Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1930)

WhenThey Write Letters The stars show an infinite variety of tastes, in notepaper HOW would you like to get a personal letter from Clara Bow? Well, then you know how Wanda Blank felt when the postman handed her a letter one day which began "Dear Wanda" and ended with Clara's characteristic, round signature. Wanda is a real Bow fan. When Clara's pictures play her local theater she half-dries the dishes so she'll be sure of getting a middle seat in the fourth row at the first show. And then she stays up half the night composing a letter to her favorite, telling how wonderful all her pictures are and that the one she has just seen is the most wonderful of all. Some time ago Wanda wrote her usual congratulatory letter and intimated that it would be the thrill of thrills if Clara would answer with a tiny note — just a scrap of paper that she could show to the other girls and cherish for her grandchildren. And Clara answered her! What's mere, she asked a favor. She wanted to know where Wanda bought her letter-paper with its tri-colored border, whether it could be ordered in quantities and with a monogram, who made it, if it could be had in a larger size and with a green border instead of blue. Wanda didn't lose much time in rounding up the information, and the biggest thrill of all came when Clara's thankyou note arrived, on letter-paper just like Wanda's, a size larger and edged with three shades of green, decorated with Clara's name in Japanese-like letters. The plain envelope was lined in the lightest shade of green. Clara is still using that paper for her personal notes. MOST of the stars use very lovely but simple letter-paper for both personal and professional correspondence. Even such gorgeous and luxury-loving ladies as Corinne Griffith and Billie Dove have chosen papers of fine quality but unpretentious decoration. Miss Dove uses a single, heavy white sheet, deckle-edged top and bottom, for some of her correspondence. Her name is engraved at the top in small, open, gold letters. Her double-sheet paper is pale gray, with silver lettering. All her papers have that artfully "pebbled" appearance which is so attractive and yet gives a smooth writing surface. Miss Griffith's choice of papers is very like Miss Dove's, and her name appears at the top in small, plain letters. Joan Crawford Fairbanks is still young enough to seek every outlet for self-expression, even in her letter-paper. Nevertheless, she has let good taste guide her, and her personal note-paper is really quite stunning and unusual. It's a double sheet, rather dark gray, with a smooth finish. A narrow band of gold follows the crease; then there's a narrow band of the gray paper, and a J^-inch band of white on which is stamped J, and below it, C, in green and gold, with a tall gold F to bind them. Alice White found a way to make her simple paper distinctive. It's stone-gray and that crackly type which has such a nice "feel." At the top is a facsimile of Alice's signature, with its characteristic open dots over the "i's" and its line that is meant to cross the [please turn to page 100] Joan Bennett's circular monogram is right under Richard Dix's letterhead; Mr. and Mrs. Doug, Jr., just won't be parted, even in a letter-paper layout; the big D in the square stands for Dolores Del Rio; the four Gleasons (including the pup) turn their backs on Sue Carol; Clara Bow's distinctive paper is at the lower left; and, right, Carol Lombard's initials top Olive Borden's monogram By Frances Kish 81