THOMAS MITCHELL - CONTRACT SIGNED 06/01/1953 - HFSID 257836

THOMAS MITCHELL. Partly Printed DS: "Thomas Mitchell", 2p, 8½x11, front and verso. New York, N.Y., 1953 June 1. Headed: "William Morris Agency, Inc./Television Authorization". The actor employs the William Morris Agency, Inc. as his "sole and exclusive personal representative and adviser in the television field throughout the world for a period of three (3) years" commencing on the date of the contract. He agrees to pay a "sum equal to ten percent (10%) of the gross return from the television field earned or received by me during the term hereof and thereafter...." Also signed: "Joseph Singer" for the William Morris Agency, Inc. Lightly creased. "Sign Here" stamp nicks the "T" of Thomas. 2 file holes at upper margin, staple holes and ink note (unknown hand) at upper left corner, staple holes at mid-right blank margin, where a rider was previously affixed. Slightly soiled at upper right blank margin on verso. Overall, fine condition. Accompanied by Rider initialed: "T.M." and "JS", 8½x2¼. Irregularly cut. Staple holes and vertical fold at blank left margin. "Initial Here" arrow stamped at right margin. Overall, fine condition. In the year he signed this contract, Mitchell won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Hazel Flagg and the Emmy Award as TV's Best Actor for his 13 performances in a variety of TV shows in 1952, becoming the first to win acting's "Triple Crown" - an Oscar, a Tony and an Emmy. Over the term of this contract, he appeared in a number of TV anthologies, including The Ford Television Theatre, The United States Steel Hour, General Electric Theatre, Henry Fonda Presents the Star and the Story, Lux Video Theatre, Climax!, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Screen Directors Playhouse, The Alcoa Hour and The 20th Century-Fox Hour. Character actor Thomas Mitchell (1892-1962) won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for 1939's Stagecoach and was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Hurricane (1937). His other memorable films include Theodora Goes Wild (1936), Lost Horizon (1937), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Gone With the Wind (all 1939), Our Town and Swiss Family Robinson (both 1940), The Black Swan (1942), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), High Noon (1952) and Pocketful of Miracles (1961). The multitalented Mitchell also appeared on Broadway and on television and was a writer, director and producer. Two items.