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Contracts for Sherlock Holmes

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$ 1 386
Auction dateClassic
07.12.2022 10:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 859701
Lot 182 | Contracts for Sherlock Holmes
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES – RATHBONE, Basil (1892-1967). Document signed ("Basil Rathbone" and installed "BR" thrice), Los Angeles, 23 April 1945. [With:] BRUCE, Nigel (1895-1953). Document signed ("Nigel Bruce" and installed "NB" nine times), Los Angeles, 29 April 1943.

Rathbone document: 12 pages with two slips stapled to second and tenth pages, 278 x 202mm. (minor edge wear). Bruce document: 8 pages, 330 x 217mm. Custom cloth chemises housed in matching folder.

Contracts for the radio production of The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. On the heels of the success of the films Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, in March and September 1939, Mutual Broadcasting System recruited Rathbone and Bruce to reprise their roles on air beginning in October 1939. Broadcasting live from Los Angeles from 5:30 to 6:00 PM Pacific time, the series offered new and adapted plots based on Doyle's books. Rathbone's contract for 1945 covered a term of one year and guaranteed him $1,000 per episode. Bruce's contract for 1943 covered a two-year term, but he only collected $350 an episode. Rathbone read the role of Holmes on air for over 200 episodes through 1946 when he left the program fearing typecasting would damage his career. Bruce remained in his role (and for some time received top billing) until he too departed the following year. Other actors took over the roles of Holes and Watson until the series was cancelled in 1950.
Place of origin:USA
Auction house category:Letters, documents and manuscripts
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
23.11.2022 – 07.12.2022
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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