January 1, 1960
My Dear Rita [Harrison]:-
Thanks for your nice letter & Card.
Hope you had a Merry Xmas, trust the New Year will bring you lots of good health, happiness & success.
So pleased to know you are back home again & feeling so much better - congratulations.
I fully understand the nature of your operation dear, too bad this was necessary, but its better to have these things attended to & avoid serious trouble in the future - you were very sensible Rita.
We too have been having some rain, it was very welcome after such a long hot Summer - quite a relief.
No doubt you saw your Grandad during the Yuletide, hope alls well & Happy with him - please convey our love & best.
All for now dear. Our love & kind thoughts to yourself & Family.
Good luck & God Bless.
As ever:
'Uncle'
xxxxxx
STAN LAUREL.
January 2, 1960
Dear Lisa [Mitchell]:
Am looking forward to seeing the article on you in 'LOOK' on the 19th.
Eda joins in love & best.
Good luck & God Bless.
Sincerely always:
STAN LAUREL.
January 1960

“I asked God for His help,” she says, “in getting me a vacation job.”
Lisa landed a four-month stint as one of ten dancers in “Can-Can,” at $300 a week. Picked from 100 applicants, she says.
“They almost let me go when they learned I wasn’t a professional dancer.
“I’m convinced God gave me the job—and He got me through it.”
An art major. Lisa carried textbooks to the set every day. She also carried her New Testament. She feels she never really became a member of the “gang.”
“At first. I wanted to be accepted as one of them, and I’d go along with jokes that I didn’t think were very funny. But I soon gave up. Still, nothing about this wonderful job was a bore—I even liked hating it.”
Miss Mitchell has lived in Hollywood most of her life and has one special friend and idol: Stan Laurel, the thin member of the onetime Laurel and Hardy comedy team. She visits Stan regularly in Santa Monica, where he lives in retirement, and sits with him as she re-enacts the Laurel parts in the old comedies—and Laurel plays Hardy’s.
“My special requirement of a husband,” says Lisa, “is that he must love Laurel and Hardy.”
January 2, 1960
Dear Earl [Manbeck]:
We had a quiet Yuletide, but we celebrated New Years Eve with a couple of friends, a nice dinner at the Mirimar Hotel & later played cards till 12 PM, then toasted in 1960 with a bottle of Champagne, so I was in fine fettle!!
My Tape recorder is a Wollensack, I do'nt have any special play-back equipment apart from the machine I do'nt think the sound I get is stereo or hi-fi, its a small portable model, weighs around 18lbs. It records & plays back very good indeed very reliable.
January 4, 1960
My Dear Jean [Milligan]:
Thank you dear for your nice letter & lovely color snapshot of yourself - you certainly look very attractive in your bathing costume.
Delighted to know you had such a wonderful time in Switzerland - yes your Aunty Nellie told me you had met a very nice Italian Boy, that was nice you had someone to escort you around & show you the different sights & probably act as an interpreter for you, altho' I imagine English is spoken a great deal in that Country.
Pleased to note you are appearing in Pantomime again this Year - what part are you playing this time? No doubt you are doing some dance numbers too - wish I were able to see you perform. How long does the show generally run? I guess its not a professional production but just a local annual event - anyway its wonderful experience for you & will be beneficial to you, should you decide to follow a show Bus. career.
How's Frank & your Family getting along? Hope you all had a very Merry Yuletide & the New Year will bring you all lots of good health & Happiness.
Note you are now 15 - you sure have grown up since I saw you last in Stockport, it does'nt seem possible.
Not much exciting to tell you dear - Aunty Eda joins in love & kind thoughts to you all.
Take good care of yourself Jean.
Good luck & God Bless you.
As ever:
'Uncle'
xxxxxx
January 4, 1960
Dear Glen[n] Laxton:
Thanks yours with enclosure of snapshot of yourself & family doing a Laurel mannerism - very cute.
Hope you all enjoyed a very Merry Xmas.
The L&H book is due for publication in March or April by Doubleday Co. Incidently, next month sometime, David Susskind the N.Y. TV producer intends producing a 'SHOW OF THE MONTH' program for the Dupont Co. The story of L&H with Jackie Gleason & Art Carney - hope you'll have a chance to see it.
Yes, necessary arrangements were made with us, so we shall receive a Royalty Amount for this - finally we get a little 'Break'.
Am enclosing you a recent snapshot - not too good but will give you a rough idea.
