A Difficult Woman (70 page)

24
Morris and Lore Dickstein, interview by author, March 24, 2005.

25
Letters between LH and Arthur Kober, box 71, folders 2–9, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

26
Letters from LH to Lois Fritsch, typed or handwritten on stationery from the Eden Hotel-Roma or the Hotel Dorchester in London, undated, box 122, folder 2, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

27
Ibid.

28
LH to Lois Fritsch from Eden Hotel-Roma, undated, box 122, folder 2, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

29
LH to Lois Fritsch from the Dorchester, London, undated, box 122, folder 2, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

30
Hellman,
Pentimento
, 200.

31
Jan Van Loewen to LH, March 1953, box 72, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

32
LH to Kermit Bloomgarden, February 26, 1954, box 72, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

33
LH to Jean Anouilh, April 13, 1954, April 23, 1954, and May 10, 1954, box 72, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

34
Kay Brown to Jean Anouilh, May 12, 1954, and Jean Anouilh to Kay Brown, May 19, 1954, box 72, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

35
Jan Van Loewen to Kay Brown, December 13, 1955, and Kay Brown to Jan Van Loewen, December 15, 1955, box 72, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

36
Stewart Benedict, “Anouilh in America,”
Modern Language Journal
45 (December 1961): 342.

37
Jan Van Loewen to LH, January 18, 1974, box 72, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

38
Maurice Peress interview with Gordon Davidson, August 17, 2010, unpublished, Los Angeles, CA. I am grateful to Maurice Peress for providing this material and the insights that follow from it.

39
Maurice Peress, interview by author, August 19, 2010.

40
LH to Robby Lantz, February 8, 1966, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

41
LH to Leonard Bernstein, November 22, 1971, box 122, folder 16, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

42
Selma Wolfman to Arthur Richenthal, December 13, 1962, box 70, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

43
These claims are in box 68, folder 3, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

44
Hellman's secretary detailed the history of these insurance company cancellations and refusals over a five-year period to her lawyer, Oscar Bernstein, concluding, “Since December 15, 1962, Kermit Bloomgarden's agent, an agent from Arthur Richenthal and a third agent have all tried to get a policy but without success.” Selma Wolfman to Oscar Bernstein, May 17, 1963, box 70, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

45
Philip Stern to LH, May 31, 1963, box 70, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

46
LH to Calvin Siegel, February 27, 1964, box 70, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

47
LH to Kurtis Sameth Hill, Inc., July 29, 1968, box 70, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

48
Draft typescript, “Deposition by Lillian Hellman, June 1962”; O'Dwyer and Bernstein to Mrs. Josephine Marshall, March 19, 1963; box 56, unfiled materials, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

49
LH to Ronald Bernstien, August 29, 1969, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

50
Donald Condon to Norman Swallow, May 10, 1978, Hellman/Hammett Estate Files, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

51
LH to Oscar Bernstein, January 14, 1965, box 54, “Hammett Estate” folder, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

52
LH to Oscar Bernstein, May 24, 1965, box 54, “Hammett Estate” folder, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

53
Hellman,
Pentimento
, 258.

54
Lillian Hellman, “Comments,” spring 1963, box 40, folder 5, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC. These were frivolous short pieces that smacked of selling one's soul for money.

55
Selma Wolfman to “Dear Mr. Lantz,” October 28, 1963, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

56
LH to Robby Lantz, January 20, 1964, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

57
LH to Robby Lantz, February 12, 1964, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

58
LH to Robby Lantz, November 6, 1963, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

59
Robby Lantz to Caskie Stinnett, August 7, 1963, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

60
Don Congdon to LH, June 13, 1977, and LH to Don Congdon, June 15, 1977, box 3, “Feb-June, 1977” folder; Heather Hirson to Don Congdon, November 16, 1977, box 3, “July-Dec, 1977” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

61
LH to Don Congdon, June 16, 1971, box 51, folder 12, Lillian Hellman Collection. She used the phrase again in LH to Don Congdon, August 17, 1971, box 3, “June-Nov, 1971” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

62
Don Congdon to Viera Dinkova, October 29, 1971, box 48, “Lillian Hellman, '71” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

63
Patricia Naggiar to LH, July 19, 1977, box 3, “July-December” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

64
Rita Wade to Ephraim London, February 9, 1976, and Ephraim London to Rita Wade, February 10, 1976, box 77, folder 7, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

65
Nancy Troland to LH, January 17, 1977, and Don Congdon to LH, November 23, 1976, box 52, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

66
Don Congdon to Nancy Troland, January 21, 1977, box 52, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

67
Don Congdon to Antonia Handler Chayes, March 4, 1977, uncatalogued papers, “Hellman: Hammett Estate, 1977” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

68
Don Congdon to Flora Roberts, December 4, 1973, box 48, “Hellman/Hammett Jan-June” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

