December — 2006
From the Official Anne Francis Web Site

Dear Friends:

Well, the gathering at the Egyptian theatre for the new print of “Forbidden Planet”, and the celebration of the new collector’s package that is now on the market from Warner Brothers was a great success. The print is beautiful and the audience was beautiful too! Maggie (my younger daughter) went to L.A. with me for the gathering. We had a limo which made it much easier for us for the evening. After the screening, Earl Holliman, Warren Stevens, Richard Anderson and I fielded questions from the audience for about forty five minutes. It really was fun.

I hadn’t seen Warren for a long time, and as he walked up the red carpet out in front of the theatre, he presented me with a long stemmed red rose neatly tied in cellophane! It was a dear gesture and had a history behind it. When we were shooting on “Forbidden Planet” every once in a while after work I would find a red rose on the windshield of my car. It remained a mystery until a few years later when Warren and I dated a bit as friends. He finally informed me that he had been the phantom admirer! And now, fifty years later, here he walks up to me, gives me a big hug and a red rose! I was so moved. He is a dear soul.

After the Q and A , we all had pictures taken with Robby the Robot and Fred Barton, his owner. Suddenly a large crowd pressed in separating us all so we did not have a chance to say a proper goodbye to each other. Maggie appeared, grabbed me, and whisked me out of the throng and to the limo, homeward bound!

I had Thanksgiving dinner with Maggie and my friends Eleanor and Dawny at the Four Seasons Hotel here in Santa Barbara. It was a beautiful crisp winter day, and I had memories of lots of Thanksgivings past when I used to gather so many around our table when the girls were young and friends were many. When we left the hotel the sun was sinking over the ocean, a half red ball in its descent, shimmering and beautiful.

Ah well, as we move along in life, Holidays can stir up a lot of emotions can’t they? I am disappointed that Maggie and I will not be able to join Jane and Rob and Brian for Christmas in Minot, North Dakota. Just too difficult a trip at blizzard time with a number of different planes, and you know how we can depend on their schedules these days, don’t we? We are hoping to maybe to get together at Easter time in Seattle, if Rob can get a break from work.

The day after Thanksgiving I went to Palm Springs to attend a festive gathering honoring Jim and Jackie Lee. Wonderful Philanthropists who have touched so many lives in that community with their fine assistance. The weather was gorgeous there as well. This is the best time of the year in California.

So, the wreaths are up and I have a little Charlie Brown type tree that I put out these Christmases of my life, adorning it with fun little ornaments and a silly plastic flamingo on top! I always send a few new ornaments to Jane and Rob and Brian for their tree each year. I loved to collect them when I was young.

So, whatever your age, or wherever you are, I wish you well for the Holidays as we come to a close of yet another year on this remarkable planet we call (Mother) Earth, where joy and sorrow abide together. I pray that Peace descends upon us all. The sooner the better!

Go well out there!