The Chase National Bank check, 6.25 x 2.75, neatly filled out and signed by Dean, "James Dean," payable to himself, "James Dean," for $105, November 4, 1953. Endorsed on the reverse in black ink, "James Dean." In fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
On November 1, 1953, Dean appeared in A Long Time Till Dawn, the eleventh episode in season seven of the anthology series Kraft Theatre. Dean stars as Joe Harris, a recent parolee who, while searching for his wife, becomes a lead suspect in the beating death of an old man. That part and appearances on television programs like You Are There, Tales of Tomorrow, and the Armstrong Circle Theater led to his casting in the Broadway show The Immoralist, starring Louis Jourdan and Geraldine Page. Although he left the production after two weeks, his work brought him to the attention of Elia Kazan, who had begun casting for East of Eden, Dean's first major film. In early 1954, Dean headed for Los Angeles to prepare for his role as Cal Trask, a performance that would garner him the first posthumous acting nomination in the history of the Academy Awards. Triple-signed checks from Dean remain quite rare and are highly coveted by collectors.
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