English comic actor (8 Ergebnisse)

On one side of a slip of laid paper cut from the end of a letter: roughly 4 x 17 cm, the reverse being blank. In good condition, lightly aged. Good neat signature to the valediction of a letter. Reads: 'I am my d [Phippen?] | (in great haste | Yours very truly | Jos: S: Munden'. Munden eas the subject of one of the "Essays of Elia" (Charles Lamb).…

Zustand: Fine. First edition in publisher's original illustrated stiff card wrap covers [soft back]. 8vo. 8½'' x 6''. Contains 1890 printed pages of text with monochrome and colour archive photographs and theatre posters throughout. In Fine condition, no dust wrapper as issued. Member of the P.B.F.A. ISBN 9781841586175 STAGE & THEATRE.…

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter is addressed to 'My poor dear', and he writes 'with deepest sympathy' with 'your terrible loss of dear Herman. I little thought that my last visit would be the last.' It is 'perhaps poor consolation' to her, but Finck's passing 'hits all his pals very hard indeed. For he was dearly loved by everybody.' He urges her to 'Be brave, my dear, & be sure we are all thinking of you in this awful time.' 'Ans:' (i.e. 'Answered') is written at the head. See Graves's entry in the Oxford DNB. Finck's 'In the Shadows' was one of the last pieces played by the orchestra on the Titanic.…

Großfoto (s/w Porträt, 4 to), eigenhändig signiert mit Best Wishes.

Toole's entry in the Oxford DNB describes how 'Toole was desolate, and his health broke', after the Tooles' twenty-two year-old daughter Florence died from typhoid fever on in November 1888, contracted a week before when visiting her parents who were performing at Cork. Her mother, Toole's wife Susan, died three and a half months later, in February 1889. Both letter and card are in good condition. They are enclosed in a grubby envelop, with stamp and postmarks, addressed to 'David Cunningham Esq / Belmont / Antrim / Ireland'. Letter and envelope have thick mourning border. ONE: ALS. 1 March 1889. 1p, 12mo. Signed 'J. L. Toole'. He thanks him for his 'kind and sympathetic letter - the loss of my dear Wife and Daughter has been a terrible blow to me', and he is going abroad for a few weeks. TWO: Lithographic portrait of Toole in character, on 7.5 x 11 cm card. Publishers' slug at bottom left, in tiny capitals: '"INK PHOTO." SPRAGUE & CO. LONDON.' It depicts Toole dressed as a Victorian schoolmaster, with wing-collar shirt and mortar board, with right hand holding up pince-nez to his eyes. Beneath the photograph, in a facsimile of Toole's handwriting: 'Yours truly "The Don" / J. L. Toole'. See image.…

The production to which the first item relates was Toole's last before being forced by gout to retire from the London stage. Both items in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper; the first with short closed tear at head. Both printed on one side only. Item One: 33 x 21 cm. Headed 'Mr. J. L. Toole's Company. | THOROUGH-BRED. | PROPERTY PLOT.' Listing, under 'Stage' and 'Hand', all the props needed for the three acts, the last (and shortest) entry reading '[ACT III.] HAND. | Field glasses, cases. Race cards for all. Letter (WILHELMINA). Set of bones (TOSH). Coins (all). 2 tambourines. Banjo (BLENKINSOPP). Letter (JENNINGS.)' At foot of page: 'Properties in Italics brought by Mr. TOOLE.' Item Two: Headed 'Mr. EDWARD A. COVENTRY & Mr. JOHN R. COLLINS' | COMPANY. | "THOROUGHBRED" | CALL'. At foot: 'Stage Manager.' Dimensions: 260 x 210 cm. A form, not completed, with lines for: Date; To receive Scenery; Scenes; Properties; Gas or Electric; Limes; Supers; Band; Company; Understudies.…

