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Robert Ryan Henry Fonda Signed Inscribed Thanks To Sam Levene Broadway Film Star:
$1399.99
Robert Ryan & Henry Fonda 1968 Authentic Signed & Inscribed Thank You Note to Actor Sam Levene – Original Autograph
Item Description:A remarkable piece of American theater history: an original handwritten note jointly signed by Robert Ryan and Henry Fonda, addressed to acclaimed Broadway and film star, Sam Levene.Written in dark ink on single sheet yellow lined notepad paper, the note states:
“Dear Sam —
Many Thanks for the use of your room —
Bob Ryan
Hank Fonda”
The note is particularly appealing because of its informal, behind-the-scenes nature. This is not a publicity autograph or a posed signed photograph, but a genuine personal note from two major American actors thanking Sam Levene for the use of his star dressing room when the two actors were doing publicity for their upcoming appearances at the Mineola Playhouse.
The note dates to 1968 when Henry Fonda and Robert Ryan were about to appear at the Mineola Playhouse in Mineola, Long Island in the Plumstead production of Our Town, with Henry Fonda cast as the Stage Manager and Robert Ryan cast as Editor Webb. During this period, the two stars ofOur Town wanted to do some publicity shots at the Mineola Playhouse right before they were scheduled to open on September 24, 1968; as a result, their scheduleoverlapped with Sam Levene schedule when he was starring in the national tour of Woody Allen\'sDon\'t Drink the Water.
At the time Sam Levene offered HenryFonda and Robert Ryan the use of Levene\'s star dressing room on Levene\'s day off from the play, resulting in this handwritten thank-you note to Sam Levene from colleagues Henry Fonda & Robert Ryan:
Woody Allen\'s Don’t Drink the Water starring Sam Levene & Marjorie Lord
Mineola Theatre
Opening DateSeptember3, 1968
Closing DateSeptember22, 1968
Performances 16Our Town starring Henry Fonda & Robert Ryan
Mineola Theatre
Opening Date September 24, 1968
Closing Date October 6, 1968
Performances 16
The Plumstead production of Our Town was an important theatrical event, featuring a distinguished cast that included Henry Fonda, Robert Ryan, Estelle Parsons, Jo Van Fleet, John McGiver and John Beal. Fonda\'s performance as the Stage Manager subsequently became the basis for his acclaimed Broadway appearance in Our Town.
The personal nature of the note makes it an unusually evocative piece of theatrical ephemera. Fonda\'s casual signature, “Hank Fonda,” and Ryan\'s “Bob Ryan” convey the informal relationship behind the note and provide a glimpse into the backstage world of a major theatrical production.
Sam Levene worked with both Henry Fonda and Robert Ryan in these three major films:The Mad Miss Manton, 1938 RKO film starring Henry Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck, Sam LeveneIn 1938 Sam Levene co-starred in RKO\'s screwball comedy The Mad Miss Manton starring Henry Fonda as Peter Ames, a newspaper reporter and Barbara Stanwyck as Melsa Manton, a fun loving wealthy socialite who decides to solve a murder with her girlfriends. Sam Levene played the role of Lieutenant Brent, an exasperated detective investigating the murders who repeatedly downs vast quantities of antacid pills. The role showcased many qualities that would become hallmarks of Levene\'s film career: he was fast-talking, streetwise, skeptical, witty and unmistakably New York.
In a hospital bed scene in The Mad Miss Manton with Henry Fonda, Sam Levene recalled director Leigh Jason yelled cut after Henry Fonda ate his 1st steak, and then ordered a 2nd from the commissary. After five takes and five steaks, director Leigh Jason was finally satisfied, but Henry Fonda was fed up!
