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Charlton Heston Secretarial Signature Study

Hi:

At Steve Cyrkin's invitation, I'd like to call your attention to a signature study I've posted on my blog, Charlton Heston signature study by Steve Zarelli.

I believe I have identified the "tell" in Charlton Heston secretarial signatures, and if I am correct, the news is not good for most collectors. It appears that most Heston signed photos are secretarially signed.

Here is a synopsis:

The Theory
Photographs and other memorabilia sent to Mr. Heston's office were signed by a secretary. However, Mr. Heston did authentically sign books through-the-mail.

Real vs. Secretary
In authentic signatures, the R in "Charlton" is distinctly a lowercase "r" and less than half the height of the L. The first four letters are clearly "Char."

In secretarial signatures, the R looks much more like a lowercase "l" and is about the same height as the L. So, the first four letters appear to be "Chall."

I have attached two images to give you a small sampling.

For more details and images, please visit my blog at the link below.

I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts on this. I fully anticipate some resistance to the theory, because denial is always the first step. In fact, I would love to be proved wrong, because that would mean I wasn't sitting on a bunch of secretary signed photos!

By way of introduction, I have been collecting since the early 90s and I am the UACC Ethics Director.

I look forward to the discussion.

The Collecting Obsession

Regards,

Steve Zarelli

Tags: Charlton, Forgery, Heston, Secretary, authenticating, autograph, secretarial

2 members like this

Attachments: No photo uploads here

Figure 1.jpg, 60 KB
Secretary 1.jpg, 37 KB

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Zarrillo on March 17, 2011 at 3:06pm

So Dennis you no longer have this? I certainly would have made you an offer for it! Great piece!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Barrucci on March 17, 2011 at 2:54pm

Wow, that Heston signed Christmas check is truly a thing of holiday beauty. Thanks a lot for posting it.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Shinn on March 18, 2011 at 9:25am

12 days and counting, and no response back to me or anyone else

from PSA/DNA in regards to the Heston Secretarial Study.

If I was Joe Orlando, I would wanna know why this continues to happen:

Comments Welcome.......

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Permalink Reply by Kyle M. on March 18, 2011 at 12:27pm

Mike I think the Heston DS is from a routine agency correspondence thru-the-mail. Celebs get hundreds of these a year for permission to use clips and likeness in tv segments. If dealers had paid any attention to the collecting community and Rolf's study YEARS ago then they wouldn't have anything to worry about now.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 19, 2011 at 12:06am

Love this...thanks!

"What's My Line" could be a treasure trove.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 19, 2011 at 12:15am

Look at these...Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward secretarials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVkMS7k1p-s&feature=related

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Permalink Reply by DB on March 19, 2011 at 1:29am

replaced the above as this is a better view than the smaller one (circa 1956) as my eyes were in need of the coffee.... Wouldn't it be great to have one of these from his early days before he learned how he needed to sign for the masses!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on March 19, 2011 at 5:19am

I love how the bottom part of the C forms the crossline of the H!

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Permalink Reply by DB on March 19, 2011 at 6:08am

I especially love the lack of a "dbl L" brand and the more pronunced "ES" in this one. Understanding that he was on his best penmanship behavior while signing over/under. But this would be one to find if one ever could. It's also interesting to see how the "to" has evolved and the drop off N in his later years observed signings.

I'd say this pretty much puts a wrap on this study and "theory"

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Permalink Reply by Mike Sibley on March 19, 2011 at 10:33am

I jumped in on this topic about a week ago but up to now have been unable to reply due to parting company with my Gall Bladder four days ago! I'm just about up to a lengthy typing session, so here goes...

I have followed Charlton Heston's career for nearly forty years and have made collecting Heston items my main topic. This of course led into collecting his autograph. Firstly for many years I wrote to him as many did TTM and was in no doubt at the time that he was replying with genuine signed photos and letters etc. This was before the days of the internet which now allows us to scrutinise all apsects of the hobby. So when I first had the chance to meet my movie hero I jumped at the chance. I went to London in 1985 to see him in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial at the Queen's Theatre. After the play had finished, I waited at the stage door with quite a number of other fans and managed to get him to sign my souvenir brochure from the play. See first image from 1985...

The signature clearly is 'Char' and not 'Chall'.

Before continuing I have read on here the different opinions on whether Heston sent secreterials TTM. Everyone is of course entitled to their own opinion which is as it should be. There was also talk of doubting someone who stated they had a 'dbl L' version signed in person stating they maybe got confused as to what they got signed and when. I am not going to get into that, but will state that I can remember and know EXACTLY what I had signed and when during my four in person encounters with Mr. Heston over the years. I don't want that to sound big headed but I have a very good recall for these things and have my own records also.

As I sit here now every photo or signed letter I received through the mail from Mr. Heston's home address in Coldwater Canyon has had the 'dbl L' signature barring two (I'll come to those later). I am 100% convinced that the 'dbl L' signatures are secreterial - I'm sorry to say as for years I too was sure I was getting handsigned replies from his home address.

I met him again in February 1988 at the Theatre Royal in York when he was in A Man for all Seasons. On the way into the theatre he signed the inside of his autobiography; The Actor's Life. See next image from 1988...Again, 'Char' and not 'Chall'

He couldn't sign on the way out as his wife Lydia had been taken in with a migraine and he wanted to understandably get back to her. I did however get a big thank you for coming and a very firm handshake from him as he walked by with a security guard. You don't forget a handshake like that too quickly!

My next encounter was in 1997 at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln when he appeared in Love Letters with his wife Lydia. As it happens both York above and Lincoln are only one hours drive from my home, so you can imagine how pleased I was he was appearing so close to where I lived. On the way in he arrived with Mrs. Heston and I had a few items for signing including my copy of his autobiography In The Arena. He was happy to sign but keen to get in and rehearse he told me. I had my own marker pen by then, moving on from a ballpoint pen, but he pulled out his own calligraphy pen and started signing for those waiting. He signed my autobiography and a Ben Hur lobby card. Sadly the pen didn't take to the lobby card and it smudged badly and is now consigned to my ' not so good in person' collection. Here is the book (and smudged lobby) from 1997, though I should also point out that he did appear frail and looked to have an eye infection of sorts, so he was a little shaky when signing... again even though the Heston part is not brilliant, it's 'Char' and not 'Chall'

After the play he did a book signing in the foyer of the theatre but only to sign books and programmes. I bought a paperback version of In The Arena (only £7.99!) and waited in line. He signed but did not dedicate and here is the signature I got in my programme and in my book along with a photo I took of him (you can just see what I meant about his sore right eye). All 'Char' again..

Final encounter was in 1999 at the Haymarket Theatre Royal in London when he again performed in Love Letters with his wife Lydia. I met him going into the theatre with Mrs. Heston. There were lots of different pens flying about so I got one in blue and the others in black Sharpie. I got the following signed : a copy of his book To Be A Man: Letters to My Grandson, a signed Planet of the Apes photo previously signed by Linda Harrison, a signed photo of him as George Taylor in Apes (probably my favourite), another Apes 10x8 and a poster from the play signed by both Mr and Mrs. Heston. I don't have the poster to hand right now but will post an image of it when I have. Here are the others...

Apologies for picture quality as this resides on my study wall..

Four quite differing signatures all done within minutes of easch other, but all 'Char'...

Apologies but I'll post this now as I'm in a bit of discomfort following my surgery (I know, what a baby!), but I leave you all to comment and I promise to post more as I want to share the letter I have from Mr. Heston which states he has a legally authorised person who signs for him....also I have some through the mail hand signed photos (though from theatres and not his home address).. Thanks for now - Mike.