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Authenticity is Everything
Al Pacino SERPICO contracts - 2 of the same
I've been looking through early Al Pacino autographs (where his signature still looked close to a name rather than a squiggle). Here are two identical signed documents offered by two different sources.
The first comes from History For Sale and is on their website. The second with the PSA sticker attached is offered in the latest Pristine Auction. These are described by Pristine as "a contract amendment for the movie "Serpico" signed on July 24, 1972 in black ink pen by actor Al Pacino and producer Martin Bregman". Both look like what appears to be fax paper.
At first I thought it was the same document until I saw the sticker on the Pristine. The slants are the same on the signatures and lines from their names are almost perfectly one atop the other and even touch and intersect in the same places (that's the part that leaves me wondering). Still, looking very closely, you can see some just very minute variations.
Any thoughts on these taken together? I don't know why the same legal document would be replicated for signing. Maybe others have seen this before?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on
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These are different (and in different scales) and I am not at all surprised there would be a need for signed copies of such documents for various files, apart from Pacino's and Bregman's needs.
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Permalink Reply by Eddy on
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Make it 3 of the same identical "Serpico" contracts found online. This one offered by Iconic Auctions a couple of years back and has a Beckett sticker instead of a PSA like the Pristine. The signatures on this one vary from the other 2. It looks like someone had ink flow issues and tried the pen out a bit on the left and in the "A" of "Al".
I wonder how many more have been on the market. This same pattern happened with multiple identical 2 page photocopied Marlon Brando signed contracts for 1968's "Candy".
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All of the signatures vary. I don't understand what you are getting at here.
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The last one with the Beckett sticker looks like the paper may be an original copy and the other two photocopies. It's just odd that at least three, if authentic, from presumably all different files have now come to surface in the last couple of years. I have a vested interest in them as I have had my eye on one of them and then discovered the other two that had appeared recently.
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I should think David Lewis could address the copies of contracts. It appears the last may be the original but with scanner exposures such as they it's hard to say, especially when so many houses state in their terms the images may be juiced.
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Definitely would appreciate David and others to comment on the signed multiple copies available...and if that's a certain red flag.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on
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Sorry, but the tpa stickers on the front of a vintage contract is like a needle in the eye. And the sticker will never come off without taking the corner off. Authentication should do no harm. Cripes… spend the extra $20 and get a full letter so the item doesn’t need to be stickered. Horrible judgement in my opinion.
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+100
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I am totally with you both on this one. However, as we know, this is open for debate for some collectors. Some see it as a visual unquestionable seal of approval as to the authenticity to the piece.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on
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I agree, Steve. I am usually not bothered by authentication stickers, particularly on autographed photos. This, however, bothers me.
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It is not unusual for a studio to have multiple copies of a contract signed. The Al Pacino signatures on the three contracts look pretty typical to me. I am not as familiar with Martin Bregman’s signature.
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