Damon Runyan\'s The Big Street, 1942 RKO film starring Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Sam Levene
Sam Levene co-starred with Henry Fonda for the second time when he was cast in the role of Horsethief in The Big Street based on a Damon Runyan short story directed by Irving Reis. Before she became world famous as star of I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball was cast as Gloria, a cold, selfish, self-centered and arrogant nightclub singer who has an accident and can never walk again. Henry Fonda is Pinks, a waiter who falls madly in love with her and becomes her guardian angel. The Big Street was produced by Damon Runyan, an American newspaperman and short-story writer best known for celebrating the colorful world of Broadway gamblers, hustlers and gangsters. Sam Levene was cast in The Big Street eight years before Sam Levene scored his biggest career hit when he originated and created the role of Nathan Detroit in the original 1950 Broadway production of Guys and Dolls, based on a two of Runyan\'s short stories, The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown and Blood Pressure.
Crossfire-1947 RKO film starring Robert Ryan, Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Sam Levene
Crossfire was the first B-movie to earn a Best Picture nomination, receiving five Academy Award nominations. Produced by Dore Schary and shot in 28 days, Crossfire stars three Roberts, Robert Young, Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan. Sam Levene delivered a poignant performance as Joseph Samuels, a Jewish soldier who is murdered and serves as the film’s central conflict. Many critics consider his role in this film to be one of RKO\'s best in the noir genre.
Crossfire was a great box office success, propelling producer Dore Schary from producing B movies at RKO into a leadership role at MGM, often referred to as the Tiffany’s of the studio system. This film was the product of progressive filmmakers at RKO, including Schary, Scott and Dmytryk, who sought to make a significant impact. Their efforts were recognized and praised for their worthy content.
Sam Levene (1905–1980) was a major Broadway and film actor whose career spanned more than five decades. He originated the role of Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls and appeared in numerous Broadway productions and films, becoming one of the most recognizable character actors of his generation.
Key FeaturesSigners: Henry Fonda (“Hank Fonda”) and Robert Ryan (“Bob Ryan”)
Recipient: Sam Levene (1905–1980), acclaimed Broadway and film actor
Content: Personal thank-you note for the use of Levene\'s dressing room
Historical Context: Connected to the 1968 Plumstead Playhouse production of Our Town in Mineola, Long Island
Format: Original handwritten note, jointly signed
Medium: Dark ink on yellow lined notepad paper
Provenance: Direct from the personal collection and archival estate of Sam Levene
Date: Undated, circa 1968
The handwriting and signatures remain clear and legible, with no significant ink fading. No major tears or stains are present.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition report.
Dimensions:Approximately 9 x 6 inches. Measurements are approximate.Photographs:None of the Photographs/Posters of Legendary Film & Broadway Star Sam Levene and others are NOT included in this lot.About Sam LeveneGrammy Hall of Fame & American Theatre Hall of Fame Inductee, Sam Levene, 1905-1980, was a legendary Broadway, film, radio and TV actor who had a 54 year career appearing in over 100 theatrical stage productions and 50 films. A Tony Award®-nominee for Best Actor in a Play in 1961, Sam Levene\'s Broadway credits include 40 Broadway productions, 33 of which were performances Sam Levene created in the original Broadway productions.
A master of farce and comedy, Sam Levene was a consummate dramatic actor who received greater recognition and critical praise for his comedic expertise and stage timing. Best known to theatre audiences for originating the role of Nathan Detroit in the 1950 original Broadway production of Guys and Dolls, Sam Levene had four years of steady employment performing the role of Nathan Detroit over 2000 times in the original Broadway production as well as reprising the role in the first UK and first Las Vegas productions.
Guys and Dolls book co-author Abe Burrows specifically crafted the role of Nathan Detroit around and for Sam Levene who signed for the project long before Burrows ever wrote a single word of dialogue, a similar break Burrows said he had when he wrote Cactus Flower for Lauren Bacall. In Honest, Abe: Is There Really No Business Like Show Business?, Burrows recalled: \"I had the sound of their voices in my head. I knew the rhythm of their speech and it helped make the dialogue sharper and more real.\" Burrows had the advantage of writing dialogue built around Sam Levene\'s New York Jewish cadences.
