PETER DONALD - AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: RAYMOND E. JOHNSON, ROGER BOWER, JOE LAURIE JR., HAL DUNBAR, RENE BARCLAY, JOSEPH N.B. MILLER, EDNA SKINNER - HFSID 20000

PETER DONALD, ROGER BOWER, JOE LAURIE, JR., EDNA SKINNER, RAY JOHNSON, HAL DUNBAR, RENE BARCLAY, and JOSEPH N.B. MILLER
Actors Edna Skinner and Ray Johnson and comedians Roger Bower, Joe Laurie, Jr. and Peter Donald of radio's Can You Top This? all signed gushing notes on this guest page to legendary entertainer Hildegarde.
Autograph note signed: "Pete Donald", "Me too/Roger Bower" and "Joe Louis, Jr.", on verso, "administration, Hal Dunbar", "Joseph Norcott Basil Miller 12/15/42", "Edna Skinner", "Ray Johnson" and "'Karen March'./(René Barclay).)", 1 sheet, front and verso. Donald's note: "Hildie doesn't want this, but I'll still say say [sic] she's the greatest entertaine [sic] I've ever seen". Laurie's note: "To Hilly - the aristocrat of the floor- I hope she will be on the shelf - the theatre shelf in the near future. XXX say Ever [illegible] -". Postcripted: "XXX P. S. Shelf in showbusiness means stage. XXX I can write these things because [illegible] her Columbus. - I'll hever be satisfied until she hits double high - I love her. -" Miller's note: "Dominus simper Tecum". Skinner's note: "To the greatest 'yankee' bond seller in the land - & a swell pal. Hilde-". Johnson's note: "I repeat - You're wonderful". Barclay's note: "It was an accident - the wonderful pleasure of meeting you, but may I too, repeat - 'you're wonderful'." Donald, Bower and Laurie swapped duties as host of the joke-telling panel radio show Can You Top This? (1940-54). This is probably a guest book page that was once owned by HILDEGARDE (1906-2005, born in Adell, Wisconsin). Popularly known by her last name only or simply as "the incomparable Hildegarde", many thought she was European, although she was born in Wisconsin. A classically trained pianist who played in vaudeville from 1926, she emerged as a popular singer in the 1930s and 1940s with hits like Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup (written by her manager, Anna Sosenko), The Last Time I Saw Paris and I'll Be Seeing You. She had a popular radio program, Hildegarde's Raleigh Room. She continued to perform to great acclaim in nightclubs until age 89, when she decided it wasn't fun anymore. Hildegarde was a third order Carmelite nun. PETE DONALD (1918-1979, born in Bristol, England) was probably best known as Ajax Cassidy, an Irishman with a gift-o-gab, on Fred Allen's Allen's Alley radio show. He also hosted the 1940s joke-telling radio show Can You Top This?. ROGER BOWER (1903-1979) did a little bit of everything in radio for New York's WOR, CBS and NBC from 1928 to 1952, including sports casting and directing shows like The Witch's Tale, one of the first horror radio shows, quiz shows like Twenty Questions, and operas and pop music programs. His most important credit is probably directing and moderating the joke-telling panel show Can You Top This?. EDNA SKINNER (1921-2003) was an actress with 13 movies and TV shows to her credit, most notably as Kay Addison, neighbor of Wilbur Post, on Mr. Ed (1961-1964). She also appeared as a replacement actor in the original Broadway run of Oklahoma!, organized war bond rallies during World War II and was an authority on fly fishing, writing more than 280 magazine articles on the subject. RAY JOHNSON, born in 1911, was an actor with 19 movies and TV shows to his credit, mostly in un-credited roles, between 1935 and 1959. JOE LAURIE, JR. (c. 1892-1954) was a vaudeville comedian who later became a film and Broadway performer. He was also one of the panelists on the joke-telling panel radio show Can You Top This?. Lightly toned, soiled and creased. Light show-through, which touches signatures. Some handwriting, but not signatures, is lightly haloed in places but legible. Laurie, Dunbar and Barclay's notes and signatures are cut off at top and bottom edges. Random ink stains. Irregular bottom edge. Lightly discolored and dented at one end and neatly torn from guest book at the other. Otherwise, fine condition.