William Faulkner writes this urgent telegram entirely in his own hand on a French PTT Telegramme form, addressed to the Hollywood director Howard Hawks at the Mena House hotel in Cairo, Egypt. The telegram reads in full: "BOOKED N.Y. 19 APRIL UNLESS I HEAR FROM YOU OF COURSE WILL STAY HERE ON CALL OR MEET YOU AT NEED IF NOTIFIED TEL NO / BILL"; the sender line identifies "WILLIAM FAULKNER HOTEL DE BEAUJOLAIS PARIS." The reverse is the standard French PTT telegraph instructions form.
The Faulkner-Hawks relationship was one of the most productive and unlikely partnerships in Hollywood history: Hawks directed the film adaptations of Faulkner's work, and Faulkner wrote screenplays for Hawks including "To Have and Have Not" and "The Big Sleep." This telegram, dispatched from a Paris hotel, captures the peripatetic, transatlantic dimension of that collaboration at a glance. Faulkner telegrams in his own hand are exceedingly rare.
Handwritten telegram on French PTT Telegramme form, black ink, approximately 5.5 x 8.5 inches, undated; sender identified as "William Faulkner Hotel de Beaujolais Paris"; reverse with standard PTT telegraph instructions (IMG_246.jpg, IMG_247.jpg). Light toning and horizontal fold consistent with transmission; overall very good condition. Estimate: $5,000-$8,000.
This item will be accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from One of a Kind Collectibles.