W. C. FIELDS Very youthful 4½x6½ image in bow tie and stiff collar Photograph signed: "W. C. Fields" B/w, 4½x6½. W. C. Fields (1879-1946) began entertaining as an amusement park juggler at the age of fourteen. He was a vaudeville headliner before he was twenty and toured Europe in 1901, giving a command performance at Buckingham Palace. His Broadway debut in The Ham Tree (1905) was followed by appearances in the Ziegfeld Follies (1915-1921) and in George White's Scandals (1922). Fields starred in Poppy on Broadway (1923) and the next year made his first film, Janice Meredith (1924). Fields' style, verbal rather than visual, and his irascible con-man philosophy made him a favorite, especially with the advent of sound, where his raspy voice provided the final touch to his comedy. He starred in movies including My Little Chickadee (1940) and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941). Nobody contributed more wry quotations ("Anyone who hates children and animals can't be all bad.") to American folklore. Signature in poor contrast but legible. Light silvering. Surface creases. Corners worn and chipped. Ink stamp on verso. Multiple pencil marks (unknown hand) on verso. read more...
Actors & Actresses from the 1940s
Top Signers
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Price
Signer Country
Document Types
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: BUD ABBOTT Black and white movir still from the film Abbott and Costello Meet the Munny. Photograph signed: "Bud Abbott". B/w, 10x8. Shown with Lou Costello in movie still from Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. © 1955 Universal Pictures. read more...
Sale Price $270.00
$300.00
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Consent form authorizing the Motion Picture Relief Fund to reproduce Bud Abbott's signature and likeness for a series of stamps raising money for needy film industry veterans. The form is signed twice by Abbott, once as an autograph sample and again to grant permission. A remarkable, perfectly verified example! read more...
Sale Price $450.00
$500.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: BUD ABBOTT and PATRICIA KNIGHT Bud Abbott and Patricia Knight inscribe their signature to a fan. Inscribed signature: "To John/Bud Abbott", and on verso "To John/Patricia Knight", 4x3¾. read more...
Sale Price $216.00
$240.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: BUD ABBOTT Bud Abbott signs a racing form from the Garden State Park, New Jersey. Racing Form signed: "Bud Abbott" in pencil, 4x9 affixed to slightly larger sheet. Garden State Park, New Jersey. Betting form listing the seven horses running in the first race. read more...
Sale Price $216.00
$240.00
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LOU COSTELLO and KEN RICHMOND Album leaf signed on one side by the comic actor and by the wrestler on the other Signatures: "Lou Costello", 4¾x4 album leaf. Co-signed on verso: "Ken Richmond" read more...
Sale Price $198.00
$220.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: LOU COSTELLO Inscribed vintage 8x10 photo, looking astonished Photograph inscribed and signed: "To Lee Anne/All my Love/Lou Costello". Vintage b/w, 8x10. Publicity photo signed in lower margin. read more...
Sale Price $595.00
$700.00
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LOU COSTELLO Lou Costello fills out and signs a check for cash in the amount of $25.00. Partly Printed Check filled out and signed: "Lou Costello", 6x2¾. Studio City, California, 1945 May 31. Drawn on his Bank of America account, payable to "Cash" for "$25.00 read more...
Sale Price $360.00
$400.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO (LOU COSTELLO) The comedy great known for his partnership with Bud Abbott signs this check for $47.71 Check signed: "Lou Costello" in black ink. 7x3. December 27, 1945. Check no. 1503 drawn from the account of Lou Costello at Bank of America in Studio City, California. Payable for $47.71 to I. read more...
Sale Price $382.50
$425.00
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LOU COSTELLO USES PROCEEDS FROM THE 1955 COMEDY, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS, TO SETTLE A BANK AGREEMENT LOU COSTELLO, ANNE COSTELLO, PAT COSTELLO and OTHERS Typed Document Signed: "Lou Costello", "Anne Costello" and "Herbert L. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: LOU COSTELLO Contract to borrow money for the financing of a 26 photoplay series starring him and his comedy partner Abbott, for NBC Typed Contract Signed: "Lou Costello" as Producer on page 14 and initialed: read more...
Sale Price $637.50
$750.00
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LOU COSTELLO, CO-SIGNED BY: ANNE COSTELLO Comedian Lou Costello, one-half of Abbott and Costello, signed this contract in 1952 to amend his 1950 employment agreement with Universal Pictures. Also signed by read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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Consent form authorizing the Motion Picture Relief Fund to reproduce Lou Costello's signature and likeness for a series of stamps raising money for needy film industry veterans. The form is signed twice by Costello, once as an autograph sample and again to grant permission. A remarkable, perfectly verified example! read more...
