HELEN TWELVETREES - AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED - HFSID 165377

HELEN TWELVETREES
Very rare signature of the actress, given to Elsie Myrus, wife of the famed mentalist
Autograph note signed in ink: "To L. C./Hello!/Helen Twelvetrees", 4x5. Signed on an "Ask Myrus" card distributed during a performance Myrus the Wizard of Mental Telepathy at the Café Lamaze, Hollywood. Helen Twelvetrees (1908-1958) was signed to a series of movie contracts to replace silent film stars unwilling or unable to perform in the sound era. Her first picture was The Ghost Talks (1929). The following year, her performance in Her Man proved the model for her future roles, a long-suffering woman tied to the wrong guy. She starred opposite some major actors, including Spencer Tracy in Now I'll Talk (1934). She made her last film, Unmarried, in 1939, but continued to act on stage. She was praised for her performance as Blanche Dubois in a summer stock performance of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1951. Her death in 1958 was ruled a suicide, following an overdose of prescription medication. After a funeral attended only by her husband and one friend, she was buried in an unmarked grave in Middletown, Pennsylvania which was only rediscovered in 2009. Harry Carp, who employed the stage name of Myrus, was a renowned "mentalist" with a remarkable gift for answering questions posed by members of the audience. His wife, Melba Merriam, who went by Elsie Myrus when acting as his assistant, collected autographs from celebrities attending his performances. This autograph was part of her collection. Corners lightly worn. Top right corner creased. Fine condition.