IRVING BERLIN - INSCRIBED SIGNATURE CO-SIGNED BY: BILL LEMASSENA - HFSID 101245

IRVING BERLIN and WILLIAM LeMASSENA
Inscribed signatures on opposite sides of an album leaf
Inscribed Signature: "To Richard/Irving Berlin", 4¼x5¼ album leaf. Also inscribed on verso: "To Richard/With best luck/Bill LeMassena". Ink caption below Lemassena's signature (unknown hand): "Inside U.S.O. 4-24-48". IRVING BERLIN (1888-1989), born Israel Isidore Baline in Tumen, Siberia, Russia, was such a force in American music that in 1924, when Berlin was just 37, songwriter Jerome Kern gave this assessment: "Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American music." If the only song he ever wrote was "God Bless America", made famous by Kate Smith, Berlin would be an important part of American music. But Berlin wrote more than 900 songs, including the classics "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody", "There's No Business Like Show Business", "Always", "Easter Parade" and "Blue Skies", 19 musicals, including Annie Get Your Gun and Call Me Madam, and the scores of 18 movies, including Holiday Inn, which featured his 1942 Academy Award-winning song, "White Christmas". American actor WILLIAM LeMASSENA (1916-1993) was the Heavenly Friend in the film version of Carousel (1956). He was featured in many plays produced for TV"s Hallmark Hall of Fame, including The Tempest and Saint Joan. From 1991 to 1993, he was featured on the daytime drama As the World Turns. Lightly toned at blank edges. Irregular left edge where page was removed from a book. Otherwise, fine condition.