film Institute, Hepburn also won four Academy Awards (1934's "Morning Glory," 1968's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," 1969's "The Lion in Winter," and 1982's "On Golden Pond") and racked up eight further Oscar nominations. Hepburn was as comfortable in serious theatrical dramas as she was in screwball comedies or period pieces.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 31, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000