John F. Kennedy, c.1961-1962

KENNEDY, John. F. (1917-1963). Autograph note signed ("Louis B. Mayer") as President [to Peter Lawford,] [n.p., c.1961-1962].

One page on White House letterhead, 203 x 128mm. (Toned from dampstain at top margin.)

A humorous note to Peter Lawford, written as a gag after Kennedy had asked his brother-in-law to review a preliminary script for the film adaptation of Robert Donavan's book PT-109, then under development by Warner Brothers. According to Lawford, as retold by his last wife, Patricia Seaton Lawford, Kennedy had been jokingly telling Lawford that it was MGM that was planning to produce the film. Lawford, who had been fighting with the executives at MGM, wanted nothing to do with the studio and refused to help. The next morning, Lawford found a letter from Kennedy, together with an advance copy of the PT-109 script on his breakfast tray which read: "Read & be prepared for revisions at 830 AM- Louis B. Mayer–" (Apparently, the surprise caused Lawford to spill his coffee, hence the stain at the top margin). Rare. Autograph letters signed as President seldom offered at auction. Provenance: Patricia Seaton Lawford.