The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-07-28
Letters Give
Picture Cue
ny YIRGINIA M,PHERsoN

This piece Is for those who write
letters to ration boards, war plants,
and draft boards. And II Authoress
Juliet Lowell got one OF the let
tiers in her clutches you're apt TO
be seeing It on the screen any day
now.
Because they're making her best
seller Dear Sir" into a series OF
cartoons with animated illustra-
tions. They're guaranteed to be
as hilarious as her book.
Miss Lowell herself Is a tiny
gal with a pixy face and close-crop-
ped curly black hair. She's got a
twinkle in her eye and positive
genius for bouncing on funny let
tiers.
She wrote a book n few years
back called Dumb Bellies Letters.
That was a collection of gems mall
ed in 20 business executives. They
made cartoons out OF that too.
But Dear Sir is my fayorite."
Miss Lowell said. mostly because
| worked for a solid year collecting
the letters"
She travelled from Hawaii to Cali
fornia and across the country to
Florida, up to Maine. and zig.zag
back across every state in-between.
81 worked with war plants, gov
eminent offices. draft boards. and
federal and state agencies" she ex-
planned. And everybody was most
helpful"
That is a mild word for 1t. Every
ration board official and draft
board members fell all over himself
digging in files for the funny let
ters. The only thing they asked
was that she keep them anonymous.
They didn't have to ask that"
laughed Miss Lowell. 81 wouldn't
dare put names on some OF them.
And | didn't change any OF the
spelling. So half the country would
be down on my neck with shot
guns"
Take. for instance, the war work
er who sent in this one:
Dear sir:
There's a good deal OF fuss about
attractive young women coming to
work in Stacks and sweaters, BIZ
cause this detracts the mems at
tention from their work. But now
| think sum of you officials are
going too far when you say you
want the girls to come to work
without sweaters and Stacks. This
will not only be much worse on
the men, but most OF the girls will
probably catch pneumonia"
Or this.
Dear Sir. I got II problem
my wife is pregnant and my bust.
ness is all what keeps us together"
Or:
IL hear you are looking for
pianist or violinist male or female.
Being both l offer you my ser
vices"
Here's one Consolidated Aircraft
hooked:
Gentlemen: have just finished
a wonderful brake to be put on
airplanes. This brake | invented
can stop a plane that is going 400
miles an hour in less than 10 feet.
Now | am working on an invention
to stop the pilot from going through
the windshield"
Dear Lieutenant-Sor not to
have been able to return to camp
last night but my wife had a baby
and il wasn't my fault. Pvt. J. ]
Miss Lowell says she read hun
dreds Of thousands of letters like
| these and had a terrible time pick
ing out the ones to use.
They range from desperation to
ribald humor.' she explained. but
they represent a baffled and some
times frustrated citizenry in time
| of war
She's been on countless radio pro-
grams with her collection. Now
she's thinking about writing a book
about the letters movie fans send
in to stars, directors, and produc-
ers.
( So keep writing folks. The fun
nier you are the harder the ma
ton laughs. And the richer Miss
Lowell gets.