JULE STYNE - DOCUMENT SIGNED 01/20/1956 CO-SIGNED BY: EUGENE HOWARD - HFSID 262643

JULE STYNE and EUGENE HOWARD
Eugene Howard, of the comedy duo the Howard Brothers and songwriter Jule Styne signed this document to grant Styne exclusive movie rights to the works and life story of the Howard Brothers.
Carbon Typed DS: "Eugene Howard" and "Jule Styne" under, 1p, 8½x11. No place, 1956 January 20. Howard acknowledges receipt of payment from Styne for an option for motion picture rights. Begins: "This will acknowledge receipt from you of the sum of $1,000. for which I grant to you the irrevocable, exclusive option to purchase the exclusive world-wide 'motion picture rights' in the life story and works of WILLIE & EUGENE HOWARD for the purchase price of $50,000. upon the following terms...." Six points are listed, including additional payments, a description of the meaning of "motion picture rights" and Howard's agreement to make biographical and other materials available. Initialed: "JS." and "EH." at right margin next to point 4. JULE STYNE (1905-1994) was a prolific songwriter, writing or co-writing over 1,500 songs, from ballads for Frank Sinatra to rousing Broadway show tunes. Styne, who began his career playing piano in nightclubs and with traveling orchestras, had his first hit song in 1926. In the 1940s, he began a collaboration with Sammy Cahn, writing songs for Sinatra and the movie score for Anchors Away (1945); his first Broadway show, High Button Shoes, followed two years later. Styne also wrote the scores for The Bells are Ringing, Gypsy and Funny Girl, and received the 1954 Academy Award for Best Song for "Three Coins in the Fountain". EUGENE HOWARD (1881-1965), born Eugene Lefkowitz in Neustadt, Germany, was half of the popular comedy act that co-starred his brother, WILLIE HOWARD (1886-1949), born Wilhelm Levkowitz in Paramus, New Jersey. Willie and Eugene Howard, who were sometimes billed as the Howard Brothers, appeared on vaudeville and in a number of musical revues, including the Ziegfeld Follies, George White's Scandals and The Ballyhoo of 1932 revue, in which they were the top billed act and a comedian named Bob Hope was the master of ceremonies! Willie, the skinny member of the team, had also appeared in several feature films, including five films as Professor Pierre Ginsbairge: The Affairs of Pierre, The Smart Way and Playboy Number One (all 1937) and Pardon My Accident and The Miss They Missed (both 1938). Lightly creased with folds. Lightly soiled. Slight ½-inch tear along the blank left margin. Overall, fine condition.