Berry was hugely popular during the Edwardian period and into the First World War. His greatest success was as 'Mr Meebles' in 'The Boy' (1917). See the recipient's entry in the Oxford DNB. Both letters signed 'W. H. Berry', and the second with long postscript on separate 12mo leaf signed 'W. H. B'. In fair condition, aged and worn. ONE: 30 December 1947. 4pp, 4to. 'This letter will be quite a "rat-tat from the past" (as Geo. Graves used to say), & its many a long year since I last saw you - & much has happened since "those were the days" & carriages were at 11. I have been thinking a lot lately of those days (& evenings) when I used to see you entering my tube train at Finsbury Park, both bound for Theatreland & our work therein - which we both loved.' He praises MP's 'recent writing on my favourite topic & my one & only period - the theatre in my time, say from 1890 onwards!' He is fulsome in praise of MP's work, adding 'My friend Wyatt shares these joys with me, & he tells me visited you recently? [.] Strange isnt it that Wyatt is the nephew of my old dresser Bartlett. Who was with me for years until he died?' He discusses his past ill health, adding 'I'm really in pretty good form, considering I'm 77 - in fact only 3 months short of 78.'' After the death of his beloved wife he has been fortunate enough to marry 'an old friend of ours of over 40 years & has lived here for the past 10 years [.] My wife passed away last January, & my dear & I were married at Canterbury on July 17'. He ends with enquiries after 'Jack Macqueen'. TWO: 6 March 1948. 2pp, 4to, and postscript of 2pp, 12mo. He is sorry that he has not been 'up to' responding to MP's two recent letters, and now thanks him 'for the Copy of that nice little mag "The Playgoer," which was, naturally, made more interesting by our article on "Gaiety Gals" - including pictures of Sylvia Storey & Jean Alwyn both in "Havana"! Also my old publicity "guvoner" [sic] H. C. G (Inky) Stevens has an article on "Show folk" which I enjoyed - as you may imagine. Of course I could not refrain from a little longing when I thought of Gaiety, "Havana" & "Show folk"! Ah me.' He has sent him a photograph of the Lowther Arcade, as he 'thought the sight of the dear old place might have revived a few delightful memories'. 'I was much amused about your story of Alphours & Tauber, & I hope that when you refer to my book for anything you want, you won't miss my anecdotes about (1) Geo Edwardes & Willie Ward at a "Cuts" rehearsal ("I must save time") & (2) Geo Edwardes greeting Alfred Lester who had called to protest about me having all the numbers to sing in "Havana"'. In a postscript he writes: 'I, like you, am so fond of, & wrapped up in the Theatre that I love to write about it - if I write any-thing, & I thought I'd struck a good idea (& a good title) when I wrote a book recently: - / "The Private life of a Theatre" / The first chapter was an account of a visit to a typical musical comedy with everything that happens from the entry of the orchestra to the final curtain, & then I say: - "now those few hours are all the general public know of the life of a theatre: but what about all those other 20 hours? Does nothing happen" etc etc / But Hutchinson's didn't like it, so its put away in Lavender with other mementos.'. …

Zustand: Fine. Santa Monica, California, October 21st, 1959., 1959. Fine. - Over 250 words typed on 10-1/2 inch high by 7-1/4 inch wide "The Oceana Apartment Hotel" stationery. Stan Laurel responds to his friend "Lee" who has written him about her 13 year old friend, the teen rock & traditional pop singer Dodie Stevens who played opposite Fabian in "Hound-Dog Man" released that same year: "Am afraid your friend Dodie Stevens and her family were mistaken in seeing me at the Fox studio last month - I haven't been there for years!". He goes on to write that he's not seen Dodie's movie "as you know, the only films I see now are on TV." "I shall be pleased to meet Dody [sic] and her Dad with you any time convenient, but I doubt if I could be of much help to them in any way, especially now that she has proved successful in her line." He mentions the late life marriages of such celebrities as Charles Coburn and Monte Blue and the shock of Errol Flynn's death, and concludes that he "Shall be pleased to hear from you around Thanksgiving & arrange a date". Signed in full "Stan Laurel". Folded for mailing, else near fine. Part of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, the English comic actor, director and writer Stan Laurel (1890-1965) appeared in over 100 films with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy. Laurel was awarded an Academy Honorary Award in 1961 for his pioneering work in comedy. The American rock & pop singer Dodie Stevens (born in 1946) had a breakthrough hit with her 1959 song "Pink Shoe Laces" at the age of 13. In that same year she appeared and sang in the musical comedy drama "Hound-Dog Man" starring Fabian.…