The Dec. 11, 1999, Premier Beverly Hills Collectible Sale, Sale 4

125   Ferebee, Tom. Bombardier on the Enola Gay.

Inscribed Photograph Signed. Color, 8 x 10", n.d., n.p. Inscribed in full:

"We were victorious! We were Gallant! and we got the job done! I dropped the bomb at precisely 08:15 E Pacific Time. The bomb detonated one minute later at 1890 feet over Hiroshima one minute after my release at 08:16 Hrs. Japan surrendered 9 days later. / Tom Ferebee - Bombardier. Enola Gay 6 aug. 1945".

Very Good. Also enclosed is a facsimile of an ALS by Ferebee in which he vehemently refuses a paid request for his story.
Estimated Value $250-500.

126   Frost, Robert. 1874-1963. American Poet, multiple recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. At the time of his death, he was regarded as the unofficial poet laureate of the United States.

Autograph Dedication Signed. One page, Octavo, Ripton, Vermont, July 10, 1949. To Francis H. Ellis. This leaf, in all likelihood a flyleaf removed from a book of Frost's poetry that he has inscribed, reads in full:

"To Frances H. Ellis somewhat for the labor she expended but more especially for the discernment she showed in dealing with these contents. Gratefully Robert Frost."

There is a faint clip impression at top right, and some age-toning, otherwise this note is fine. Boldly penned and signed.
Estimated Value $1,000-1,750.

127   Gable, Clark. 1901- 1960. Screen Star. Most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the legendary epic, Gone With The Wind (1939).

Inscribed Vintage Photograph Signed. Black and white, Large 13½ x 10½" portrait by Clarence Sinclair Bull. A dapper, seductive headshot inscribed, "To Warner, With real pleasure & sincere admiration. Sincerely, Clark." In a slender black wood frame. Very Fine.
Estimated Value $600-900.
From the Warner Baxter estate.

128   Gambino, Carlo "The Godfather". Boss of New York's most powerful crime family and model for Mario Puzo's book, "The Godfather."

Signed Check. Approximately 8 x 3", New York, NY. August 28, 1963. Made out to "Hyman Soloway for $101.02" on Gambino's "labor consulting firm" SGS Associates. Boldly signed by Gambino in blue ink. Very Good.
Estimated Value $1,000-1,200.

129   Gardner, Ava. (1922-1990) Film actress of the 40s, 50s and 60s. Attained significant notoriety as a stunning femme fatale in The Killers(1946), was once voted the world's most beautiful woman. Starred later in The Barefoot Contessa (1954), and Night of the Iguana (1964).

Autograph Inscription Signed. Size: 4 1/2 x 2 1/2", n.d., n.p., "Best Wishes / Ava Gardner" in black ink. Matted and framed with a black and white, 8 x 10" glossy portrait of the screen siren. Overall 16 x 22". Very Fine.
Estimated Value $75-125.

130   Garfield, John.
Inscribed Photograph Signed Black and white, 8 x 10", n.d., n.p. A sharp, portrait of the handsome actor wearing a houndstooth blazer with a white shirt and dark tie. Inscribed in black ink, "To Ellen-- / good wishes / John Garfield". Very Good. Print exhibits a slight crease in the lower right.
Estimated Value $150-250.

131   Garson, Greer and Walter Pidgeon. American actors.

Signed Photograph. Black and white, 8 x 10", [1941]. Production still from the MGM film Blossoms In The Dust, with Ms. Garson lavishly costumed as a flowery debutante and Walter Pidgen as her attentive suitor. Very Fine.
Estimated Value $45-65.

132   General Orders No.1. Head Quarters Fosters Brigade, 18th Army Corps., Folly.

Autograph Military Document Signed One page, legal Folio, recto/verso, on blue-lined paper, Folly Island, SC. Sept. 21, 1863. This military document gives detailed instructions pertaining to conduct of pickets. Very strict orders, for example, article III states " no sentry while on post shall be allowed to sit down, either during his day or night but must remain standing upon his feet with his firelock in his hand, thus preventing the evil of falling asleep." Signed at bottom "By Command of Brig. General Foster", in the hand of a staff officer, for Brigadier General Robert Foster. Good. Left edge exhibits some small tears and paper loss, light foxing along right edge, occasional smudging of ink.
Estimated Value $250-350.

