Hollywood Fan Mail During Wartime (Presentation) (Text)

by Regis Hoffman and Thomas Richards

Hollywood Fan Mail During Wartime

REGIS HOFFMAN & THOMAS RICHARDS

Purpose of Talk….

 Social history – even in times of war, people tried to maintain some sense of normalcy.

 Interest in Hollywood stars was universal. Will see letters from soldiers, POWs, internees and civilians.

 Learned much about obscure areas of military postal history.

World War I – Charlie Chaplin

• “I Am Well” card from British FPO.

• U.S. not in war – assessed postage due.

• Sent to Essanay Studios, Chicago.

• Essanay hired Chaplin from Mack Sennett Studios in 1914.

• He left after one year – too cold

• Forwarded to Hollywood.

World War I – French Soldier

• International appeal of “America’s Sweetheart”, Mary Pickford.

• Simple address.

• Sender was from the French 122nd Infantry Regiment of the 31st Infantry Division.

• Mailed in July of 1919 from Valenciennes, France. Interestingly, mailed through a civil post office, and not a military post office

World War I – GB Civil Censorship

• To Warner Oland (aka Charlie Chan).

• Major role in “The Jazz Singer” – first “Talkie” produced.

• Played as Charlie Chan in 1931 for 15 movies.

• Had no Oriental heritage.

• UK censor tape.

World War I – Antipodes Civil Censorship

Australia to Mary Pickford at Lasky Studios.

New Zealand to Mary Pickford at Photoplay Magazine in Chicago – forwarded to Artcraft Studios in Hollywood.

Between the Wars

• Double registered cover to Deanna Durbin from Alexis Holmansky on Route de Grouchy in Shanghai in French Concession.

• Many Russian Jews in the early 20th century who were fleeing pogroms in Russia moved to China, especially Shanghai. No visa required.

• Found in a box of miscellaneous China covers.

The Finnish “Winter” War

• Mail from MGM Helsinki to Liisa Rahola at the Finnish Legation in London.

• March 12, 1940 - Peace with Russia.

• March 24, 1940 - Treaty ratified.

• March 29, 1940 – letter sent.

• Finnish censor tape (In Swedish and Finnish).

• Ms. Rahola made only one film with MGM.

• “Dollari Miljonna” – “One Million Dollars” in 1942.

WWII – Allied Forces – Dorothy Lamour • Boxed “Poste Militaire – No.

101”

• Registration label (lower left) reads RPM 101 MEF – No. 711.”

• British crowned “PASSED BY CENSOR” mark.

• “CENSURE CONGO BELGE” mark.

• Censored in the United States (most likely Miami, Florida).

• British Middle East Command provided Congolese troops with a military post office assigned the code “101”. This office was located in Cairo, Egypt. 40,000 in number.

World War II – Gene Autry

Gene Autry went through USAAF basic training at the Santa Ana Army Air Base, and then later served at Luke Field in Phoenix, Arizona

• Was never at Alliance Air Base.

• Forwarded to Republic Studios.

WWII – Axis Allied Forces -> Deanna Durban

• 19th Italian Quartermaster Service Company attached to US Army.

• A total of 192 Quartermaster Service Companies of 33,000 men working at 67 military installations in 25 states.

• The Italian soldiers were no longer POWs, as Italy had surrendered and joined the Allies

• The Italian soldiers were permitted to volunteer for non- combat duty in special service units of the US Army.

World War II – French Trainees

• To Yvonne De Carlo

• 5000 members of Free French air crew and ground support trained by U.S. Army Air Forces.

• Nearly 1,400 French recruits learned to fly over the piney woods of the American South

World War II – Yugoslav Trainees

• Not addressed to a particular star. – not uncommon.

• Royal Yugoslav Air Force destroyed in 1941.

• 62nd Bombardment Group formed in 1942.

• Pilots escaped to Greece, Russia and Egypt.

• Partisan Yugoslav Air Force formed.

• Lt. was probably sent to US for training – similar to French pilots in previous slide.

World War II – Chinese Trainees

The 8th Chinese Bomber Group trained in Pueblo from August 3, 1944 to May 5, 1945 with B-24 Liberators.

Peak of 520 Chinese trained at Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB).

