MORTON DOWNEY SR. - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 31884

MORTON DOWNEY. ALS: "Regards/Mort Downey", 1p, 6x8. London, no date. On letterhead of the Savoy Hotel London to columnist Louis Sobol. Begins: "Louie". In full: "We're so hard up for New York news over here - we'd even read Sullivan. I'll be home last week in August - see you then -- ". Sullivan was ED SULLIVAN (1902-1974), who had first written a Broadway column for "The New York Evening Graphic" (1929-1932) before moving to the New York "Daily News". The man who would become known as "Mr. Television" would later host Toast of the Town (from 1948), which became The Ed Sullivan Show in 1955. A singer, songwriter, pianist, radio personality and shrewd businessman, MORTON DOWNEY (1901-1985) was a vocalist for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra aboard the S.S. Leviathan and toured Europe before opening his own New York City nightclub, The Delmonico, where he first sang on the radio, in 1930. Downey, who wrote such hits as "Wabash Moon", "California Skies", "All I Need is Someone Like You" and "Now You're in My Arms", joined ASCAP in 1949. The prolific recording artist's investments enabled him to retire in the early 1950s, after hosting the TV series, Star of the Family (1950-1951). Downey, who had previously appeared in a handful of feature films in 1929, 1930 and 1935, was the father of actor, talk-show host and composer Mortin Downey, Jr. (1933-2001). LOUIS SOBOL (1896-1986) was a Broadway columnist in New York for decades. In the early 1930s, he appeared in three films and produced The Old Timers. Sobol later appeared as himself in two feature films, Copacabana (1947) and College Confidential (1960). Light horizontal fold nicks the "M" and "D" in signature. Slightly soiled. Slightly frayed left edge. Fine condition.