HOMER CROY - COLLECTION - HFSID 288693

HOMER CROY
Homer Croy, self-styled "despoiler of virgins, traducer of widows, molester of children," pens a series of humorous letters and postcards to friend and fellow author Harry Sinclair Drago.
Collection includes: 1) Typed Letter signed: "Homer Croy", 1 page, 8½x10¾. On a cartoon letterhead of the Acme Circus Operating Company. No place, no date. In full: "Inbreeding Day Friend: I learned from a waterfront character that you wanted my autograph, and I am sending it to you at the regular price. Do not send stamps. I have heard much about you; and some has been favorable. But I have not checked up. I guess you heard about Pete Decker and the widow women. She was not all that at all; she only said she was. It seems that while Pete was climbing up a trellis, the husband unexpectedly returned home and shot at Pete. Thank God! He missed. The world is a lot better off by having Pete in it. If the man had scored, then we would all have been the loser. I am sending you a decoration or two; for these there will be no charge but it would be nice, in appreciation, you would send something to the Elizabeth Peabody home for Wayward Girls. All goes well; and I hope the same is true for you, and that you get out of that financial trouble. Homer Croy, Despoiler of Virgins; traducer of Widows; Molester of Children," With a newspaper clipping affixed at the bottom left saying "$1,000 BILLS do not grow on trees!", normal mailing folds. ½ in rip at right edge of top mailing fold. Ink note in letter. Lightly toned. Otherwise, fine condition. 2) Typed Letter signed: "H.C.", 1 page, 8½x11. No place, 1965, possibly. Addressed to Harry. In full: "I don't know who wrote it for you, but it was wonderful. How in the world did you collect all those facts? And who told you how to handle them? And to interpret them? The book will be read by students, and the public, long after you and your natural children are no longer on this earth. The chapters I liked best were the one about the Texas Scourge, and the one about The Chisholm Trail. You were beyond your years to tell much of the story through the people, and the characters, instead of by figures and historical statements. And you have no fear of calling someone a Liar. If you are ever caught out at night and beaten up, I will know it wasn't by local thugs. That picture on the back flap of the jacket is good, too. It looks as if you were going to order up drinks for all, always a happy moment. Croy, Trail Rider and Patron of the Bull's head," With a newspaper clipping affixed saying "Worry of FALSE TEETH Slipping or Irritating". Written on the back of an unrelated typed letter signed from a John S. Mayfield. Normal mailing folds. Lightly creased. Lightly toned. Staple holes at top right corner. Otherwise, fine condition. 3) Post Card signed: "H.C.", 5½x3½. Postmarked New York, New York, 1963 October 20. Addressed to Mr. Harry Sinclair Drago White Plains, New York. Croy types a message on the card. In full: "Can I have you November 5th at the Dutch Treat Club? They have passed a rule that I think is silly: guests must appear in formal attire. You Host." On verso is a color illustration of a train going over a bridge with a caption saying "In the Highlands of the Hudson". Slightly soiled. Slightly worn. Otherwise, fine condition. 4) Post Card signed: "H.C.", 5½x3½. Postmarked New York, New York, [year illegible] January 20. Addressed to Mr. Harry Sinclair Drago, White Plains, New York. Croy types a message on the card. In full: "I reckon as how you saw Sudden Wealth ad in the last number of The Round-up." Above his message is a newspaper clipping saying "Hawthorn Books has been acquired by Fred Kerner, who began there as an editor in 1956, after 14 years in the newspaper business, and then went on to become an executive editor at Fawcett Publications...." On verso is a printed photograph of the Hudson River at Luzerns New York. Lightly soiled. Slightly worn. Otherwise, fine condition. 5) Post Card signed: "H.C.", 5½x3½. Postmarked New York, New York, 1961 March 27. Addressed to Mr. Peter Decker, New York, New york. Croy types a message on the card. In full: "Patching the Roof Day. Don't forget about Tuesday, Will you want the names and telephone numbers of the girls in the floor show? Your host," A graphic of a floral arrangement is affixed (two surfaces). Slightly creased. Slightly soiled. 6) Autograph note signed: "Good luck with your shoveling. H.C.", 5½x3¼. On a post card postmarked New York, New York, 1964 July 14. Addressed to Mr. Harry Sinclair Drago White Plains, New York. Above Croy's message is a newspaper clipping affixed saying " "I wish I had a horse" said Harry Sinclair Drago of 71 Archer Ave, the writer of a hundred western novels, as he shoveled in his driveway. He summed up the feelings of many when he admitted he didn't like shoveling, but knew it had to be done". Lightly worn. Lightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition. 7) Post Card signed: "H.C.", 5½x3½. Postmarked New York, New York, 1964 December 3. Addressed in Croy's hand to Mr. Harry Sinclair Drago White Plains, New York. With a newspaper clipping affixed, titled "J.C. Penney Records for Sales, Net". Croy's initials next to an image of a ship on the card. Lightly worn. Lightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition. 