ERROL FLYNN - BOOK PAGE SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: DON "RED" BARRY, HOAGY CARMICHAEL, HENRY O'NEILL, LOU "THE COSMIC PUNCH" NOVA, CHARLES J. WINNINGER, HOWARD HILL, HARRY VON ZELL, JIMMY "BABY FACE" McLARNIN, HUNTLEY GORDON, CHARLES D. COBURN, MONTY "THE BEARD" WOOLLEY, GENE AUTRY, LINDA DARNELL, CARY GRANT, ALEXIS SMITH, VICTOR McLEOD, ROBERT BARRAT, CHARLES KENYON, HELEN GERALD, GUINN "BIG BOY" WILLIAMS, RICHARD A. CARROLL, GORDON EDWARDS, CLYDE GERONIMI, EDDIE (EDWARD F. CLINES) CLINE, WILLIAM T. "W. T." LACKEY - HFSID 284217

HOLLYWOOD STARS: ERROL FLYNN, CARY GRANT, GENE AUTRY, HOAGY CARMICHAEL and MANY, MANY OTHERS
Book page from Movie Lot to Beachhead (1945), filled on front and verso with signatures of film celebrities
Book Page signed: (on first side) "Errol Flynn", "Cary Grant", "Gene Autry", "Hoagy Carmichael", "Linda/Darnell" , Charles Coburn", "Donald Berry", "Monty Woolley", "Charles Winninger", "Henry O'Neill", "Jimmy McLarnin", "Lou Nova", "Alexis Smith", "Charlie Kenyon", "Huntley Gordon", "Howard Hill", "Helen Gerald", "'Big Boy' Williams", "Harry Von Zell" and 6 unidentified signatures; and on verso: "Robert Barratt", "Richard A. Carroll", "Gordon Edwards", "Clyde Geronimi", "Eddie Cline", "Victor McLeod","WT Lackey", and numerous unidentified signatures, 2 pages (front and verso),6½x9½, originally blank pages. In 1945, the editors of Look magazine published Movie Lot to Beachhead, a studio of the movie industry's response to World War II. An owner of the book devoted himself to gathering signatures of persons involved in the motion picture industry during this period, including major stars but also other studio employees. This collection is the result. The swashbuckling, high-living Australian-American ERROL FLYNN (1909-1959) starred in such adventure epics as Captain Blood (1935), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), They Died With Their Boots On (as Custer, 1941) and Objective, Burma! His sword fight with Basil Rathbone in Robin Hood remains one of the best ever filmed. Flynn tried to volunteer for military service during World War II, but was rejected because of his many health problems. His autobiography, My Wicked, Wicked Ways, is considered one of the best film memoirs. Debonair British-born leading man, CARY GRANT (1904-1986) won a special Academy Award in 1969 (after two nominations as Best Actor). His films include She Done Him Wrong (1933, with Mae West), Topper (1937), Gunga Din (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), An Affair to Remember (1957), North by Northwest (1959) and Charade (1963). In 1999, the American Film Institute named him the second greatest male star of all time. GENE AUTRY (1907-1998), the original singing cowboy, appeared in his first western in 1934. He was the only western star to be listed among the top ten moneymakers from 1938-1942. In 1942, Autry was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song for "Be Honest With Me" from his film, Ridin' on a Rainbow. The Gene Autry Show was televised on CBS from 1950-1956, and The Adventures of Champion, which starred Autry's horse, also ran on CBS from 1955-1956. Autry's business interests included a radio and TV chain, ranches, oil wells, a flying school, a music publishing company (he wrote 200 songs including "Here Comes Santa Claus") and the California Angels baseball team. HOAGY CARMICHAEL (1899-1981), one of the great composers of American popular song, wrote such standards as "Stardust", "Georgia On My Mind" and "Heart and Soul", and the Academy Award winning (1951) "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening". He also sang and played (piano and occasionally trumpet) well enough to perform his own songs, and also appeared as a character actor in 14 films. Actress LINDA DARNELL (1923-1965) scored a personal triumph in 1944's September Storm and starred in the much-sought-after leading role in 1947's Forever Amber. She followed up this triumph with two of her best parts--Paul Douglas' "wrong side of the tracks" wife in A Letter to Three Wives (1949) and Richard Widmark's racist girlfriend in No Way Out (1950). Tragically, Darnell died in 1965 of severe burns suffered in a house fire, attempting to save a friend's child, who had already escaped. Ironically, she had a lifelong fear of dying in flames, speaking publicly of her phobia after appearing in a "burned at the stake" sequence in the 1946 film Anna and the King of Siam. Broadway actor, producer and director CHARLES COBURN (1877-1961) did not appear in his first feature film (Of Human Hearts) until 1938, when he was 61. In 1940, he portrayed Dr. Henry Gordon, who unjustly amputated Drake McHugh's (Ronald Reagan) legs in Kings Row, resulting in the future President's greatest screen line (and title of his first autobiography): "Where's the rest of me?" Coburn was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (The Devil and Miss Jones, 1941; The More the Merrier, his win, 1943; and The Green Years, 1946). DONALD "RED" BARRY (1912-1980) became known as "Red" after he starred in many Republic Pictures western films of the 1940s, notably the serial The Adventures of Red Ryder. He made roughly 200 guest appearances in TV series such as Perry Mason, Bonanza, Dragnet 1967, and Ironside and played supporting roles in films - Shalako (1968), Crash (1978), and Back Roads (1980) until his suicide in 1980. MONTY WOOLLEY (1888-1963), born Edgar M. Wooley, was an Oscar-nominated American actor and stage director. Woolley was born into privilege at the New York City's Bristol Hotel - which his father owned - and grew up with the glitterati of his age. He became president of the Yale Dramatic Association and later, after serving as an intelligence officer in France during World War I, led the Yale Experimental Theatre until 1927. His friend Cole Porter helped him break into professional theatre as a stage director. He had 10 Broadway credits, mostly as a director, between 1929 and 1941. Woolley got onto the big screen with an un-credited role in Ladies in Love (1936) and went on to appear in over 30 movies and TV shows. Woolley was known as "The Beard" for his full beard. Among his most memorable performances were as the bombastic and authoritarian Sheridan Whiteside in the Broadway production The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939-1941) and its 1941 film adaptation. He could also display great depth, as shown by his Oscar-nominated performances in The Pied Piper (1942) and Since You Went Away (1944). Character actor CHARLES WINNINGER (1884-1969) is probably best remembered today for his numerous film performances in grandfatherly roles, often played with a roguish twinkle in a wandering eye. His careerstretched back into the 19th Century. A part of his family's vaudeville act, he performed at the Chicago World Fair of 1893. He debuted on Broadway in 1912 and in movies three years later. In all, Winninger appeared in 16 Broadway shows between 1912 and 1951, including the role of Cap'n Andy in the original production (1927-1929) and first revival (1932) of Show Boat (a role he reprised in the 1936 film adaptation) and over 70 movies and TV shows between 1915 and 1960, including Three Smart Girls (1936), Nothing Sacred (1937), Destry Rides Again (1939) and State Fair (1945). Stage actor HENRY O'NEILL (1891-1961) made his film debut in 1930, appearing in a long list of films, including Madame Du Barry (1934), Jezebel (1938), Brother Rat (1938), Santa Fe Trail (1940), The Virginian (1946) and The Wings of Eagles (1957, his last film). Irish-born Canadian boxer JIMMY McLARNIN (1907-2004) was twice the world welterweight champion (1933-1935). In 1966 Ring magazine ranked him the fifth greatest welterweight of all time, and he is enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. McLarnin, nicknamed "the Baby-Faced Assassin", retired at the top of his game in 1936, after whipping top-ranked boxers Tony Canzoneri and Lou Ambers. Unlike many prize fighters, he saved and invested his winnings and retired comfortably, refusing requests to re-enter the ring but appearing in several films, including Joe Palooka (1946). Another boxer, LOU NOVA (1913-1991) was World Amateur Champion in 1935. "The Cosmic Punch" won his first 22 professional fights, retiring with a record of 49-9-5. He beat some top-flight heavyweights, including Max Baer twice, but was pummeled by Joe Louis in their 1941 bout. Nova appeared in 20 films, and recited "Casey at the Bat" in the successful Broadway play, The Happiest Millionaire (1956). He made several TV appearances, including Hopalong Cassidy, 77 Sunset Strip and Get Smart. Canadian-born actress ALEXIS SMITH (1921-1993) trained as a dancer before being signed by Warner Bros. in 1941. Billed as "The Dynamite Girl" and "The Flame Girl", Smith starred in a number of films, including Gentleman Jim (1942), The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944), The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945), Rhapsody in Blue (1945), Night and Day (1946), Of Human Bondage (1946), Beau James (1957), The Young Philadelphians (1959) and The Age of Innocence (1993). Smith, who appeared in many TV guest spots, was equally well known for her stage work. Married to actor Craig Stevens from June 18, 1944 until her death, Smith toured with her husband in such musicals as Mary, Mary, Critics Choice and Cactus Flower, and she made several appearances on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Follies (1972), and being nominated for another in Platinum (1979). CHARLES KENYON (1880-1961) arrived in Hollywood to adapt his stage play Kindling as a silent film. He stayed on to write screenplays for over 100 movies, including John Ford's Iron Horse (1924) and The Petrified Forest (1936), remaining active through the 1940s. HUNTLEY GORDON (1886-1956), born in Canada and educated in England, was active on the stage and in silent movies, making his film debut in 1918 and getting his first starring role (Red Foam) in 1920. He played Joan Crawford's father in Our Dancing Daughters (1928). He was active in supporting film roles of the early talking era, and was heard on network radio through the 1940s. HOWARD HILL (1899-1975) is still considered the greatest archer of all time. He won 196 consecutive archery field tournaments. Hill did the archery shooting for Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood. Ever since, splitting one arrow with another has been called "a Robin Hood." Hill also served as archery teacher and technical adviser on the films Buffalo Bill (1944) and Across the Wide Missouri (1951). Actress HELEN GERALD had small parts in several films, beginning with The Doughgirls (1944). Subsequent bit parts included Tarzan and the Leopard Woman (1946) and Gentleman's Agreement (1947). On TV, she appeared in one episode each of Gang Busters, Perry Mason and The Pink Panther Show (1969, apparently her last appearance). GUINN "BIG BOY" WILLIAMS (1899-1962) gained his muscular appearance as a minor league baseball player and rodeo rider. He appeared in several silent films with Will Rogers, beginning with Almost a Husband (1915). He co-starred in Johnny Mack Brown's breakout picture, The Great Meadow (1931). He starred in some B Westerns of the 1930s, including Big Boy Rides Again (1935). Williams paired with Alan Hale as sidekicks to Errol Flynn in three Westerns, including Santa Fe Trail (with Ronald Reagan). He was cast in a supporting role with his friend John Wayne in The Alamo (1960). HARRY VON ZELL (1906-1981)was a vocalist with Charlie Barnet's orchestra before finding his niche as an announcer. Through the 1930s and forties he was a CBS staff announcer, working with Fred Allen, Eddie Cantor, Eddy Duchin, Ed Wynn and others. In the early 1950s he was announcer for The Burns and Allen Show, "fired" weekly by George Burns for complicity in Gracie Allen's schemes. He was in demand for commercials, and can still be seen late night on the Golf Channel as announcer for the old Celebrity Golf series. Initially a stage actor, ROBERT BARRATT (1899-1970) became a leading character actor in films of the 1930s and 1940s. Husky and at the same time dignified-looking, he was equally adept in a barroom brawl or playing a dignified leader like Abraham Lincoln (in Trailin' West, 1936) or Douglas MacArthur (in two films, including They Were Expendable). His MacArthur in They Were Expendable never spoke, which must have pained Barratt, since he had a deep, booming voice and prided himself on his skill at foreign accents. He had prominent roles in such adventure films as Captain Blood and The Last of the Mohicans. Barratt was seen frequently on the TV playhouses of the 1950s. RICHARD A. CARROLL (1898-1959) was a script writer and specialist in film story development. Among the films written or co-written by him are I Conquer the Sea (1936), You Can't Fool Your Wife (1940), The Purple Heart (1944) and Back from Eternity (1956). He was an un-credited assistant on the script of W. C. Fields' The Bank Dick (1940). Supporting actor GORDON EDWARDS appeared in several films of the mid-1940s, including It's in the Bag (1944) and Walking on Air (1946), and a few movies thereafter, the last being Hell Squad (1958). Italian-born American animation director CLYDE GERONIMI (1901-1989) worked with Walter Lantz before joining Walt Disney's studio in1931, remaining with Disney until 1959. His short animated feature, "Lend a Paw," won an Oscar in 1941. Later he co-directed major Disney features: Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp and One Hundred and One Dalmations. He worked on the TV Spider Man series (1967) and later illustrated children's books. Edward Francis Clines, billed professionally as EDDIE CLINE (1891-1961) started out as a Keystone Kop, and was soon directing short films, including 17 by Buster Keaton. (His last professional engagement was working on Keaton's short-lived 1951 TV series.) As one of the few directors W. C. Fields could tolerate, Cline directed most of the comedian's major films, starting with Million Dollar Legs (1932). Of working with Fields and Mae West on the set of My Little Chickadee, Cline remarked: "I wasn't directing. I was refereeing." VICTOR McLEOD (1903-1972) was a magazine essayist before going to work as an animator for Walter Lantz in 1935. He made his mark as screenwriter of 1940s B movies with titles like Raiders of the Desert and Mutiny in the Arctic. He worked on the 1943 serials Batman and The Phantom before ending his career in early TV (directing multiple episodes of Tales of the Texas Rangers and Circus Boy). WILLIAM "W.T." LACKEY (1896-1974) was an associate producer of action movies at the Poverty Row studio Monogram Pictures in the 1930s and 1940s, beginning with Klondike (1932). He performed the same function at Republic Pictures in the early 1950s, beginning with Destination Big House. A 1940s film buff could spend many enjoyable hours puzzling over the additional, currently unidentified signers. Left edge torn from previous binding. Soiled. Edges lightly creased. Otherwise, fine condition.