BENNY FIELDS - CONTRACT SIGNED 11/03/1943 - HFSID 272264

BENNY FIELDS. Carbon Partly Printed Contract signed: "Benny Fields" and initialed "BEF" twice in ink as Artist, 2p, 8½x14, front and verso. New York, New York, 1943 November 3. Headed: "Exclusive Agency Contract". Fields employs the William Morris Agency, Inc. "as his sole and exclusive Agent in the variety field over which the American Guild of Variety Artists (hereinafter called AGVA) has jurisdiction...." The term of the contract was for one year, commencing on January 7, 1944. Fields agrees to remain a member in good standing of AGVA for the duration of the contract and to pay a commission of ten percent to the Agency. Also signed by an Agent for the William Morris Agency, Inc. During the term of this contract, Fields appeared as Dixie Boy Johnson in the feature film, Minstrel Man. Benny Fields (1894-1959), born Benjamin Geisenfeld, was a minstrel and vaudeville actor who also appeared in three other films, Blossom Seeley and Bennie Fields (1929), Mr. Broadway (1933) and The Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936), as himself. He was also a guest on several episodes of Toast of the Town (later, The Ed Sullivan Show) from 1954-1958. Fields (who was billed as Bennie in the 1929 film) was married to Blossom Seeley, who was his vaudeville partner. Lightly creased with folds, not at signatures. File holes at upper margin, staple holes at upper right corner. Pencil note (unknown hand) at upper left corner, stray ink marks at lower portion of front page. Overall, fine condition.