Sale Price $467.50
$550.00
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LOU COSTELLO and ANNE COSTELLO Lou Costello and Anne Costello sign a tax form for the 1953 tax year. Carbon Partly Printed Document Signed: "Lou Costello" and "Anne Costello" in ink as Taxpayers, 1p, 8x10½. Los Angeles, California, 1954 January 2. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: LOU COSTELLO Lou Costello signs a document along with a check paying his taxes. Carbon Typed Document Signed: "Lou Costello" under "The above action is approved.", 1p, 8½x11. Los Angeles, California, 1953 January 26. read more...
Sale Price $467.50
$550.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: LOU COSTELLO Lou Costello signs a promissory note to pay Universal Pictures Company $20,000.00. Typed Document Signed: "Lou Costello", 1p, 8½x11. Universal City, California, 1946 January 29. Headed: "Promissory Note". read more...
Sale Price $637.50
$750.00
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IRS form listing tax deficiencies from 1950 and 1951, signed and dated by Costello in 1955. Both Costello and his partner Bud Abbott would wind up virtually broke over tax problems two years after this form was signed. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: LOU COSTELLO and ANNE "MS. LOU" COSTELLO The comedy legend and his wife sign a U.S. Treasury Department form listing four years of their tax deficiencies Document signed: "Lou Costello" and "Anne Costello" in ink, 1p, 8x10½. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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ABBOTT & COSTELLO: LOU COSTELLO Lou Costello signs a document along with a check paying for a loan. Carbon Typed Document Signed: "Lou Costello" under "The foregoing action is approved.", 1p, 8½x11. Los Angeles, California, 1953 February 24. read more...
Sale Price $467.50
$550.00
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ABBOTT and COSTELLO: LOU COSTELLO Costello signs a document, probably for a feature film, for which he would be paid 50 percent of the net proceeds and his partner, Bud Abbott, would also receive 50 percent. Carbon Typed Document Signed: "Lou Costello" in ink under "Approved and Accepted", 1p, 8½x11. read more...
Sale Price $450.00
$500.00
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ABBOTT and COSTELLO: LOU COSTELLO The comic actor receives an advance from Universal Pictures. Carbon Document signed in ink: "Lou Costello", 8½x11. Universal City, California, 1949 March 28. Costello acknowledges receipt of an advance from the studio of $12,857. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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Costello, on behalf of himself and his partner, Bud Abbott, signs an agreement with NBC regarding their use of "Bud Abbott and myself on the live television shows referred to". read more...
Sale Price $510.00
$600.00
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Comedian Lou Costello, one-half of Abbott and Costello, signed this document in 1952 to declare that his betting losses from 1946 exceeded his betting wins. This document is probably related to his tax problems with the IRS, which left him broke by the mid-1950s. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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Comedian Lou Costello, one-half of Abbott and Costello, signed this Community Property Affidavit for the state of California in 1954. It gives interesting details about his finances since 1934, when he married his wife Anne. read more...
Sale Price $467.50
$550.00
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Comedian Lou Costello, one-half of Abbott and Costello, signed this $1 bill of sale in 1955 to divide the assets of his production company Cosman Productions between himself and three members of his family to pay back taxes to the IRS. read more...
Sale Price $467.50
$550.00
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Comedian Lou Costello, one-half of Abbott and Costello, signed this $1 bill of sale in 1955 to have five members of his family, including his wife Anne, sell their stakes in his production company Cosman Productions to pay back taxes. read more...
Sale Price $467.50
$550.00
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LOU COSTELLO'S WIFE, MOTHER, BROTHER, SISTER AND SISTER-IN-LAW TRANSFER THEIR INTEREST IN HIS PRODUCTION COMPANY TO HIM TO ENABLE COSTELLO TO SETTLE HIS TAX BILL WITH THE I.R.S. LOU COSTELLO, ANNE read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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LOU COSTELLO AGREES TO USE PROCEEDS FROM HIS INTEREST IN SEVERAL FILMS TO SETTLE HIS I.R.S. TAX BILL LOU COSTELLO and ANNE COSTELLO Carbon Typed Document Signed: "Lou Costello" in ink on page 4 and "Anne Costello" in ink on page 5, 5p, 8½x13, separate sheets. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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LOU COSTELLO AGREES TO USE PROCEEDS FROM A TELEVISION PROGRAM CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCED WITH HIS BROTHER TO SETTLE HIS TAX BILL WITH THE I.R.S. LOU COSTELLO and ANNE COSTELLO Carbon Typed Document Signed: "Lou Costello" and "Anne Costello" in ink on page 3, 3p, 8½x13, separate sheets. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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Comedian Lou Costello, one-half of Abbott and Costello, signed this document in 1952 to receive a $5,000 loan from Universal pictures, to be paid back out of any payments that Universal would make to him in the future. read more...
Sale Price $552.50
$650.00
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LOU COSTELLO Lou Costello signs a document saying that the IRS can have all his earnings from the productions 'Buck Privates Come Home', and 'Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap'. Carbon Typed Document Signed: "Lou Costello" in ink, 1p, 8½x11. No place, 1947 October 24. read more...
Sale Price $637.50
$750.00