With love, Tom To “Jay” Laughlin December 4, 1947] Streetcar opened last night to tumultuous approval Never witnessed such an exciting evening… Packed house, of the usual first-night decorations – Cecil B’ton, Valentina, D. Parker, the Selznicks, and so on – and with a slow warm-up for first act, and comments like “Well, of course, it isn’t a play,” the second act sent the audience zowing to mad heights, and the final one left them – and me – wilted, gasping, weak, befoozled, drained (see reviews for more words) and then an uproar of applause which went on and on. Almost no one rose from a seat till many curtains went up on whole cast, the 4 principles, then [Jessica] Tandy, who was greeted by a great howl of “Bravo!” from truly all over the house. Then repeat of the whole curtain schedule to Tandy again and finally… 10 Wms crept on stage, after calls of Author! and took bows with Tandy.

All was great, great, GREAT! As you can see by the reviews enclosed Will send from evening papers tomorrow 20th-Century Fox has already called for a copy. I want to go to play again! Bielenson is printing it this minute and shd be bound and ready next week. E says that [there] are many many orders already, and with the success, we think we shd bind all 5,000 What do you?.. T Williams To Gore Vidal ca. April 25, 1948] Bright eyes! This is glorious news about the play. Glorious plays are not usually written in such a short time, but Saroyan did it so why not you. I am glad you did not have carnal associations in Cairo, not only because it would have interfered with the glorious work but because I kept thinking, If Gore is not careful he will catch one of those things from the dirty Egyptians.. The sky is serenely blue, the light is golden. It is the sort of Roman day that we will remember all of these days being when we are back in the States.

I close now with an affectionate and mildly libidinous kiss on your soft under lip which I never kissed. Ever fondly, Tennessee To Irene Mayer Selznick [theatre producer, Streetcar] Mid-February 1949] Dear Irene: … I had a hard time composing the cable about the English production You are very, very persuasive about Mr Olivier and Mme his wife. You have evidently given the matter a great deal of consideration, and I am glad to see that you have included in your consideration that Mme. Olivier has not yet given us a ghost of an idea of her latent dramatic powers But I believe, as you do, that Mr. Olivier is a smart cookie who would not want Vivien to lay anything bigger than ostrich egg on the London stage even in a play by an American author.. I still think an American company would be far better. However if the production is put off until 1950, the chances are that interest in the play would be considerably depleted and also that I might not be able to see it or want to if I could…