Adding rarities to the collection

Hello All ...Fellow Collectors and Enthusiasts:

I have been collecting autographs for nearly 40 years (hard to believe!) and about 15 years ago I decided to specialize in horror film autographs from 1910-1960 - a half century of personalities comprising the monsters, heavies, heroes and heroines from not only the Universal Studios pictures, but all the studios from Paramount and MGM, down to lowly Monogram, PRC and beyond. Can't leave out Edward D. Wood Jr.! And what fun it has been to look far beyond Karloff, Lugosi, the Chaneys, Lionel Atwill - even John Carradine, Clive, Zucco, J. Carroll Naish and Glenn Strange.

I have ventured into tougher waters - trying to find Dwight Frye, Frances Dade, Irving Pichel, John Wray, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Rafaela Ottiano, Louise Allbritton and many others - obscure, forgetten yet vital to collecting closure and completeness. That may never happen. This past year I have found Rondo Hatton, Michael Curtiz, Tod Browning and James Whale - not to mention Skelton Knaggs, Robert Frazer, John Harron and Cyril Delvanti - who? - You know, that grave robber in the first scene of Frankensetin Meets the Wolf Man grabbed by re-awakening Lon Chaney Jr. .....Grand fun looking, locating, swapping and meeting so many great collectors and fine folks. Need Harry Cording, Kay Harding, Olaf Hytten and Gerald Hamer ....add them to the recently obtained Charles Gerrard (Martin in 1931's Dracula) and the scarce Kathleen Burke of Island of Lost Souls and a collection is born ....ever-growing and a life unto itself.

Roger Hurlburt

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Permalink Reply by Ergo on June 22, 2013 at 11:09am

I have now. : )

Like R. Hurlburt, I hope Knaggs was a nice guy. I like to think he was. Unfortunate about the drinking, though.

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Permalink Reply by Luis Munoz on November 19, 2013 at 10:03pm

Would love to see the Ed Wood as an exemplar. Have a cut album page that I'd love to compare.

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Permalink Reply by POETIC SPANIARD on July 27, 2014 at 1:52am

Hello Roger,

You willing to sell that Michael Curtiz?

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Permalink Reply by James on September 2, 2016 at 12:56am

The collection you have compiled is astounding. Even though I don't have any horror autographs myself (wait, does Michael Jackson count for Thriller?), I really respect how you focused on an area and have been so persistent. That's what makes collecting so fun. I love the autographs I have, but mine is just a potpourri of signatures...baseball, music, politics. I am sure you're proud of what you've accomplished, and you should be.

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Permalink Reply by James on September 2, 2016 at 1:00am

Lol! I just realized this thread was started over 3.5 years ago. I guess my comment is still relevant though.

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Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on September 2, 2016 at 5:34am

Yes not sure where Roger went hope he will come back and post some of his collection it is an amazing one. Almost no one left from the old Universal Horror movies. Donnie Dunagan who played Peter von Frankenstein in the 1939 Son of Frankenstein I think is the last of the major ones. Janet Gallow and William Smith were both in Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) but Karloff was not in that. Ricou Browning is now the last of the Universal Monsters he did the underwater scenes for The Creature From the Black Lagoon and the sequels.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Hurlburt on September 2, 2016 at 1:07pm

To Paul and friends: Sure, stool around and collecting almost exclusively vintage horror autographs with an emphasis on Universal Studios 1930-1948... Have acquired a number of Geo Zucco snd Lugosi items, two Chaney Sr and several Lon Jr images signed - good material tougher to find - also chase Colin Clive, Atwill, Glenn Strange and nice Carradine items - finally acquired an authentic Ed Wood signature - I keep trading and scouting - much fun and some great collectors and savvy dealers out there - Tom Kramer and Dr Gary Brucato the best - regards Roger Hurlburt