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Letters of Note

Steve Martin Wrote Young Judd Apatow a Very Funny, Very Personal Letter

by | June 21st, 2012

Judd Apatow was once a young, comedy-obsessed boy. As a teenager, he would interview famous comedians for his high school's radio station. But before that he wrote Steve Martin a letter and Steve Martin wrote back with a very personal response. This isn't just some form letter; Martin references Judd twice by name. Surprisingly, he also acknowledges in writing that he once took a young boy to Brazil, just for the afternoon, just to look at "girls!" Read the full letter below and try to imagine the amount of geeking out that resulted from it.

Letters of Note

Gene Wilder Had a Very Specific Image of Willy Wonka

by | June 14th, 2012

"The hat is terrific, but making it 2 inches shorter would make it more special," wrote Gene Wilder in a letter to Willy Wonka director Mel Stuart. It seems like throughout the process Wilder had many equally as specific ideas that eventually went on to define his Wonka. On his wardrobe:

"I don't think of Willy as an eccentric who holds on to his 1912 Dandy's Sunday suit and wears it in 1970, but rather as just an eccentric — where there's no telling what he'll do or where he ever found his get-up — except that it strangely fits him: Part of this world, part of another. A [...]

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