Cat. #00050352 WILLIE BEST

Extremely rare vintage black fountain pen signature on a 3x4-inch lined tan notebook leaf, acquired in-person in the 1930s. In good condition for its age, with one tiny fleck of soiling, well above the writing itself, and suitable for matting with a favorite photograph. Note that the image of the star shown alongside the scan of the signature is not included. Before his tragic death at the age of 45, bug-eyed Black character actor Willie Best, whose nickname was Sleep 'n' Eat, was unfortunately relegated to stereotypical roles as lazy, illiterate, simple-minded servants. He was memorable in a number of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery flicks, including The Monster Walks (1932), Slightly Honorable (1939), Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939), Mr. Moto in Danger Island (1939), The Ghost Breakers (1940), The Hidden Hand (1940), The Body Disappears (1941), The Smiling Ghost (1941), Whispering Ghosts (1942), Charlie Chan in The Red Dragon (1945), The Face of Marble (1946), and Charlie Chan in Dangerous Money (1946). He was elsewhere noteworthy in High Sierra (1941) and Cabin in the Sky (1943).