Alain Resnais and the Marquis de Sade: A Letter and Some Speculative Comments About It
1. Letter from Alain Resnais to Richard Seaver(A “hasty” English translation by Francois Thomas) Tuesday, October 20, 1970 Dear Dick, Your letter of October 10 from Southampton [New York] arrived last night. Probably intersected with the one I sent on the 8th, containing answers to several questions you asked me. But — is it a feeling — you don’t seem to be aware of the one I sent you on September 9 (and I remember that you didn’t seem to have received one of the notes I sent from London at the end of July either). Anyway, I’m writing to you without waiting for the French postal workers’ strike announced for next Tuesday. Perry had told me that he was happy with your letter and the contract and that everything was fine on that side. The distance between rue des Plantes and Dean Street makes it difficult to check. In any case, his silence is inexcusable and you can therefore feel free to have Konecky notify him of the loss of his rights (Unless he telegraphs money to you. That’s always a good thing. Paramount here was still talking about $10,000 as the total budget for a script!) I always refuse to let a project be read and I had to take a lot on myself to give the material to Carlos [Clarens]. Read more
1. Letter from Alain Resnais to Richard Seaver
(A “hasty” English translation by Francois Thomas)
Tuesday, October 20, 1970
Dear Dick,
Your letter of October 10 from Southampton [New York] arrived last night. Probably intersected with the one I sent on the 8th, containing answers to several questions you asked me. But — is it a feeling — you don’t seem to be aware of the one I sent you on September 9 (and I remember that you didn’t seem to have received one of the notes I sent from London at the end of July either). Anyway, I’m writing to you without waiting for the French postal workers’ strike announced for next Tuesday.
Perry had told me that he was happy with your letter and the contract and that everything was fine on that side. The distance between rue des Plantes and Dean Street makes it difficult to check. In any case, his silence is inexcusable and you can therefore feel free to have Konecky notify him of the loss of his rights (Unless he telegraphs money to you. That’s always a good thing. Paramount here was still talking about $10,000 as the total budget for a script!)
I always refuse to let a project be read and I had to take a lot on myself to give the material to Carlos [Clarens]. Read more
