[ L. P. Williams, English art director. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Bill') and Typed Letter Signed ('Bill | Bloody Williams') to 'Edward Carrick' (Edward Craig), giving personal news and 'a little professional dirt' from Hollywood.

Both items in fair condition, on lightly-aged and creased paper., the typed letter having a few autograph notes by Craig at end. ONE: ALS. 4pp., 8vo. He begins by telling Craig that he has been worrying about 'how to get your dope for you'. He is going to get in touch with 'Say & Drier', but does not know how the latter will react, 'being pro German you know - in the Guard Cuirasiers of the Prussian Guard in the last war'. He continues: 'A man named Bill did Stage Coach - though he did not get the credit - I think the man who did is dead - I know good friends of his (Euans) - he has just married the lead dress designer at Paramount!' He describes Euans' habit of 'collecting model cannons'. He has gone up to Canada in an attempt to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force, but was only considered 'as a camouflage expert!!' He is trying to find out for Craig 'who designed the great <?> in "Intolerance"'. After a reference to 'the Regency Stuff', his continues by giving the current contact details at the Naval Press Bureau of his 'dear friend R. P. Ross Williamson who was my set dresser for a couple of years before I came out here & has done very valuable research for me since, on "Tom Brown's Schooldays" & "Water Gypsies"'. He recalls calling with Williamson on Craig at 14 Soho Square, where they all examined 'some interesting little pictures we could all appreciate - if you know what I mean' (pornographic?). TWO: TLS. 2pp., 4to. He has purchased Craig's 'very delightful little book' (Designing for Moving Pictures), 'and not without some trouble as there has been quite a rush on it since its arrival out here in the back country'. He thanks him for the 'flattering remarks on my behalf, and for the generous amount of space you gave me'. He turns to 'a little professional dirt', regarding the firing of Van Polglase and replacement by Albert D'Agostino: 'An economy Move I suspect, but it will not help to improve the quality of the sets at R.K.O. [...] the R.K.O. art department has some very talented members, and some of the best sketch artists in the business. The sketches of the latter are a little tight for my tastes, as you know I do not agree with tieing [sic] oneself down too much to details in the preliminary stages.' In Hollywood he is working on a film 'for which we may come to England for locations in September [...] the one person they have to take if they do go will be yours truly, as a great many of the sets we are building here will have to be reproduced at home'. He finds it a srain being in America during the war, 'especially when one is kept awake by the local bund members returning jubilant from Lindburgh's meeting at the Hollywood Bowl'. Craig and Williams were close, as indicated in the former's entry on the latter in 'A Pictorial Directory of British Art Directors and their Work' (1947): 'A visitor to the Stoll Studios in the silent picture days of 1928 might have found two young artists fighting a duel with prop swords which were eventually broken in the conflict and for which they had to pay out of their meagre salaries-one would have been Edward Carrick, the other, L. P. Williams, the young man who wanted to streamline motion picture production. | He has since gone a long way towards doing what he wanted and is now Technical Director to the Denham and Pinewood Studios and doing his best to introduce all the most up-to-date scientific ideas and machines into his studios'.From the Edward Carrick papers.