Again wish you all a happy prosperous '61.
As ever:
STAN LAUREL.
January 4, 1960
Dear Arthur Westwood,
Thank you for the nice Card.
Appreciated your kind remembrance.
Hope you had a very Merry Yuletide - wish you lots of good health & a Happy Prosperous New Year.
My kindest regards.
Sincerely always:
Stan Laurel.
January 5, 1960
Dear Mr [Fred] Jeffery:
Thanks yours of Dec.23rd. with enclosure of ’Daily Mail’ article. Appreciated your kindness & trouble.
The article is certainly exaggerated & very unfair to say the least - unfortunately there’s nothing much can be done about it, the damage is done - next time before an interview, I‘ll demand to see the copy before it goes to Press & check any mis-statements.
Hope you enjoyed a Merry Yuletide & trust the New Year will be Happy & Bright.
My kindest regards always:
Very Sincerely:
STAN LAUREL.
January 7, 1960

Dear Mr [Richard] Altomonte:
Thanks for yours, Dec.27th.
Glad you enjoyed reading the theatrical biographies of Allen, Cantor, Chaplin & Fields.
I too have read them - I have quite a collection of show Bus. Biogs & the ones you mention are included - very interesting to me of course having known many of them personally thru' the years.
I worked on the same show with W.C. Fields in England in 1910, he was then doing his Billiard Table act & I first knew him when he was a Tramp Juggler.
Hope too you enjoyed a very Merry Xmas & that the New Year will bring you lots of good health & Happiness.
My kindest regards,
Sincerely always:
STAN LAUREL.
January 7, 1960
Dear Philip [Nesbit]:
Thanks your letters of Dec.8th & 12th.the latter with enclosure of 'Daily Mail' article - appreciate you going to all that trouble to get the copy - certainly kind of you.
I agree with you the article is'nt too bad, I think its the Headline that gave the people that wrote me about it that impression - this does of course create a feeling that I am down & out & forgotten.
Anyway its nothing serious to worry about.
Again my thanks for your kindly interest.
Trust you had a Merry Yuletide - wish you lots of good health & a Happy prosperous New Year.
Kindest regards always,
Sincerely:
STAN LAUREL.
January 14, 1960
Dear Rickey & Marie [Capra]:
Thanks your nice letter,7th.inst.
Enjoyed talking with you both on the phone the other evening, it was certainly a pleasant surprise & I appreciated your kind thought. I fully understand your not being able to correspond too often, I realise how busy you are taking care of the family, plus your business activities, Pupils & outside entertaining etc. thats a pretty heavy schedule.
Am glad to note you are going to get an agent to handle your concert affairs, am sure he can find lots of engagements for you & you will do better financially than you would in getting these jobs yourself, even after you pay him commission - you'll be a lot better off Rickey, especially if he keeps you working steady.
Too bad that dame got swacked at the last affair & you missed the 'Overtime' pay. Anyway, it was'nt too bad - you should have suggested to give her another 'Highball' with Alka-Seltzer in it - she'd have danced all night.!!!
Note you have a new member in the family 'Jo-Jo', those Marmazette's are very cute - am glad Marie he's 'BETTER NOW'. Incidently, this remark came from an old story: A retired English Colonel who had retired to London from India, met a an old friend in a London Club. The friend asked him about a young chap who had been sent to India two or three years ago for disgracing his Family - he was known as 'Young Wynn'.
FRIEND: How's young Wynn getting along Colonel?
COLONEL: Oh, he had a terrible time for a while, you see there were no White Women where he was stationed so rather than getting associated with the Natives he decided to Play with himself - consequently he lost his memory.!!
FRIEND: Good God - what a tragedy.!
COLONEL: No, it wasn't so bad - you see, after he lost his memory, he forgot to Play with himself, so HE'S BETTER NOW.
When you see "Blockheads" film again, you'll understand the reason for this line I used when I was in the wheelchair after living alone in a trench for 20 years.
I think Rickey you should try & get on a TV show, these appearances would do you a lot of good, these local shows are always looking for good talent, this would be a great opportunity for you & could lead to something worth while. Mention this to your Agent.
I would enjoy very much a musical medley on tape, including tunes from the old films, but do'nt bother with it Rickey till you have plenty of spare time. I know how busy you are & I do'nt want to impose on your good nature.
Eda joins in love & kind thoughts to you all.
Good luck & God Bless.
As ever:
STAN LAUREL.