March 27, 1948
Mr. John L. B. Williams
The Bobbs-Merrill Company
468 Fourth Avenue
New York 16, N. Y.
Dear Mr. Williams:
Just as I wrote to you that my new novel was gaining the speed of an express, the express has had to be shunted on to a siding, temporarily, because the main track had to be cleared for another powerful special by the name of THE FOUNTAINHEAD. Which is another way of saying that I have just gone back to Warner Bros. to write the final screenplay for the picture. The picture is now definitely in production. If all goes well, the studio intends to start the actual shooting in a few months.
I am very happy about it and everything is going extremely well so far. I believe we will make a wonderful picture out of it. You may have read in the papers that the star is to be Gary Cooper and the director—King Victor, both of whom are excellent. The rest of the cast has not been chosen as yet.
I am sure that the news will please you. I trust that Bobbs-Merrill will not sell any reprint rights until long after the picture is released—because if the picture is as good as it promises to be at present, it may put your original edition of THE FOUNTAINHEAD back on the best-seller lists. I have reason to hope that it will.
With best regards,
Sincerely,
Ayn Rand
AR.jk
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