Recognized as Broadway royalty, Sam Levene was one of Broadway\'s favorite character actors, with fifty-four years of playing cops, con men, theatrical types, gamblers and hassled husbands. Sam Levene\'s celebrated legendary performances, the majority that he originated, include:
- Patsy, a professional if not always successful gambler in 1935 original & longest running Broadway production ever of George Abbott\'s Three Men On A Horse which had a Broadway run of 835 performances.
- Gordon Miller, the desperate small-time shoestring producer, in 1937 original Broadway production of Room Service, a farce, directed by George Abbott which ran for 500 performances.
- Al Lewis, the retired vaudevillian in Neil Simon\'s 1972 original Broadway production of The Sunshine Boys.
- Sidney Black, the theatrical producer of a Broadway flop in Moss Hart\'s original 1948 Broadway production of Light Up The Sky.
- Horace Vandergelder opposite Ruth Gordon as Dolly Levi in the premiere 1954 UK production of Thornton Wilder\'s The Matchmaker.
- Officer Finkelstein, a Jewish policeman searching for murderer of a Nazi diplomat in Otto Preminger\'s original 1939 Broadway production of Claire Booth Luce\'s Margin For Error.
- Veteran theatre producer Oscar Wolfe in acclaimed 1975 all-star Broadway revival of The Royal Family directed by Ellis Raab in a cast that Clives Barnes said Noel Coward would have called ‘divine’.
- Businessman Boss Mangan in acclaimed 1959 all-star Broadway revival of George Bernard Shaw\'s Heartbreak House.
- Dr. Aldo Meyer, a kindhearted Jewish doctor, in 1961 Broadway production of The Devil\'s Advocate, for which Levene received a Tony Award® nomination for Best Actor.
- Max Kane, a theatrical agent with a dud client in 1932 original Broadway production of Dinner at Eight written by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman.
- Mervyn LeRoy: Three Men On A Horse (1936)
- Joan Blondell: Three Men On A Horse (1936), The Opposite Sex (1957)
- Myrna Loy, 2 films: After The Thin Man (1936), Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
- William Powell, 2 films: After The Thin Man (1936), Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
- Jimmy Stewart, 2 films, Broadway:After The Thin Man (1936), The Shopworn Angel (1938), Yellow Jack (1934), original Broadway production.
- Henry Fonda, 2 films:The Mad Miss Manton (1938), The Big Street (1942)
- Barbara Stanwyck, 2 films: The Mad Miss Manton (1938), Golden Boy (1939)
- William Holden: Golden Boy (1939)
- Buddy Ebsen, 2 films: Yellow Jack (1938), Sing Your Worries Away (1942)
- Robert Young, 2 films: Married Bachelor (1941), Crossfire (1947)
- Dore Schary, 4 films, Broadway, TV: Married Bachelor (1941), Crossfire (1947), Designing Woman (1957), Act One (1963), The Devil\'s Advocate starring Sam Levene (Tony Award Nominee Best Actor ) (1961), original Broadway production, Directions (1962): Sam Levene interviews Dore Schary
- Robert Young, 2 films: Married Bachelor (1941), Crossfire (1947)
- Vincente Minnelli: Sing Your Worries Away (1942)
- June Havoc, 1 film, 2 TV shows, radio: Sing Your Worries Away (1942), Studio One: The Mother Bit (1957), The Untouchables: The Larry Fay Story, (1960), Theatre Guild On The Air: Crossfire (1946).
