W.C. FIELDS. ALS: "Willie", 2p, separate sheets, 8½x11. Bel Air, Cal., Sunday (October 15, 1939). Original envelope addressed by Fields to: "Miss Jane Fowler/National Park College/Forest Glen/Maryland". Lightly creased. Fine condition. Jane Fowler was the daughter of his friend, Gene Fowler. Fields had developed a crush on Jane but the affection was unreciprocated. To "my dear nice niece Janey pie". In full: "Thanks for your letter of the 11th, but first I want to tell you that I was coming to forest Glen and engage quarters close to the college, listen to the lesson and get a little added education. Further I could watch you and see that you took your salt peter but when I read your envelope, 'W. C. Feilds' [he has circled the "ei"] I swooned. My own plum, do they not teach you I before E except after C. Suppose after our wedding you go to the Cadillac agency and say 'two 16's, one sport roadster and one coupe, hand the gentleman in attendance a check for $17,000.00 and you sign it 'Jane Feilds.' You do not like the jailhouse any more than I do. If as much. Dear do be careful. I answered your dear wire after I got the necessary funds together to pay for it but I made a mistake and sent it care of Booker T. read more...

RUDOLPH VALENTINO The foremost sex symbol of the 1920s pens a letter to a fan to express his admiration for a story told by her, signed in green ink Autograph Letter Signed: “Rudolph Valentino” in green ink. 7¼x10½. One page. Written on personal letterhead. In full: “Dear Mrs. Lindsay, Please permit me to express my appreciation of your splendid story in Monday's 'Express'. In looking forward to review our acquaintance at an early date permit me to present you my kindest regards”. Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926) was the great romantic screen idol of the 1920s, the epitome of the "Latin lover." The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse had opened on March 5, 1921, followed by Uncharted Seas on April 21, 1921, and The Conquering Power on July 8, 1921. Camille opened on September 11, 1921 and The Sheik opened on October 30, 1921. He was a very busy actor in 1921. read more...

ANNIE OAKLEY Out of character but not out of extravagance, the "sure-shot" poses in an extraordinary "Indian Princess" garb, hand-made with the feathers of her prized kills for a Valentine's Day Masquerade. Winning the costume contest that night, Oakley again demonstrates versatility and creative ingenuity, and this rare and exclusive photo captures it all. Signed and dated in her script, with pencil note in her hand on verso. This whimsical photo, not shot for publicity, was probably gifted to a family member or dear friend. Extremely Rare! Photograph signed in ink: "Annie Oakley 1919", and in pencil on verso: "Pinehurst 1919". Sepia, 3½x6. Shown in elaborate Indian costume with feathered head dress, gazing at the horizon. Annie Oakley (1860-1926) was born Phoebe Anne Oakley Mozee in Ohio. She was the sixth of eight children. At the age of nine she began to shoot rabbits and quail and was almost a dead shot from the first. Within five years, she was a breadwinner for her family as a markswoman. In 1876, at age 16, she married Frank Butler, a vaudeville performer who became her partner. Annie's self-effacing personality (on and off stage) made her a popular performer. read more...

D. W. GRIFFITH Chastened by a messy divorce from his first wife, the famed director signs a prenuptial agreement with his bride to be, Evelyn Baldwin, who has also signed here. Document signed: "David Wark Griffith", "Evelyn Baldwin", 2 pages, 8½x13. No place, 1936 March 2. In anticipation of his pending marriage to Evelyn Baldwin, Griffith irrevocably transfers to her all rights to an annuity contract with the Aetna Life Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut, yielding annual income of $5,632.80 for the rest of her life. In exchange, Baldwin releases Griffith, along with his heirs and assigns, from any additional claims except for assets freely given to Baldwin by Griffith. The agreement is to become effective only on the consummation of the Griffith-Baldwin marriage. David Llewelyn Wark GRIFFITH (1875-1948) directed his first film in 1908, and in 1910 became the first to shoot a film in Hollywood. His Judith of Bethulia (1914) was among the first feature films, and the controversial Birth of a Nation (1915), became the first blockbuster movie hit, inspiring the movie industry that we have known since. read more...