133   Getty, J. Paul. American Oil billionaire and art collector.

Signed Check. Large 8½ x 3½", pink imprinted check, with Getty's name and address printed above, drawn on Security First National Bank of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, California, July 24, 1946, to Jack Irvine, in the amount of " two dollars and ninety-eight cents." Punch canceling on verso, stamps on recto, neither of which affect the signature at bottom right, which is boldly written in blue ink.
Estimated Value $300-400.

134   Gish, Lillian. Widely considered the quintessential silent screen heroine. Discovered in her teens by film pioneer, D.W. Griffith. Star of countless films including, Broken Blossoms and Sweet Heart Susie.

The story of this collection began in 1919, when Joseph Assante was taken by the nuns of his orphanage to see Broken Blossoms in a converted church. It is a touching story of a gentle "Chinaman" who befriends a young girl (Gish) who is brutally beaten by her sadistic prize fighter father. Assante was so moved by the sad tale that he cried himself to sleep in the choir loft. He was found the next morning by the theater manager and returned to the nuns who never even missed him. Some years later, Assante wrote to Miss Gish about his childhood experience. She seemed genuinely touched by the note and a pen-pal relationship began which lasted for over 50 years. In addition to writing, he would buy her little gifts and leave them with her doorman or at the theater. He eventually introduced himself to Ms.Gish at a testimonial dinner in 1964. She was so overjoyed to meet him that she introduced him to Katherine Hepburn as the friend who wrote her constantly and brought her gifts.

Archive of 27 Letters. (3 ALS, 1 ACS, 4 TCS, 19 TLS) Dated between 1966-1993. A very touching run of letters.

"Dear Assantes: Sorry an early business deal kept me from seeing you on March 4th. We are working again on this beautiful ship. [QE2] Have just passed through that miracle the Panama Canal. Took 10 hours to get this big lady across and not an inch to spare. Hope to be home for Easter. Happy Spring time. Lillian G-".

Very Good.
Estimated Value $600-900.

135   Gish, Lillian. (1893-1993) Legendary silent film actress and star of all of D.W. Griffith's classics, such as Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916), and Broken Blossoms (1919). After the advent of "talkies", she lost interest in the cinema, but continued on the stage, only occasionally returning to film and, later, television.

Inscribed Photograph Signed. 10 x 14", Black and white, matted and framed to an overall size of 14 x 18".
A classic, bust portrait in profile. Choice condition, albeit minor surface blemishes.
Estimated Value $150-250.

136   Golf Legends.
Large "Faux" Photograph Signed. Color, 14 x 11", digitally reconstructed photograph which places three golf legends onto the same imaginary fairway: Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, and Brian Nelson. Each of the golf greats has signed above his faux likeness. Fine.
Estimated Value $100-UP.

137   Grey, Zane. American novelist, author of popular Westerns, including Riders of the Purple Sage (1912), many of which have been translated into films.

Lot of Two Signed Photographs of Zane Grey.

A. Inscribed Photograph Signed. Sepia-tone, 5½ x 4" image of the author seated on a high bluff, with writing material in hand, overlooking the Piute Canyon, a landscape which provided the setting for many of his works. Inscribed, "Zane Grey in Piute Canyon."

B. Signed Photograph. Sepia-tone, approximately 6 x 8½" full-frontal portrait of the author bathed in a mellow light. Mounted to 8 x 10". Very Fine.
Estimated Value $350-450.

138   Gwenn, Edmund.
Inscribed Photograph Signed Black & white, 8 x 10", n.d., n.p. A fantastically sharp print of the smiling actor. Inscribed in white ink across the front, "To Walter / with best wishes from / Edmund Gwenn". Very Good.
Estimated Value $50-75.

139   Haley, Jack [The "Tin Man" from "The Wizard of Oz."].
Signed Check. 8 x 3", dated February 8, 1967, drawn on the Security First National Bank, Beverly Hills, California, payable to the "Southern Cal Gas Co" in the amount of twenty two dollars and fifty-five cents. Boldly signed "Jack Haley." Docketed on verso. Accompanied with an 8 x 10" photo of Haley pictured as the Tin Man from Oz.
Estimated Value $75-150.

