James Stewart, letter from 1993

When I was a teenager (in either 1992 or 1993), I got it into my head to write James Stewart a heartfelt letter as he was and is my favorite actor. I'd read that he had a reputation for replying to fan mail, so I figured "what the heck." 

I was thrilled to my core when I received this letter in response -- https://imgur.com/a/A8EXroQ -- 

 -- and it's a prized possession. 

However, it occurred to me late tonight that it could possibly be secretarial? (Cue my anxiety). He was in his mid-80s in 1993, after all. I'm curious if anyone has any opinions. 

Edit: added Imgur link with corrected orientation 

Edit: typo

Thanks in advance.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Colin Ryono on December 30, 2025 at 7:40pm

SWAU hasn't replied to me yet which I find odd as they're usually very swift. 

I posted my letter on a Facebook forum and someone there believes it to be autopen. But wouldn't the pen pressure/line thinkness be uniform if it was autopen?

My anxiety has been spiking all day over the uncertainty. :-( 

Permalink Reply by eddy on December 30, 2025 at 9:06pm

Colin - 

Do you belong to this group on Facebook? 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/959260692893962

There are some Stewart collectors and knowledgeable dealers on there who also might be of assistance.

Permalink Reply by Colin Ryono on December 30, 2025 at 9:08pm

I requested to join. Thanks. 

Permalink Reply by eddy on December 31, 2025 at 8:45am

Great!  I think you'll find it both a welcoming community of hobbyists and a knowledgeable one!

Permalink Reply by Colin Ryono on December 31, 2025 at 9:44am

 I got an email back from Steve Zarelli as of this morning and it was his opinion, in addition to another collector with whom he consulted, that my letter was signed by a secretary. This obviously contradicts the info gleaned from the person who posted in another thread here that he spoke to his secretary Claire Priest and she attested to never signing on his behalf. But we don't know when she said that. Perhaps she did do so when Stewart's health began to falter.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on December 31, 2025 at 10:01am

Yes, I was afraid of that. The words of the secretary are meaningless to me. Suppose you asked Sydell Spear the same question? Is she going to say "I sign ALL of Jackie's (Gleason) mail, letters and so on?" I trust Steve.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on December 31, 2025 at 10:11am

PS - Spear was still signing while Gleason was dying. I have heard of 5x7's with the envelopes postmarked just before his death and right after.

Permalink Reply by JK on December 31, 2025 at 10:02am

Thx for sharing the feedback.

It seems that celebrities (and their secretaries) rarely admit to sending out secretarial or autopen signatures. 

I once wrote to a former US president's office to ask for an example of his autopen signature and never got a reply.  Of course, it was used every day on letters and photos that were sent to people, but apparently not when it was specifically requested.  The charade had to be maintained.  🙂

I do believe that Jimmy Stewart personally signed things that were sent to him, but when it was his office's own item (letters, photos) there was probably some secretarial involvement on occassion.  

If you had sent something to be signed or even a SASE for a signed photo back then, you would almost certainly have received an authentic signature.

As for his autopen use, I had heard that he did not own the machine but that the autopen company "signed" some 8x10 B&W photos for him.  This was done in the last year or so of his life, on one particular photo, with only one autopen signature pattern.

I found this photo on-line since my own examples are not handy.  Ironically, this example was authenticated by a TPA, but I believe this is the autopen photo he sent out.

Permalink Reply by Colin Ryono on December 31, 2025 at 10:08am

If you had sent something to be signed or even a SASE for a signed photo back then, you would almost certainly have received an authentic signature.

More's the pity. I need to look at my original letter (I have it saved) but I don't know if I even requested an autograph. And I wouldn't have had a photo to send to him. *And* including a SASE wouldn't have occurred to me at my age in 1992-1993. Sigh. 

Permalink Reply by JK on December 31, 2025 at 10:29am

I certainty understand.  Back in the day, before digital photography, getting a photo to send was far more difficult and expensive than it is today.  A letter to the celebrity requesting a photo - with or without a SASE - was usually the best you could do.  

That is why most of my Jimmy Stewarts are on art paper (one of the few reliable sources of acid-free paper back then), or in a book.  I think I did send a SASE or two and got an authentic 8x10, but one request I sent without a SASE brought me a 5x7 with the suspected secretarial signature signed in the margin.  

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on December 31, 2025 at 10:14am

"...this example was authenticated by a TPA, but I believe this is the autopen..."

I wish that was an isolated example. It is not. 

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