"BUFFALO BILL" CODY Handwritten letter to former rival - now partner - Pawnee Bill Lillie -  outlining plans for a California tour of their wild west show. "And if all goes well we could clean up a wagon load of money." Autograph Letter signed: "Col.", 1 page, 8½x11. Saco, Maine, May 30 (circa 1908). On letterhead of Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Pawnee Bill's Far East to "Dear Major" [William Lillie]. In full: "The reason I would not sign up with Craft. They went back on the Contract they had Bacon draw and sent two of their own fixing. You see by the route of Sells Floto that they are playing all of the Country west of the Rockies and North West. And I think we should do it. I think the summer of the Great Panama Fair at San Francisco we could show all that Country. In the Spring three shows. San Francisco July, Aug. Sep. Then Southern Cal. Oct. And if all goes well we could clean up a wagon load of money." William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) earned the name "Buffalo Bill" for killing thousands of buffalo as a hired hunter in 1867 and 1868. read more...

W. C. FIELDS Signing as "The great man/Continental Claude", he pens a letter to his mistress Carlotta in New York Autograph Letter signed: "The great man/Continental Claude", 1p, 8½x10¼. On lightweight airmail paper. No place, no date, but with original envelope postmarked Los Angeles, Hollywood, December 27, 1939. Addressed by Fields to Miss C. Douglas [Carlotta Monti], Hotel Marie Antoinette, Broadway at 66 St., New York City. Torn flap. Creased, soiled and worn. Unrelated notes on verso (unknown hand). In full: "Something or other was at ah La Cava's Morales you know her and she enquired about you. I told her you were making the grade in N.Y. That you had been on here to attend your case but returned. She expressed regrets she had not seen you. She made La Cava a sweater. I think I admired the sweater and she suggested making me one. Being continental and never forgetting the days of chivalry I accepted graciously. She evidently knows Margo and they are coming some afternoon to measure me. Do you think I should order a pair if drawers too? This thing is running into a book, so will saw off. Keep well- and think for pastime. Always my best and most important wishes. M.M. sends Love." Creased, folds, lightly nicked edges. W.C. read more...

W. C. FIELDS Signed contract for purchase and delivery of a Phaeton automobile from a Cadillac dealership in Chicago (1916). Itemized bill for the "fully loaded" luxury car includes a credit for trade-in of his 1915 Pathfinder. Document signed: "W. C. Fields/Sherman Hotel", 1 page, 8½x11. Chicago, 1916 December 29. Also signed "H. M. McCord" as Sales Manager. Signed order form for one Type 55 Phaeton, with the following extra equipment: 1 Bumper ($10), 1 Spotlight ($5), Royal Cord tires all around ($70), 2 extra Royal Cord tires ($101.27), 2 extra Tubes ($12.73), 1 extra Rim ($7.25). Total price = $2,471.25. The order is contingent on the satisfactory sale of Fields' 1915 Pathfinder touring car, provided by him in partial payment. Two filing holes at left edge. Lightly toned and soiled at edges. "Duplicate" stamp at upper right corner. Upper left corner has small staple holes and is lightly creased. Horizontal mailing folds. Otherwise, fine condition. Accompanied by typed letter (1 page, 8½x11) to Fields from H. M. McCord, dated 1917 January 3, informing him that the Pathfinder has been sold, for a $400 credit toward his purchase price, and assuring him of good service on his new Phaeton. Lightly toned. Horizontal mailing folds. read more...

W.C. FIELDS Original Prohibition-era W.C. Fields comedy sketch. Manuscript Comedy Sketch titled and signed: "One of the six best Cellars/By/W.C. Fields", 13¼p, 6x8¼, separate sheets. No place, no date. The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect on January 16, 1920. As of that date, "the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited." Prohibition is the topic of this comedy sketch, One of the Six Best Cellars, which is written with a bit of satire. The phrase "six best cellars" was an expression first used in 1920 referring to the best hideaways where liquor was stored during Prohibition. The phrase was used in a "Los Angeles Herald" story on December 8, 1920 stating that actress Mabel Normand, known to be a heavy drinker, had one of the "six best cellars" of Prohibition liquor in the Hollywood film colony. Although not dated, this comedy sketch was likely written during the Prohibition era. In the early 1920s Fields wrote many comedy sketches while performing in New York's vaudeville, most notably in the Ziegfeld Follies read more...

