James Baldwin

Details

James Baldwin
A draft script Blues For Mr. Charlie, [n.d. but circa late 1960s], 145pp. of mimeographed typescript, with black imitation leather cover stamped Blues For Mr. Charlie By James Baldwin, annotated on 8 pages in red ballpoint pen in Brando's hand with observations on and amendments to the script, notes include:
- p. 1-37: Humour lacking
- p. 1-54: String it tite [sic] Easy to do. Keep the story tense
- p. 1-57: Pretty composed for a man who lost his son;
accompanied by 6 books by Baldwin, titles comprise: The Fire Next Time, two copies, New York, 1963 and New York, 1967, with portions of the text underlined and highlighted and minor notes in the margin in Brando's hand; Nobody Knows My Name, two copies, both New York, 1961; Blues For Mr. Charlie, two copies, London, 1965 and New York, 1964; and a Western Union telegram, dated 12 December, 1964, from Baldwin to Brando, asking Brando to call him urgently (8)

Lot Essay

He was one of the first black writers that we had that achieved popularity....Jimmy Baldwin and I became close after meeting in Hector's Cafeteria [New York, 1943]. It was a special relationship, and one of it's hallmarks was an absence of any sense of racial difference between us...our relationship was simply that of two human beings with no barriers between us, and we could tell each other anything about ourselves with frankness...

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