ANNIE OAKLEY Before leaving on a ship, probably on tour, "Little Sure Shot" writes to friends. EXTREMELY RARE ALS: "Annie Oakley", 2p, 5¼x8½, separate sheets. On stationery of Eastern Steamship Lines, Brocton, Mass., no year, September 24.Begins: "Dear Friends". In full, with grammatical errors and misspellings: "I realy am ashamed to think that I neglected to write you. and send our sincere regrets to dear Allice. But when I think it all over, I feel that God does things for our own good and the poorer Boy is better off and happier than he was away from his little Wife and Baby. The dear little photo is so cute. I would love to see you all again. Fern is feeling better and is in an office 35oo per week & percentage. And we hope that her Mother will strike oil on her farm. 5 wells on 2 next farms all paying. I havent been well. 5 weeks in N.Y.C. and only got one dress made. We sail in 5 minutes so must see & mail this. Bushels of love to all from both." Annie Oakley (1860-1926) was born Phoebe Anne Oakley Mozee in Ohio. She was the sixth of eight children.

ANNIE OAKLEY B/w photograph of Annie Oakley from the chest up in a white blouse and jacket. This photo is especially unusual because it shows her without the rows of shooting medals that she often wore. Anything signed by Oakley is exceedingly rare. Photograph mount signed: "Compliments. of/Annie. Oakley." on verso. B/w, 4¼x6½ overall, image 4x5½ (two surfaces). Photograph by Gray, 1030 Tremont St., Boston (imprint at lower margin). Oakley (1860-1926, born Phoebe Anne Moses in Darke County, Ohio), was born to a Quaker family and began to shoot rabbits and quail at age nine. Within five years, she was a breadwinner for her family as a markswoman, and, at age 15, she saved her family's farm with income she had earned from shooting game. On August 23, 1876, at age 16, Annie married Frank Butler, a vaudeville performer who became her partner. Annie's self-effacing personality (on and off stage) made her a popular performer. In 1885, the Butlers joined Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, where Annie was a star for 17 years. The five-foot-tall Oakley got her name "Little Sure Shot" from Sitting Bull and used it in her promotional materials.

AFTER A CONTRACT BATTLE, VALENTINO ASSIGNS HIS EARNINGS TO HIS WIFE   RUDOLPH VALENTINO. Typed DS: "Rudolph Valentino", 1p, 8x10½. No place, 1924 January 30. On his personal letterhead in letter form to Famous Players-Lasky Corp., New York City. Begins: "Gentlemen". In full: "In consideration of the advance to me by my wife, Natalie Guglielmi, I desire to assign, and do hereby assign to said Natalie Guglielmi any earnings which may accrue to me under the contract entered into and signed by myself on January 15th, 1924. Any salary due me is to be made payable to my wife, Natalie Guglielmi." Also signed: "John J. Barry" as Notary Public. Romantic film leading man Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926), born Rodolpho Alphonso Raffaelo Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla, signed this request in 1924 for the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation (later Paramount) to remit his earnings to his wife, former actress Natasha Rambova. At this time, Valentino was filming Monsieur Beaucaire, his first film after settling his 1922 contract dispute with Jesse Lasky.

WILLIAM F. CODY: BUFFALO BILL 4¼x6½ cabinet card photo, signed both as W.F. Cody and as Buffalo Bill Cabinet Card Photograph signed: "W.F. Cody/'Buffalo Bill'". B/w, 4¼x6½. Superb portrait of William F. Cody with his desirable double signature. Photographer's imprint, "Gessford/238 Fifth Ave./N.Y.", at lower mount. William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) was a rider for the Pony Express in 1860, a scout for the Kansas Cavalry against the Indians (1863) and served in the U.S. Army in the Civil War (1863-1865). From 1867-1868, he furnished buffalo meat for the Union Pacific Railroad construction crews, earning his nickname, "Buffalo Bill". Cody was a scout for the 5th U.S. Cavalry from 1868-1872 and in 1876. From 1872-1883, he was on stage as an actor at first in E.Z.C. Judson's play, Scouts of the Plains. He organized Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in 1883 and toured the United States and Europe successfully for over 30 years. Fine condition.

ANNIE OAKLEY Extremely rare signed postcard photo of her dressed as an Indian! Postcard Photograph inscribed and signed: "Annie Oakley as a Sioux/Maiden admires her/new head gear./A Merry Christmas/to Laforrds & Family". Sepia, 5½x3½. 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. In 1885, the Butlers joined Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. Annie, a star with the show for 17 years, charmed Kings and Queens. The five-foot-tall Oakley got her name "Little Sure Shot" from Lakota Sioux Chief Sitting Bull, who was briefly a part of the show in 1885, and used it in her promotional materials.In 1901, she was severely injured in a railroad wreck that temporarily paralyzed her.

W.C. FIELDS, MAURICE CLEARY and GENE TOWNEThe 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 original stories and plays to be used [by Fields] in broadcasting the same over the radio", agree to collaborate on radio performances.

CLINT EASTWOOD Contract signed the year he reprised his "Dirty Harry" role and first directed a Western. Document signed: "Clint Eastwood", 2p (front and verso), 8½X13. Beverly Hills, California,1973 January 11. Signed on verso. Eastwood retains the William Morris Agency as his exclusive film agent for a period of 3 years. Originally specialized in Westerns, beginning with the Rawhide, Eastwood became a major star in the "Spaghetti Westerns" of Sergio Leone, beginning with A Fistful of Dollars (1964). While continuing to make Westerns, Eastwood proved a popular, hard-boiled detective as well, beginning with Dirty Harry (1971). He can play sensitive roles as well, as opposite Meryl Streep in The Bridges of Madison County, which he also directed (1995). Eastwood has continued to succeed as an older actor in films like In the Line of Fire (1995) and Space Cowboys (2000). He has also proven to be an outstanding director, winning Oscars for Unforgiven (1991) and Million Dollar Baby (2004) and getting another nomination for Mystic River (2003). In the year he signed

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).

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.