140   Hart, William S. Cowboy hero of silent pictures. William S. Hart mythologized the Western outlaw, who redeemed himself with noble deeds by the film's end.

Inscribed Photograph Signed. Black and white, 8 x 10", glossy. 1928, n.p. Photo by Harold Dean Carsey. A soft focus print depicting the screen cowboy, with arms crossed, in familiar Western attire. Inscribed.

"For D.J. Quinn / with best wishes".

Good. Print is slightly wrinkled with pin holes in the corner.
Estimated Value $200-400.

141   Hazleton, Gene. Early Disney artist, "Flintstones" & Hanna Barbera.

Sketch Signed. One page, Quarto, n.d., n.p. Drawing features a naked toddler sitting atop a large pot, reading a book and holding a cigar. Boldly signed in full with a parenthetical "uncle" Gene. Very Good. General toning.
Estimated Value $200-300.

142   Hefflin, Van. Classic Hollywood actor.

Inscribed Photograph Signed Black & white, 8 x 10", n.d., n.p. Inscribed in blue ink (slightly faded) "For Ann-- / My very best / wishes to you / Van Hefflin". Very Good.
Estimated Value $50-75.

143   [Hitler, Adolf].
Lot of Four Printed Proofsheets of Political Cartoons of Hitler. Four large color proofs of single-panel political cartoons, each 8 x 10", with stamp dates ranging June 1944 - April 1945. All originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune, and lampoon Hitler as a prisoner of History, a janitor in a German memorial, opening the floodgate of "Germany's Torrent of Blood," and as a shackled prisoner of war. Fine. Each is framed to an overall size of 9½ x 12".
Estimated Value $100-UP.

144   Hollywood Personalities.
Lot of Four Photographs and Cards Signed.

A.) "Kirk Douglas" -- IPS 3.5 x 5.5", black and white, n.d., n.p. A crisp photo of the classic Hollywood leading man in his early years. Inscribed "good luck! / Kirk Douglas" in black ink below his likeness. Slight smudge of the "g" in good.

B.) "Jimmy Durante" -- IPS 5 x 7.5", black and white, n.d., n.p. A cute shot of the comedic actor playing the piano in his golden years. Inscribed "To Karen Schwartz - Jimmy Durante", in blue pen.

C.) "Bob Hope" -- Cut Signature 3 x 5", Includes personalized transmittal envelope postmarked North Hollywood, CA July 19, 1972. A bold rendering of the legendary comedic film icon's signature in thick black pen.

D.) "Red Skelton" -- Inscribed Card 3 x 5", Includes transmittal envelope postmarked July 1972. Inscribed in blue ball point "To Mrs. K. Shwartz, / Always, / Red Skelton." Very Good.
Estimated Value $100-150.

145   Hollywood Stars.
Framed Collection of 78 Cut Signatures of Hollywood Celebrities. Being the autograph collection of Dawson Lecombe, a noted handwriting analyst and columnist for the Hollywood Reporter. The collection is made up of Hollywood's brightest stars from the thirties and forties. All of the examples are famous and recognizable names, including Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Vivien Leigh, Charles Lindberg, Ingrid Bergman, Ronald Regan, James Cagney, George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, John Barrymore, Sinclair Lewis, Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, Lionel Barrymore, Mae West, Spencer Tracy, Tyrone Power, Mickey Rooney, Jackie Collins, Ginger Rodgers, Don Ameche, Rosalind Russell, Maureen O'Hara, William Powell, Mary Pickford, Mary Astor, and many others. There is also a signed note by J. Edgar Hoover, who writes: "The study of handwriting and document examination constitutes an important phase of the work of the Technical Laboratory of the FBI. J. Edgar Hoover."

All of the signatures are cut and matted on a 16½ x 30½" sheet of ivory posterboard, which is somewhat stained, and has a small area of mildew at top center. Almost all of the cut signatures are stained and water marked. Some are badly faded, though all of the examples mentioned above are clear and legible. The collection of signatures has been framed with a collage made of cut newspaper columns on handwriting revelation, with a photograph of Dawson Lecombe seated in a Director's chair in the act of "analysis." Overall size is 17½ x 31½." Though many of the signatures are only in very good condition, this collection is still remarkable -- a Who's Who of Hollywood celebrity.

