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Dahl, Roald (1916 – 1990)

‘There is much talk about turning ‘Charlie’ into… a big musical film’

A fine and rare two-page autograph letter signed by Roald Dahl, 9th June 1967.

The author writes to a Mrs. Campbell, owner of Campbell’s Bookstore in Los Angeles. Dahl opens by explaining that he won’t be in L.A. in November, ‘I doubt it would pay off to have us come all the way out just to put in an appearance. So we’d better leave it that if we happen to be around will get in touch with you at once.’

He goes on, ‘There is much talk about making ‘Charlie’ into a T.V. serial, or a big musical film. The former seems the most likely. Chitty Bang Bang goes before the cameras in 4 weeks.’‘Dick van Dyke is here and so is everyone else, and things are hotting up to the usual hectic pitch.’ Dahl closes, ‘My silly James Bond film opens here before the Queen next Monday.’

In very fine condition. Letters by Dahl mentioning his most celebrated work, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, are extremely rare and desirable. It was four years before a film version of Dahl’s book came out, starting Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka — Dahl famously disliked the adaptation.

The Bond film to which Dahl refers is You Only Live Twice, for which he wrote the screenplay.