MELVYN DOUGLAS. Vintage glossy 8x10 black and white half-length profile portrait of Douglas in his days as a dapper leading man, circa 1939, signed and inscribed in blue fountain pen, "For Joyce/Best wishes/Melvyn Douglas." Very good condition, with staining in the top and right borders; mild creasing in the background along the right side of the image, very slightly touching his hair; a small amount of paper loss in the left border; and a small brownish stain in the background, just above his hairline. A portion of the inscription and almost the entirety of the signature are penned against the dark fabric of his suit jacket, with moderate contrast. Surprisingly uncommon in vintage format. In the 1930s and '40s, Melvyn Douglas was cast in a long series of interchangeable and generally forgettable romantic comedies. It wasn't until the 1960s, after more than a decade away from Hollywood, that he was able to show his true acting chops onscreen in such films as Billy Budd (1962), Hud (1963), and I Never Sang For My Father (1970).
$75 |