We recommend that this lot be viewed prior to bidding.
Estimated Value $1,000-UP.

146   Hoover, J. Edgar. Former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Two Typed Letters Signed.

A.) One page, Quarto, on personalized official FBI letterhead. Washington, DC. April 15, 1964. To Robert Belinsky (Angels baseball player). In full: "Dear Mr Belinsky: I certainly was glad to see you when you visited FBI Headquarters yesterday and I hope you found your tour enjoyable. / Enclosed is a copy of the photograph made in my office which I thought you might like to have as a memento of the occasion. / Sincerely yours, J. Edgar Hoover"

B.) One page, Quarto, on personalized official FBI letterhead. Washington, DC. April 16, 1964. Also to Robert Belinsky. In full: "Dear Bo: / Many thanks for the autographed baseball and the "Angels" 1964 Yearbook which Dean Chance and you sent me yesterday. It was indeed thoughtful of you to remember me in this manner, and I am most appreciative. / With best wishes, Sincerely yours, J. Edgar Hoover." Very Good. Signed in blue ink. Includes transmittal envelope and an 8 x 10" Black & White photo of the FBI Chief with Bo Belinsky and Dean Chance.
Estimated Value $200-300.

147   Hoover, J. Edgar. (1895-1972) Former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (1924-1972).

Typed Letter Signed. One page, Quarto, on Federal Bureau of Investigation letterhead, Washington, DC. April 29, 1971. To Mrs. Eva Marie Daulton. In full:

"Dear Mrs. Daulton: / Your note of April 20th has been received and I thank you for your thoughtfulness. I am indeed grateful for your support and hope my future endeavors continue to merit your confidence. / Sincerely yours, / J. Edgar Hoover".

Very Good. Very clean, slight fold crease.
Estimated Value $100-150.

148   [Houdini, Harry]. (1874-1926) Legendary magician and escape artist. He could escape from any kind of bond or container, from prison cells to padlocked underwater boxes. Being the folk hero he is today, many of Houdini's feats have been mythically explained including his death, which is believed by many to have occurred during an escape gone awry. In actuality, he died from complications brought on by acute appendicitis, which he ignored against his doctors recommendation.

Autograph Letter Signed. Six pages, Quarto, [Bermuda], [prior to 1913]. In pencil; heavily illustrated. Manuscript, which may or may not be in the hand of General Walter Mullins, assumedly dictated by Houdini's mother, Rebbitsin Cecilia Steiner Weiss.

Kids: Do you want to know how to do "The Invisible Cigarette," "The Rising Card," "The Mysterious Shot" and the "Dancing Skeletons" tricks? You can learn these basic tricks and many, more, in this exciting handmade instruction book! You'll laugh, you'll cry, when you can do the same tricks as the Great Houdini! Friends and family will be thrilled and impressed! Be the only one in the world to own Houdini's secrets, as told by his mother, to you! Very Good.
Estimated Value $750-UP.
Ex Superior Collectibles Sale, November 16, 17, 1997, Lot 606.

149   Howard, Oliver Otis. 1830-1909. Civil War Major-General. In 1864 he commanded the Army of Tennessee, and led the right wing of Sherman's army. After a distinguished military career, he became commissioner of the Freedman's Bureau (1865-74), where he did much to help former slaves, and the first president of Howard University (1869-74), which was named after him.

Autograph Letter Signed. One page, Octavo, imprinted US Army letterhead, Headquarters Division of the Pacific, San Francisco Presidio, August 23, 1886. To Mrs. E.F. Strickland. Sentimental and reflective letter with a "favorite" quotation that Howard uses to express his philosophy of life. He writes, in part:

" ... It is not easy to write sentiments of value, like business papers, to order, -- but I have a favorite direction which I aim at, as my marksmen do at their target stationed at long ranges, it is 'not to let the day pass without making somebody [ 's happiness ? ] because I am living in this world."

Very Fine. A heartfelt letter, signed "Oliver O. Howard, Maj-General U.S. Army." Accompanied by a steel engraving, and a photograph of the General.
Estimated Value $250-350.