- Randolph Scott: Gung Ho, (1943)
- Red Skelton, 2 films: Whistling in Brooklyn (1943), I Dood It (1943)
- Humphrey Bogart: Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
- Ruth Gordon: 1 film, 1 TV show, UK play premiere, 2 original Broadway productions: Action in the North Atlantic (1943), The Matchmaker (1954), UK premiere starring Ruth Gordon & Sam Levene The Matchmaker (1954), BBC Television starring Ruth Gordon & Sam Levene, Good Soup (1960), original Broadway production starring Ruth Gordon & Sam Levene, Dreyfus In Rehearsal (1974), original Broadway production starring Sam Levene & Ruth Gordon
- Darryl F. Zanuck: The Purple Heart (1944)
- Dana Andrews, 2 films, radio: The Purple Heart (1944), Boomerang (1947), Theatre Guild On The Air: Crossfire (1946)
- Garson Kanin, 1 film, 4 Broadway Shows: True Glory (1945), Three Men On A Horse (1935), original Broadway production starring Sam Levene, Room Service (1937), original Broadway production starring Sam Levene, The Good Soup (1960), original Broadway production starring Ruth Gordon & Sam Levene, Dreyfus In Rehearsal (1974), original Broadway production starring Sam Levene & Ruth Gordon
- Paddy Cheyefsky: True Glory (1945)
- Burt Lancaster, 4 films, original Broadway production: The Killers (1946), Brute Force, (1947), Three Sailors & A Girl (1953), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), A Sound Of Hunting, (1945) original Broadway production starring Sam Levene, Burt Lancaster Broadway debut.
- Mark Hellinger, 2 films: The Killers (1946), Brute Force, (1947)
- Jules Dassin: Brute Force (1947)
- Robert Ryan: Crossfire (1947)
- Elia Kazan: Boomerang (1947)
- Mickey Rooney: Killer McCoy (1947)
- Claire Trevor: The Babe Ruth Story (1948)
- Jane Powell: Three Sailors & A Girl (1953)
- Thorton Wilder, UK premier play, BBC TV: UK premiere play, BBC TV: The Matchmaker (1954), UK premiere starring Ruth Gordon as Dolly Levi & Sam Levene as Horace Vandergelder, The Matchmaker (1954) BBC Television starring Ruth Gordon & Sam Levene.
- Lauren Bacall: Designing Woman (1957)
- Tony Curtis: Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
- Gregory Peck: Designing Woman (1957)
- June Allyson: The Opposite Sex (1957)
- David Susskind: Kraft Television Theatre: The Old Ticker (1957), The Play Of The Week: The World of Sholom Aleichem (1959), The Witness: Louis Buchalter (1960)
- Simone Signoret: Bob Hope\'s Chrysler Theatre: A Small Rebellion (1960)
- Anthony Quinn: A Dream of Kings (1969)
- Otto Preminger, 1 film, original Broadway production: Such Good Friends (1971), Margin For Error (1939), original Broadway production directed by Otto Preminger.
- Al Pacino: ...And Justice for All (1979)
- Jonathan Demme: The Last Embrace (1979)
- Roy Scheider: The Last Embrace (1979)
Film Noir Credits
Sam Levene\'s film noir screen credits include these poignant performances:
- William Holden\'s taxi-driving brother-in-law Siggie in Golden Boy (1939).
- Chips Abraham, the merchant marine season, fighting the weather and the U-boats opposite Humphrey Bogart in Action in the North Atlantic (1943).
- Wayne Greenbaum, the clever ironic City College graduate who was an impassioned Japanese POW in The Purple Heart (1944).
- Sam Lubinsky as Lieutenant Lubinsky in The Killers (1946), considered the Citizen Kane of Noir.
- Dave Woods, a newspaper reporter in Elia Kazan\'s Boomerang (1947).
- Louis Miller, a prisoner, who is severely tortured by Hume Cronyn in Brute Force (1947), directed by Jules Dassin.
- Joseph Samuels, a Jewish soldier who is savagely murdered in Crossfire (1947), considered one of RKO’s best film noirs.
- Happy, the fight manager in Killer McCoy (1947) starring Mickey Rooney.
- Dr. John Faron, a psychiatrist whose testimony keeps a mental patient from the electric chair in Dial 1119 (1950).
- Captain Tonetti, head of the homicide bureau in Guilty Bystander (1950).
- Howard Rysdale, a District Attorney who reluctantly assigns the case to an inexperienced assistant in Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957).
- Frank D\'Angelo, a theatrical agent in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis.