Add MS 89284/1/199

Pre-production material relating to American Friends, as follows:

• initial film proposal by Michael Palin with details of the background, the plot, and the treatment and the film - typescript, 30 Jun 1986;
• 6 letters between Palin and St John's College regarding the possibility of filming there, 13 Aug 1987-22 Mar 1988;
• loose page of notes headed 'Tom Brown's Oxford (set in 1861)', written on the back of a letter to MGM pictures with details about submission of the project, 10 Mar 1988;
• casting papers including a list of actresses being auditioned for the role of Elinor and candidates for the role of designer, photographer and editor, including comments in Palin's handwriting, 13-15 July 1989, and typed and handwritten notes with names of actors for other roles, Mar 1990;
• photocopy of a fax from Miramax Films to Steve Abbott and Patrick Cassavetti with suggested revisions of the script 'from an American perspective', 6 Aug 1989;
• two letters from Connie Booth to Palin regarding her comments on the script, including a letter from Blanche Hanalis to Connie with her comments on the script, 30 Oct-7 Dec 1989;
• letter from the Hereford and Worcester County Council regarding documents relating to Rev. Edward Palin of Linton, with attached photocopies of them, 16 Mar 1990;
• Edward Palin's Travel Diaries, Switzerland 1859-1861 - clean copy typescript;
• notebook marked 'AM Friends 3rd drafts notebook 2', with notes on script after various readings and rewriting of various scenes, in Palin's handwriting - included 2 loose pages of notes headed 'The Progress of the Plot 24/9' - 1990;
• letter to Palin from the Linton Rectory sending him a copy of The Chimes, the parish magazine, asking him to check the leaflet about Edward Palin, with corrections in Palin's handwriting, Mar-Apr 1990;
• loose page with draft of a letter from Elinor to Ashby and his reply, in Palin's handwriting, undated;
• letter from the Linton Rectory regarding a booklet regarding the like of Edward Palin, 29 Jul 1990.