A magnificent vintage autograph collection of over 1000 signatures contained in the hardcover book titled A Pictoral History of the Talkies by Daniel Blum. NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1958. Hardcover, 9.25 x 12.25, 318 pages. Book is signed on the opening pages and inside in fountain pen and ink by 313 actors and actresses, with a total of 1001. Most have signed by their photos contained inside the pages, some even inscribing to the book’s owner, with the first free end page and title page bearing multiple signatures, and the reverse of the first free end page bearing the signatures of Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Vivien Leigh all in the upper right. Highlights in this collection include five Marilyn Monroe signatures, six Clark Gables, six Vivien Leighs, five Harpo Marxs, seven Errol Flynns, three Betty Grables, and an amazing 30 Bette Davis signatures.
The consignor notes that this particular book was the author, Daniel Blum’s personal copy, which is evident from the several inscriptions “To Danny.” In addition to his own collecting pursuits, Mr. Blum also wrote in the back of the book that Earle Forbes collected some of the autographs as well.
The book itself rates in good to very good condition, as would be expected by being carried for years by the collector and presented to the celebrities within. Complete separation of covers along front and back hinge, several pages having clipped portions, some pages completely detached, including opening and closing pages, partially detached spine, wear to covers, and some toning and soiling to opening and closing pages. The interior pages themselves are overall fine, with some detached from binding, several clipped portions to a few pages, and some light edge wear.
A complete list of signers are: Max Adrian, Anna Maria Alberghetti (2), Eddie Albert (4), Robert Alda, Elizabeth Allen, Claude Allister (2), Glenn Anders, Richard Anderson, Keith Andes (4), Andrews Sisters (Patty, LaVerne, and Maxine), Edward Andrews, Richard Arlen (10), Mischa Auer (4), Lew Ayres (9), Hermione Baddeley, Fay Bainter (7), Diana Barrymore (3), Richard Barthelmess (10), Warren Beatty, Barbara Bel Geddes (6), Ralph Bellamy (6), Gertrude Berg, Leonard Bernstein, Sidney Blackmer (3), Vivian Blaine (3), Betsy Blair, Joan Blondell (9), Claire Bloom (2), Mary Boland (10), Shirley Booth, Lee Bowman (2), Eddie Bracken, Scott Brady (2), Keefe Brasselle (4), Bobby Breen, Lloyd Bridges, Joe E. Brown (4), Horst Buchholz, Billie Burke (5), Francis X. Bushman (2), Carleton Carpenter (2), Nancy Carroll (5), Joan Chandler, Fred Clark, Ethel Clayton (2), Joan Collins (3), Frank Conroy (2), Jackie Coogan (3), Gladys Cooper (4), Jeff Corey, Wendell Corey (3), Joseph Cotten (2), Hume Cronyn, Arlene Dahl (2), James Daly, Henry Daniel, Jules Dassin, Dick Davalos, Bette Davis (30), Doris Day (5), Howard de Silva, Brandon de Wilde, Olive Deering (2), Gloria DeHaven (2), Olivia de Havilland (20), Albert Dekker (2), Dolores Del Rio (6), Gabriel Dell (2), Reginald Denny (9), Richard Derr (4), Douglas Dick (9), Jean Dixon, James Dobson (2), Ruth Donnelly (2), Billie Dove (5), Howard Duff (5), Deanna Durbin, Nelson Eddy (3), Leif Erickson (4), Maurice Evans (2), Aldo Fabizi, Nanette Fabray, Charles Farrell (5), Elsie Ferguson (2), José Ferrer (3), Betty Field (10), Bramwell Fletcher (2), Errol Flynn (7), Lynn Fontanne, Paul Ford, Ruth Ford, Bob Fosse, Howard Freeman, Clark Gable (6), Eva Gabor, James Garner (3), Peggy Ann Garner (2), Betty Garrett, Greer Garson, Janet Gaynor (12), Ben Gazzara (2), Leo Genn, John Gielgud (3), Dorothy Gish (3), Lillian Gish (7), Hermione Gold, Betty Grable (3), Farley Granger (5), Fernand Gravet (3), Kathryn Grayson (6), Charlotte Greenwood (7), Ethel Griffies, Andy Griffith (2), Hal Hackett (2), Juanita Hall, Margaret Hamilton, Russell Hardie (7), Julie Harris (3), Rosemary Harris, Paul Hartman, Laurence Harvey (3), Hurd Hatfield (3), Sessue Hayakawa (3), Helen Hayes (12), Rosemary Hayes, Dick Haynes (2), Eileen Heckart (2), Van Heflin (7), Katharine Hepburn, Eileen Herlie (2), Wendy Hiller (2), Pat Hingle, Judy Holliday (3), Celeste Holm (4), Hedda Hopper (7), Lena Horne, Edward Everett Horton (7), Gareth Hughes, Kim Hunter (2), Tab Hunter (6), Richard Hylton (2), Rex Ingram, Leon Janney (2), Anne Jeffries, Allan Jones (3), Shirley Jones (2), John Justin, Kurt Kasznar (2), Howard Kell, Cecil Kellaway (2), Nancy Kelly, John Kerr (3), Mary Kerridge, Terry Kilburn (5), Dennis King (2), Charles Korvin (2), Kurt Kreuger (6), Elsa Lanchester (2), Jesse Royce Landis, Jessie Royce Landis, Glenn Langan (8), Angela Lansbury (4), Laura LaPlante (4), Francis Lederer (5), Vivien Leigh (6), Margaret Leighton (2), Jack Lemmon, Sam Levene (2), Robert Lewis, Beatrice Lillie, Margaret Lindsay (4), Harold Lloyd (7), Jack Lord (2), Claire Luce (2), Keye Luke, John Lund (8), Alfred Lunt, Ida Lupino (11), Diana Lynn (3), Jefferey Lynn, James MacArthur (4), Milo Manfredi, David Manners (8), Enid Markey, Tony Martin (3), Harpo Marx (5), Raymond Massey (3), Mike Mazurki, Mitzi McCall, Mercedes McCambridge (3), Kevin McCarthy (2), Marie McDonald, Roddy McDowall (7), Claire McDowell, Allyn McLerie (3), Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou (12), Melina Mercouri, Burgess Meredith (4), Sal Mineo (2), Marilyn Monroe (5), Ricardo Montalban (2), Dickie Moore (4), Victor Moore (6), Agnes Moorehead (4), Antonio Moreno (4), Karen Morley (4), Wayne Morris (11), Robert Morse (2), Zero Mostel, Alan Mowbray, Patrice Munsel, Conrad Nagel (4), Mary Nash (3), Mildred Natwick, Pola Negri (4), Paul Newman (2), Anna Q. Nilsson (3), Sheree North, Ramon Novarro (9), Hugh O’Brian, Erin O’Brien, George O’Brien (6), Donald O’Connor (3), Dennis O’Keefe (5), Geraldine Page (3), Betsy Palmer, Larry Parks (2), Elizabeth Paterson, Elizabeth Patterson (7), John Payne (6), Alice Pearce, Ann Pennington, Anthony Perkins (8), Brock Peters, Dorothy Peterson (3), Elizabeth Peterson (3), Gerard Philipe (2), Jean Pierre, Christopher Plummer, Sidney Poitier (2), Eleanor Powell (2), William Powell (10), Robert Preston (4), William Price, Luise Rainer (3), Tommy Rall (2), Marjorie Rambeau (5), Andrew Ray, Florence Reed, Walter Reed, Anne Revere, Erik Rhodes (2), Jason Robards Sr (2), Gilbert Roland (12), Lillian Roth (2), Robert Rounseville, Charlie Ruggles (5), Robert Ryan, Joseph Schildkraut (8), Martha Scott (4), Zachary Scott (2), Tonio Selwart, Mack Sennett, Anne Seymour, William Shatner, Ann Shoemaker, Walter Slezak (2), Ethel Smallwood, Robert Stack (15), Lionel Stander (3), Kim Stanley (2), Barbara Stanwyck (15), Frances Starr, Robert Sterling (4), Sophie Stewart (2), Arthur Storch, Susan Strasberg, Gloria Swanson (9), Blanche Sweet (3), Jessica Tandy, Verree Teasdale (2), Joan Tetzel, Michael Tolan, Bill Travers (2), Richard Travis (3), Arthur Treacher, Forrest Tucker (3), Lenore Ulric (5), Rudy Vallee (2), Eli Wallach, Ray Walston, Robert Warrick, Ruth Warrick (3), Robert Warwick (6), David Wayne, Nydia Westman (4), Bert Wheeler (3), Michael Wilding (3), Emlyn Williams, Marie Wilson (3), Googie Withers, Donald Woods (8), Joanne Woodward (3), Teresa Wright (5), Diana Wynyard (6), Clara Kimball Young (5), Gig Young, and Blanche Yurka (2).
RRAuction COA.
