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ERICH VON STROHEIM
A collection of personal correspondence between Erich Von Stroheim and his family including ten autograph letters, signed, to his wife Valerie and twelve florist and gift cards similarly addressed to Valerie Von Stroheim from her husband, majority 1940s - one letter on Commodore Perry Hotel, Toledo, Ohio headed paper, telling Valerie ..If God be with me ...I may take over for Boris Karloff in New York ...for the rest of the run of the play on Broadway.. 2pp. with corresponding envelolpe; another on Aviz Hotel, Avenida Tontes, Lisboa, Portugal headed paper, written on the eve of a transatlantic flight, telling his family ...I write these lines to you & Josef ..in case anything happens to me...From the day I met you...I never loved anyone else but you...if anything should happen to me...I want you sweethearts to know (if I have time to think) my last thoughts will be of you & Josef.. 2pp.; two letters addressed to his son Josef, dated September 16th 1941 and December 5th 1941 respectively, both beginning Dearest Poopsie, the latter adding ..This sounds ridiculous I guess..now..that you are a real soldier..& at war-time at that! But if you should become a general..to me you will always only by 'My Poopsie' continuing to give his son advise about rifles, loaded guns, drinking whiskey, uniforms and gasmasks, adding ..I guess I am too old (56) to do any real service...anyway at present I'll try and make money as long as God lets me.. 5pp. with corresponding envelope; and two copies of letters, both in Valerie Von Stroheim's hand, inscribed at the head Copy, dated March 22nd, 1950 and April 7th, 1950, reflecting her estranged relationship with her husband, the former letter complaining about her husband's attempts to claim $18,000 salary as expences, adding ...I told you once don't try to put it over on me because sooner or later I find out about it... 5pp.; the other stating ...As far as the tax affair is concerned - I'm going to dump the whole thing in your lap...I am the innocent party and so cannot be held responsible for the so-called complicated deals of my husband.., adding that the way he speaks ...you'd think my life with you was a bed of roses..but it's the ending that counts! So just keep on smart cracking and hurting me as you see fit - as you must know from past experiences - I can take it - but I don't know whether you, and those around you can, because you've never been put to the real test yet!... 4pp. (a lot)
