‘Dear Mr. Brody’ looks at thousands of unopened letters to a millionaire

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In the 1970s, thousands of people sent letters to a millionaire, asking for money. Some of those letters were finally opened decades later, in the new documentary “Dear Mr. Brody.”

In the 1970s, thousands of people sent letters to a millionaire, asking for money. Some of those letters were finally opened decades later, in the new documentary “Dear Mr. Brody.” Photo by Sarah Wilson.

In 1970, a 21-year-old heir to a margarine fortune became a nationwide sensation when he vowed to give away his money to anyone who needed it. Michael Brody was deluged with thousands of letters, most of which sat unopened for decades, until documentarian Keith Maitland and his team decided to read them.

“We started researching people, and we started tracking them down,” Maitland says. “And over and over, we kept discovering that almost nobody remembered having written these letters.”

Director Keith Maitland and Executive Producer Ed Pressman talk about exploring a strange, poignant, and all but forgotten story with the film “Dear Mr. Brody.” 

From this Episode:

Credits

Host:

Kim Masters

Producer:

Melissa Jaeger-Miller