The actor Albert Bassermann had his 75th birthday on 7 September 1942 in American exile. On his birthday, he received numerous letters from his long-time friends and colleagues in Europe and new acquaintances from the Hollywood movie scene. The writer Walter Reisch also congratulated him. At this time these two men, who were highly successful in their respective fields, had not yet collaborated on a project, but Reisch knew Bassermann, of course, and praised him above all as a theatre actor in his letter. The intention, presumably, was for the sincere admiration of his achievements and the recollection of this successful period on the German-speaking stage to distract Bassermann on his birthday from his current, somewhat precarious position.

The actor found it difficult to succeed in the highly-competitive labour market in Hollywood not least because of his advanced age; the language was also a major barrier for him. The fact that the letter is written in English and not in their shared language of German, therefore reveals much about Reisch: He had been in the United States since 1937 and now felt at home there - including in the language. His consistent use of the language of the new country - despite realising that that he was making it considerably more difficult for Bassermann to read his letter - is a clear indication of this. Reisch became an American citizen the following year.