Offered are two letters from Jack Haley, both signed “Dad” and addressed to his famous daughter-in-law Liza Minnelli, the daughter of his Wizard of Oz co-star Judy Garland. Both letters are written on his 7.25 x 10.5 personal letterhead, and consecutively date to January 30 and 31, 1978. The earlier letter, sent to Minnelli as she was recovering from the flu, in part:
“Isn’t that sick business awful? Don’t you have a certain respect for health, after such an experience? That’s why I keep hocking Jack to get his rest. I read somewhere that the doctors know that rest is very good for your health and that it repairs your body while you are sleeping. Get this, they do not know how, or what part of the body is benefitted while one rests. I can give them some research and tell them that after one becomes my age, there is a part of the body which receives no benefit from rest and I don’t care how much sleep you get. Two items are enclosed. We love you and don’t want anything to happen to you, so take care."
The second letter, using entertainer Isaac Hayes’s recent bankruptcy as a cautionary tale, in part: “You must feel that my constant sending you of cautionary material, as the enclosed writeup on Isaac Hayes, shows some sort of fixation on my part re: the dangers of losing one’s possessions. Nothing of the sort…We need warnings during our adult lives, particularly if the Good Lord allows us the privilege of accumulating…The word caution has a synonym called prudence and it is prudence we should use in all our actions. In fact, I should use it also and stop writing you these types of letters. But then, I do it as an act of love.”
Haley signs “Dad, xxx,” and adds a handwritten postscript: “They ran N.Y.-N.Y. on the Z channel last night for the benefit of Academy members (one showing only). It’s a great picture, hope you make it again (Oscar).” In overall fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelopes and by newspaper clippings Haley enclosed with the letters. Pre-certified by Beckett Authentic.