To Ruth Alexander [Letter 101]

Ruth Alexander was a conservative/pro-free-enterprise columnist. She was supportive of AR throughout her career, proclaiming in a 1949 New York Mirror column that “America has found her Joan of Arc.”

139 East 35th Street
New York City

October 22, 1943

Dear Ruth:

Thank you for your letter and the copy of “Finance” with your article. We enjoyed reading the article—and I really don’t think that it can be considered disturbing in the way we discussed.

I have some news to tell you, confidentially, since it has not been publicly released as yet: I have sold the screen rights to “The Fountainhead” to Warner Brothers, for $50,000. This has made me a capitalist overnight, which is a wonderful feeling. I shall have to go to Hollywood in December to stay there for a few months. I am sorry that I’ll miss you when you’ll be in New York this winter.

Best regards from both of us to both of you,

AR stayed in California until October 1951.