I am Danny DeVito’s mother
A charming letter of thanks
In 1973, at the very beginning of Danny DeVito’s long and illustrious movie career, he was cast in Scalawag, a largely forgotten film directed by, and starring, an already beloved Hollywood legend, Kirk Douglas. The film received lukewarm reviews, but DeVito’s mother, Julia, was nonetheless thrilled to see her son on the big screen. Shortly after watching it, she sent Douglas the following letter of thanks for casting him.
Julia later appeared alongside her son in the cherished sitcom Taxi, and her letter’s words lived on: Douglas included it in his autobiography a year after her death in 1987, and in 1991, DeVito read it aloud as Douglas received the AFI Life Achievement Award. Footage can be found below, immediately after a transcript of the original letter as printed in Douglas’ book.
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Douglas:
I am Danny DeVito’s mother, writing to thank you both for giving my son a part in your movie, “Scallywag.” My family all went to see it at the Paramount in N.Y.C. it was a great movie. Some of my friends & relatives saw it in Florida, they called me up to-day, to tell me that Danny was great they liked his acting, so that made me feel so proud.
Half of Asbury Park N.J. are waiting for it to come here. My daughter owns a Beauty Salon in Neptune N.J. and has a sign in it: “Scallywag Coming Soon.” You see there is plenty of publicity out here.
Love to your son Michael, he spent a weekend at our house & we all love him & we also watch the Streets of San Francisco on Thursday nights.
Again, I want to thank you both for giving my son a part in your movie. It’s great to have a part with a big star like you.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs. Dan DeVito
Thank you! So sweet. My mother babysat Danny in Asbury Park in the mid to late 1940s before college, and was friends with Angie, his sister (the hair salon owner noted here). They graduated high school in AP likely together in 1947.
Never underestimate the power of a thank-you note. (Or one's absence.)