69
Don Congdon to LH, with handwritten LH note, May 13, 1977, box 3, “Feb-June, 1977” folder, and Don Congdon to Ruzica Vlaskalin, June 14, 1977, uncatalogued papers, “Hellman: Hammett Estate, 1977” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

70
Don Congdon to Helen Harvey, September 15, 1976, box 49, unfiled papers, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

71
This went on until her death. See Robby Lantz to LH, March 6, 1984, box 72, folder 7, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

72
Don Congdon to LH, December 17, 1974, box 3, “Feb-Nov, 1974” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

73
Don Congdon to LH, October 26, 1977, box 3, “July-Dec, 1977” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

74
Exchange of letters with Vicky Wilson of Alfred Knopf, December 1980, box 72, folder 3, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

75
LH to Don Congdon, April 5, 1977, and Don Congdon to LH, April 11, 1977, box 3, “Feb-June, 1977” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

76
LH to Don Congdon, January 19, 1976, Don Congdon to LH, January 26, 1976, box 3, “Jan-Dec, 1976” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

77
Robby Lantz to Lillian Hellman, June 29, 1971, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

78
LH to Robby Lantz, July 15, 1971, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

79
LH to Donald Oresman, July 16, 1974, box 3, “July to December, 1974” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records.

80
LH to Don Congdon, August 16, 1977. See also exchange of letters with Congdon over a contract with ICM, August 2, 1977, August 5, 1977, and August 12, 1977, box 3, “July-December, 1977” folder, Harold Matson Company, Inc. Records, RBML.

81
Don Congdon to LH, September 23, 1983, box 52, folder 2, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

82
Robby Lantz to LH, January 9, 1984, and February 6, 1984, box 72, folder 7, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

83
LH to Robby Lantz, July 7, 1969, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

84
For example, see LH to Lantz, July 15, 1971, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

85
LH to Robby Lantz, June 11, 1964, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

86
LH to Robby Lantz, February 8, 1966, box 72, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

87
LH to Herman Shumlin, August 13 and 15, 1969, box 73, folder 2, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

88
Donald Oresman to Jack Klein, November 11, 1977, box 52, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

89
LH to Donald Oresman, December 28, 1978, box 52, folder 3, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

90
Donald Oresman to Lillian Hellman, January 17, 1979, box 52, folder 4, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

91
In New York lingo, that meant a twenty-four-hour doorman, an on-site superintendent, a handyman, elevator operators, and janitorial service.

92
The offer she turned down was from Douglas Elliman. She bought the house in 1944 for $48,000.

93
Theodore Zimmerman to LH, May 23, 1969, box 66, folder 8. See also letters and memos from LH to Zimmerman, May 29, 1969, September 17, 1969, November 6, 1969, box 66, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

94
LH to Joyce Hartman, August 20, 1969, box 66, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

95
LH to Joan Zimmerman, October 13, 1970, box 66, folder 7, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

96
LH to Theodore Zimmerman, October 6, 1972, box 66, folder 5, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

97
LH to Paul O'Dwyer, May 8, 1973; see also letters of October 3, 1973, October 12, 1973, October 17, 1973, January 14, 1974, box 66, folder 5, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

98
Hellman closed on apartment 10A on June 23, 1970, and the move, supervised by Mrs. Loftus, took place on July 25–27. Hellman returned from the Vineyard to the completed apartment in September.

99
LH to William Michael, December 14, 1970, box 66, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

100
LH to Mildred Loftus, August 10, 1970, box 66, folder 8, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

101
Ibid.

102
LH to Selma Wolfman, handwritten note, 1958, box 68, folder 4, and LH to Mr. Barton, November 8, 1961, box 68, folder 3, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

103
Lillian Hellman, typescript, “Things to Do,” April 10, 1973, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

104
LH to Miss Jovic, April 6, 1979, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

105
Rosemary Mahoney,
A Likely Story: One Summer with Lillian Hellman
(New York: Doubleday, 1998).

106
Per author conversation with Rose Styron, who tells of walking toward Hellman's Martha's Vineyard home one afternoon and turning back in embarrassment after she heard Hellman loudly berating her helper.

107
LH to “Dear Amy,” June 8, 1980, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

108
Ming Hu to LH, September 29, 1980, November 25, 1980, December 25, 1980, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

109
LH to Mercedes Tello, December 31, 1980, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

110
LH to Nell Mohn, May 16, 1980, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

111
LH to “Whom it may concern,” October 6, 1980, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

112
Typescript, untitled statements, April 8, 1981, and April 10, 1981, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

113
Letter (name changed to protect the writer) to Rita Wade, May 21, 1981, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

114
LH to “Linda,” September 21, 1981, box 67, folder 1, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

115
LH to Paul O'Dwyer, July 5, 1972, box 89, folder 7, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

116
Nancy Bragdon to Stanley Isaacs, June 25, 1946, box 87, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.

117
Arthur Cowan to LH, December 23, 1957, box 89, folder 6, Lillian Hellman Collection, HRC.