BILL "WILD BILL" ELLIOTT - AUTOGRAPH - HFSID 74919

BILL "WILD BILL" ELLIOTT
The "Wild Bill" cowboy sings his name in blue ink, with a sepia-toned magazine photo of himself affixed
Signature(s): "Wild Bill Elliott" in blue ink. 6x4¼, 1¾x2½, b/w sepia-tone magazine photo of Elliott affixed to lower right corner.Bill "Wild Bill" Elliott (1903-1965), born Gordon Nance in Pattonsburg, Missouri) had over 240 movie appearances between 1925 and 1957, both credited and uncredited. But he's best known for playing two archetypal cowboys: the real-life "Wild Bill" Hickok and fictional Red Ryder. Elliott, who actually got his start in movies as an uncredited dancer, took the role of Hickok in the 1938 Columbia serial The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. He was so identified with Hickok, whom he played until 1942, that he was billed as Wild Bill Elliot for the remainder of his career. Elliott moved to Republic in 1943 and took up the role of Red Ryder, whom he played for another four years. By 1945, Elliott had apparently grown tired of the squeaky clean cowboys that Hollywood was churning out at that time and started producing his own, more realistic Westerns in the mold of William S. Hart, of whom Elliott was a longtime fan. He switched to modern dress and hardboiled detective roles in the 1950s. Lightly toned. Discolored in lower right corner. Two binder holes near left corner. Tape residue on verso (no show-through). Otherwise, fine condition.