Cat. #001414: JOE FRISCO

Rare vintage inscribed signature in pencil on a 4x6-inch yellow autograph album page, acquired in 1932.  A faint vertical fold, made by the original collector, and a few light flecks of soiling; otherwise, in good condition for its age.  Dancer Joe Frisco first gained fame as a comedian, known for his trademark stutter and storytelling style.  In 1930, he entered films as a leading man, starring as Garrity in the early horror flick The Gorilla, about a series of murders in an old, creeking house which turn out to be the result of a crazed ape, played by Charles Gemora.  He went on to roles in Mr. Broadway (1932), Atlantic City (1944), That's My Man (1947), Riding High (1950), and Sweet Smell of Success (1957), which hiked his salary up to a whopping $50,000 per year before suddenly vanishing from the screen, and dying of cancer at the age of 68, inexplicably penniless.