EDWARD J. MASON - AUTOGRAPH SENTIMENT SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: FRITZ SPIEGL - HFSID 112328

EDWARD J. MASON and FRITZ SPIEGL
The two entertainment figures pen their names on this album leaf
Autograph Sentiment signed: “Good Luck & Best Wishes/ Edward J. Mason”, in red ink on front and “Fritz Spiegl” in black felt tip on verso, 5¼x3¾. EDWARD JOHN MASON (1912-1971) was a scriptwriter who worked in TV, radio, and the movies for both the BBC and Radio Luxembourg. Mason is known for creating Dick Barton (1947-1951), the first serial to air on the BBC, as well as The Archers, which is currently the longest-running radio soap opera. Mason also created the series Shadow Man for BBC's rival, Radio Luxembourg. In addition to his work in radio, Mason worked on The Days of Vengeance (1960) and Flower of Evil (1961) (both TV mini-series), and had a hand in creating the game shows Guilty Party, My Word! and My Music with producer Tony Shryane. FRITZ SPIEGL (1926-2003) was born in Austria, but immigrated to England with his sister (his parents fled to Bolivia) to avoid persecution at the hands of the Nazis when he was 13 years old. After attending Magdalen College School, Spiegl began working for an advertising agency. Unsatisfied with the advertising business, Spiegl taught himself how to play the flute and was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music. He went on to become the principal flautist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, playing with the esteemed group for more than ten years before hearing damage forced his early retirement. Spiegl then began composing; he wrote the themes from the TV series Z-Cars and Softly, Softly. In later years, he wrote an impressive number of books, some of which include A Small Book of Grave Humour (1971), The Joy of Words. A Bedside Book for English Lovers (1986), and An Illustrated Everyday History of Liverpool and Merseyside (1998). The five remaining signers merit further research. Lightly toned. Left edge irregular from being neatly torn from album. Otherwise, fine condition.