Note “Free” franking. Allowed?

World War II – Italian Internee

• To Deanna Durbin.

• From an interned Italian seaman. Ansaldo Benedetto a deck hand on the Italian ship “Ida Z.O.”

• Fort Missoula, Montana camp.

• Red “S” indicates censorship by Serena Fauste.

• Free mail started on Nov. 6 1942 but not many found before 1943

World War II – Italian POW

• To Deanna Durbin

• From POW at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri

• During World War II Italian and German POWs were interned at the fort.

• U.S. censor marking.

• “UNCALLED FOR AT METRO- GOLDWYN-MAYER” marking. She was at Universal Studios at this time. (Type MGM-1 marking)

World War II – German POW

• December 30, 1942 from German POW Oscar Preti at Crossville Internment Camp in Tennessee.

• To Elyse Knox at Universal.

• Made “Follow the Boys”, one of the World War II morale-booster films in 1944

• The usual request – send some photos

• POWs limited to 3 letters per month – use one to send fan mail?

World War II – German POW Camp

• From guard at Camp Alva, OK to Deanna Durbin

• The Allies captured large number of German and Italian soldiers from Erwin Rommels’s famed Afrika Korps.

• Only German POWs were confined in Oklahoma.

• Sent by Pfc. Ronald Campbell, 455th Military Police Escort Guard (M.P.E.G. )

• Was to get 5x7 photo but was upgraded to 6x10!

German in Canadian POW Camp

• Sent to Gracie Fields.

• From German civil internee

• Only German in Canadian Camp movie star mail that we have seen.

• Forwarded from studio to her home.

Hunt Idaho Internee to Robert Paige • From the Minidoka Relocation

Center, aka Hunt Camp.

• Mainly Japanese Americans.

• In use – August 10, 1942 – October 28, 1945.

• December 1944 – Supreme Court ruled illegal to hold US citizens – freed soon after .

• Return Address – “44-7-C” 44 = Block 7 = Barracks C = Apartment

• 5 Japanese American Internees were in that apartment

Deanna Durbin Censored Fan Mail

• Deanna Durbin’s short career spanned the WWII years.

• Most popular star during the time.

• Many of our examples are to her.

• APO 759 – Casablanca, Morocco - Camp Don B. Passage Aug 43.

• Middle East POW marking.

• Camp Passage reported to be staging area – POW probably on way to NY.

World War II – Allied POW

• From member of Royal Canadian Air Force

• Sergeant at Stalag Luft III (Sagan, Germany) to the wife of actor Ronald Colman. Card asks for aid.

• Camp made famous as the location of the “The Great Escape”.

• Held by censor and released after the war

Post WWII - Mail to Ann Rutherford • Fan Mail to Actress Ann Rutherford

– played Scarlett’s sister in “Gone With the Wind”.

• From British FPO 746 on January 21, 1946.

• Has “UNCALLED FOR AT METRO- GOLDWIN-MAYER” marking.

• NOTE: “GOLDWIN” spelling.

• Type MGM-1a marking.

Post World War II - RAF

• To Maureen O’Hara

• From a member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in India in 1946

Post World War II – RAF - -> Lauren Bacall

RAF Japan

RAF Colombo (Ceylon)

Post World War II – British Forces • To Anne Blyth at Warner

Brothers Studios.

• British Forces in Egypt.

• FPO 461 - March 25, 1947 (Port Said)

• Mail was handed over to the Egyptian civil Post Office where a quicker delivery would result, rather than send the mail to England.

Post World War II – British Forces • To Doris Day at Warner Brothers

Studios.

• FPO 791 – August 15, 1954

• British Forces in Germany assigned to the British Army of the Rhine.

What Do You Get ?

Hopefully this

But Maybe This From Star – Jack Oakie

Conclusions  Fascinating area – illustrates how people coped during times of war.

 Both have been collecting movie related material for almost 20 years.

 10+ years of writing “Stars & Strife” column.

 Thought we would run out of material at least 3 times – but now have over 30,000 pieces of fan mail and other movie related covers.

 Have at least a 2 year backlog of articles.

 2016, 2018 - Articles in The Congress Book on the development of the philately of the Hollywood movie industry.

Thanks For Your Attention.

Any Questions?