8) Post card signed: "H.C.", 5½x3½. Postmarked New York, New York, 1964 November 15. Addressed to Mr. Harry Sinclair Drago, White Plains, New York. Croy types a message on the card. In full: "That there address James Talerico, Box 205, Greenwood Lake, New York." Printed photograph on the opposite side of card showing a two men standing under a stone building captioned "VENICE (A.M.) Boulevard Paul-Andre Vestiges Porte moyen Age Ligne du Sud de la France". Small piece missing from card (not affecting signature). Slightly worn. Otherwise, fine condition. 9) Post Card signed: "H.C.", 5½x3¼. Postmarked New York, New York, 1964 November 3. Addressed to Harry S. Drago, White Plains, New York. Croy types a message on the card. In full: "Tell me how it feels to be rich". With a newspaper clipping affixed, underlining a stock. On verso is an illustration of the R.W. & O. Swing Bridge in Charlotte N.Y. Lightly worn. Lightly toned. Lightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition. 10) Post Card signed: "H.C.", 5½x3½. Postmarked New York, New York, 1965 January 24. Addressed to Dreago, the Man; Not the dog. White Plains, New York. He signs on an image of The Rapids in Glen Falls, New York. On the image a newspaper clipping is affixed, it reads "When Charlton Heston went to Rome to make "Agony and the Ecstasy," he not only took his wife and the two children but also their German police dog Drago. . . . He tried leaving Drago with a friend a couple of weekends, but the dog grieved and refused to eat until reunited with the Hestons" Slightly worn. Slightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition. 11) Typed Note signed: "H.C.", 6x2¾, on verso of a check dated 1964 August 28, payable to Homer Croy. In full: "A Saturday Sir: This will tell you that you are invited to lunch, come October 6th. Formal attire. Croy, Author of Bed-Wetting Can Be Cured." Ink from check lightly shows through to typed message. Otherwise, fine condition. 12) Post Card signed: "H.C.", 5½x3¼. Postmarked New York, New York, 1965 April 20. Addressed to Miss Gwendolen Haste New York, New York. Croy types a message on the card. In full: "I have to go to a big Annual Dinner at la Waldorf at $15 a plate. Oh!..." Affixed is a 5½x3¼ note possibly written by Croy (two surfaces). In full: "RUBE GOLDBERG 169 E 69th St. N.Y. N.Y. 10021". Lightly creased. Lightly worn. Slightly soiled. Some ink on the handwritten note is smudged. Otherwise, fine condition. Accompanied by 26 unsigned pieces: including a number of unsigned cards and envelopes with humorous addresses and captions. For example one card is addressed to "Mr. Peter Decker, Sterilizations, Muggings and purse Snatchings". Also included is a newspaper cutout of Croy's obituary from the New York World-Telegram and Sun on May 25, 1965. HOMER CROY (1883-1965) was an American author, screenwriter and biographer. Born on a farm in Maryville, Missouri he wrote a number of his books about life in the mid-western United States. He attended the University of Missouri where he studied journalism. He wrote his first book When to Lock the Stable in 1914. His first successful book West of the Water Tower was published in 1923. His most famous work was published in 1926, They Had to See Paris tells the story of a rural Missouri couple on a European trip. The book was made into a film in 1929. Many more of Croy's novels and short stories were adapted for the screen and he received a number of screenwriting credits for a few feature films in the 1930's. He wrote two books on the film industry How Motion Pictures Are Made (1918) and Headed for Hollywood (1932) and wrote a biography on Will Rogers, Our Will Rogers (1953) and one on D.W. Griffith, Star Maker: The Story of D.W. Griffith. In 1956 he received an honorary doctorate of literature from the University of Missouri. A known jokester, Croy enjoyed writing letters on unusually comical stationary or with humorous addresses to his friends. He said that he began the habit while living in New York. HARRY SINCLAIR DRAGO (1888-1979) was an American novelist. He worked in journalism for a number of years writing for the Toledo, Bee in Toledo, Ohio. Like his friend Homer Croy he worked screenwriting in Hollywood in the late 1920's and early 1930's. He is best known for his works of historical fiction set in the American Southwest. His works include Oh Suzanna, Whispering Sage, Out of the Silent North, Buckskin Affair, Fenced Off and Decision at Broken Butte. He averaged writing three books a year and wrote over one hundred in his life time. In 1960 he won the Buffalo Award for best western book of the year for Wild, Wooly, and Wicked and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Award for The Great Range Wars in 1970. He was also awarded the Western Heritage Award in 1971. PETER DECKER is an American author. He received a Ph.D. in American History from Columbia University and has taught at Columbia, Barnard College, Manhattan College and Duke University. Decker served as a speech writer and policy analyst for Senator Robert Kennedy during his presidential campaign and was a war correspondent for the associated press in Vietnam and Laos in 1970. After he retired he moved to a cattle ranch in Ridgeway, Colorado. Some of his books include Saving The West (2010), The Utes Must Go!: American Expansion and the Removal of a People (2004) and Old Fences, New Neighbors (2006).