GONE WITH THE WIND: THOMAS MITCHELL In the best year of his career, Mitchell is loaned out to play Scarlett's father. Document signed: "Daniel T. O'Shea" on behalf of Selznick International Pictures, 3p, 8½x11. Also signed by a Vice President of Columbia Pictures (name illegible). Hollywood, California, 1939 January 26. Loan-out agreement by which Columbia Pictures loans to Selznick International Pictures the services of Thomas Mitchell - currently working on Columbia's film Plane No. 4 to portray "Gerald O'Hara" in the feature film, Gone with the Wind. Lightly toned. Paperclip impression in upper left. Staple holes in two pages. Otherwise, fine condition. Accompanied by unsigned photo of Thomas Mitchell (b/w, 8x10). Minor surface flaw in lower left corner. Otherwise, fine condition. In 1939, the epic film, Gone With The Wind, based on Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel of the same name, broke box office records and won ten Oscars (against stiff competition). The saga of the old South remains one of the most beloved films of all time. Thomas Mitchell read more...

WILLIAM F. CODY Autograph letter to General Nelson Miles (1896), introducing a friend, signed "Your old Scout/W.F. Cody" ALS: "Your old Scout/W.F. Cody", 1 page, 6x9½. New Hampshire House, New York, 1896 January 29. To General Nelson A. Miles, Washington, D.C. In full: "Please permit me to introduce Mr. J.L. Cunningham and (sic, an) old personal friend who wishes to speak to you. If you will give him a hearing. You will greatly oblige." Both NELSON MILES and BILL CODY overlapped in their time of military service during the western campaigns against the Indians. Cody was Chief Scout for the 5th Cavalry and Miles commanded the 5th Infantry. They served under Philip Sheridan. In 1896, the year of this letter, Cody's Wild West Show was extensively touring and he was also developing his land in Cody, Wyoming; while Miles was Commander in Chief of the Army. Great associations, worthy of further research. Lightly creased. ¾-inch separation at upper left blank horizontal fold. 2-inch separation at lower left horizontal fold touches 1 word (all intact). ¾-inch separation at lower right blank horizontal fold. 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. CODY Readying his TE Ranch and stating that his Wild West Show is "doing big". ALS: "Col" with "Cody" in text, 1p, 8¼x11¼. New York, no year April 7. With an original "Buffalo Bill's/Wild West" envelope addressed by Cody to: "Mattie & Eli Jer[?]/TE Ranch/Ishawood/Big Horn Co W[yoming]." Postmarked Owensboro, KY, May 10, 1901. In 1895, Cody began moving cattle to Wyoming. He received a large herd from his friend and hunting companion, Mike Russell. The herd wore the TE brand. Thus Cody named his ranch the TE Ranch. The TE was once rated at 4600 acres, but Cody added other ranches to it and the conglomerate was considered his Big Horn Basin Holdings. He was about 50 when he bought the TE and he considered it a haven from the world. To Mattie & Eli. In full: "The wild west show doing big. Now my dear good friends-the next two months you have got lots to do-hire plenty men-to get the crops in-plow lots of new ground-get in every read more...

W. C. FIELDS 11x14 sepia photo of Fields in the stage version of his skit, "The Caledonian Express," signed and inscribed to author and publisher Arthur Samuels. Field's inscription includes one of his famous lines from the stage and screen skit: "You'll ha to git oot/o' the compartment." Oversized Photograph inscribed and signed: "To My friend/Arthur -you'll ha to git oot/o' the compartment,/from his friend/Bill Fields/Oct 11 - 1928." Sepia, 11x14. Remarkable studio portrait inscribed to Arthur Samuels, who was involved with the publishing of "Ladies Home Journal" and authored Poppy. Half-view left profile by Hal Phype. Fields has quoted one of his lines from the Earl Carroll's Vanities sketch "The Caledonian Express" (1928), in which the legendary comedian played four Scottish characters trying to remove an uninvited guest from a train compartment. Fields repeated the skit in the film Follow the Boys (1945), but that time played the intruder. Samuels' Poppy made Fields a Broadway star in 1923, and he reprised the role in two film versions. Surface creases at upper right corner with fraying at that corner, else fine, handsome and rare. read more...