W. C. FIELDS Preparing for his role as "The Great Man" in his last starring role, later titled Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, Fields hires his own writer, to be paid by him, not by the studio. The writer (John T. Neville) has also signed. Documentary Letter Signed: "W. C. Fields", "John T. Neville", 1 page, 8½x11. Universal City, California, 1941 February 22. Neville acknowledges that he has been hired personally by W. C. Fields in connection with Fields' pending movie for Universal Studios, and understands that is to be compensated by Fields, owed nothing by Universal. Fields signs his "approval and consent to the foregoing." Ink note at top left (unknown hand), underlined in red: "The Great Man". 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 (1933). Fields starred in Poppy on Broadway (1923) and the next year made his first film, Janice Meredith (1924). read more...

WILLIAM F. "BUFFALO BILL" CODY His autograph letter, signed as Cousin Will, asking to be sent "some more headache powders" to relieve the headache caused by his financial woes Autograph Letter signed: "Cousin Will", 1 page, 8x10. New Rochelle, N.Y., no date. To "Dear Frank and Nellie". In full [spelling errors in original]: "I've had a lot of hard upset. Twice I've had moneyed men who were ready to put up a $150,000 to back me with a new show. And that man Tammen has scared them out by telling them he had a contract for my services for 1916 which he hasent. But he still thinks if I cant get out with a show I come back and make more money for him, which will never do. However, I haven't given up. But will stay here until know what I can do. The men are still working at the mines. Say, please send me some more headache powders. This nervous strain makes my head ache. I am living here at Rochelle with my nephew and neice. Its only 45 minutes from New York. Love ever." William Frederick CODY (1846-1917) earned the name "BUFFALO BILL" for killing thousands of buffalo as a hired hunter in 1867 and 1868. Cody had begun his wild west career herding cattle at age nine. read more...

W. C. FIELDS Agreement with the J. Walter Thompson advertising firm setting strict rules for Fields' script for a radio broadcast, co-signed by producer and ad executive Norman Blackburn Document signed: "W. C. Fields", "Norman Blackburn", 1 page, 8¾x14. Hollywood, California, 1946 March 13. Agreement with the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency, acting as agent for Standard Brands, Inc., governing Fields' forthcoming appearance on the Chase and Sanborn radio program, March 24, 1946. The agreement stipulates that Fields must adhere strictly to a script approved in advance by the firm and by Fields himself, and that Fields shall not "improvise, extemporize or use unapproved material." It further stipulates that Fields shall be held blameless from any claims for "slander, libel, copyright infringement, etc." arising from the program. Fields is to receive $3,500 for his performance. 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. read more...

W.C. FIELDS, MAURICE CLEARY and GENE TOWNE The legendary comedian and actor and two others sign a six-month agreement for the production and airing of radio broadcasts starring Fields. Typed DS: "W.C. Fields" as Party of the First Part on page 4 and intiialed: "W.C.F." three times on page 3 and once on page 4, 4p, 8½x13, separate sheets, bound together onto 9x13¾ blue legal sheet (imprinted "Stephen Monteleone/Attorney and Counsellor at Law/Petroleum Securities Building/Flower Street at Tenth/Los Angeles)". Los Angeles, California, 1932 November 11. This agreement, which is for a period of six months (November 11, 1932-May 11, 1933), states that Fields, who "possesses special, unique and unusual ability as an artist", Cleary, "skilled and experienced in arranging for the production of any such performances [by Fields] and the disposal of the same for use over the radio", and Towne, who "possesses unique ability in the presentation of read more...

W. C. FIELDS and FLO ZIEGFELD Both sign and initial a typed documentary letter (1924) extending Fields' contractual obligation to a Ziegfeld production. Documentary Letter signed: "W. C. Fields", "F. Ziegfeld, Jr." , 1 page, 7¼x10½. New York City, 1924 November 12. On Ziegfeld's New Amsterdam Theatre letterhead to W. C. Fields, New York City. Both have initialed a one-line ink addition in Ziegfeld's hand. Noting that Fields' current Equity Run-of-the-Play Contract for J. P. McEvoy's "Comic Supplement" expires on June 1, 1925, Fields agrees to extend his commitment after that date at the rate of $1,750 per week, provided that Fields is successful through the Actors Equity Association in getting released from a conflicting commitment with Phillip Goodman. Fields' weekly salary is to rise to $2,000 per week if "Comic Supplement" should continue running into 1926. Red-nosed, gravel-voiced, bottle-hitting American comedian W. C. FIELDS (1880-1946), born William Claude Dukenfield, began his career in silents, later excelling in such films as David Copperfield (as Micawber), My Little Chickadee (with Mae West) and The Bank Dick read more...