Tell about your getting autographs from celebrities
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:04pm Georgette Braun
I’m planning to write a story about Rockford-area people who get autographs from celebrities, including sports stars. Why they do it. What it means to them. Where they keep the autographs.
Share here your story about getting a celebrity/sport star’s autograph. I may contact you via e-mail to get more info to maybe feature you in an upcoming Register Star story.
On Thursday, I had Stephen McEveety, producer, and Cyrus Nowrasteh, director, and actress Shoreh Aghdashloo, all of “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” sign the book of the same title at the Beloit International Film Fest. Yeah, I know they didn’t write the book, but they were happy to sign it. And I got Anthony Bourdain’s autograph in one of his books when he was in Rockford a few years ago as featured speaker for a One Book, One Rockford event. The books are just sitting on a shelf.
Entry Filed under: autographs, celebrities
6 Comments Add your own
1. Mary Ann | February 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
What started as a practical joke, is now a Christmas and birthday tradition.
My siblings and I buy penguins for my brother and tell everyone that he collects them, although he keeps claiming that he does not.
Well he does now.
One year on EBay, I found an autographed picture board of Danny DeVito when he played the Penguin in one of the Batman movies. I couldn’t resist! He loved it. And I did too. There’s something cool about that picture and his certified autograph. Though I wasn’t there to see him sign it, it’s as if he did it just for my brother and I.
My brother used to hide his penguin collection at home, but now it has it’s own area in his office at work!
2. Kathy | March 26th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
My Mother, Pat, who is currently 85 years old and living in Rockford collected autographs during the time she attended Hyde Park High School in Chicago. She and her friend Audrey would meet the Sunday afternoon \\\\"Super Chief\\\\" train at the Dearborn station. As the various stars would exit the train from Hollywood she and her friend would ask for their autographs. She was able to meet Bing Crosby, Betty Grable, Jack Benny, Walter Pidgeon, Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich, Elenor Powell and many others. We have a copy of the picture of my Mother in a Chicago paper as she was waiting to get Al Jolson\\\\\\\’s autograph. Some stars played at the Chicago and Palace theaters where my mother Pat, and her friend Audrey would wait at the stage door to ask for autographs. Here they were able to meet Orson Wells, Rudy Vallee and others. We love to hear her stories.
3. Georgette Braun | March 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
And I like reading about her stories. Thanks for sharing.
4. Georgette Braun | April 10th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Tom Hallden of Rockford mailed me this story about his meeting Marilyn Monroe, so I’m sharing his words with you here:
“It was Flag Day, June 14, 1949, school was out and an uncle of mine and I decided to go to a movie. I heard her voice on the radio, and it turned out to be that of Marilyn Monroe. That afternoon, she would be appearing at the State Theater in the 100 block of West State Street.
She had a walk-on part in the Marx Brothers movie, “Love Happy.” We bought our tickets, went in and there she was, in the back lobby behind a counter. We walked up to her. I had my autograph book and presented it to her and asked for her autograph.
She took it, asked my name and wrote, ‘Best of Luck Always, Tom,’ Marilyn Monroe.’ I still have this today along with others: Ronald Reagan, Hank Aaron, Mickey Rooney, Peter Graves, Roger Whitaker and Lee Grant and others.
She was truly a beautiful young lady.
5. Georgette Braun | April 10th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Another e-mail from Tom Hallden:
“As I stated in my letter, I obtained Marilyn Monroe’s autograph
at the State Theater in 1949. She has her picture in the paper but unfortunately I didn’t save them. I got them
later for they were on tape or film at the library. Hers was the first; later that year, I got Smiley Burnette’s
autograph at the same theater. He was a sidekick in movies to Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. In 1961, I got
the autographs of ; Dana Andrews, Peter Graves, Lee Grant, Conrad Nagel and Joseph Campanella.
They were in a stage play at the Coronado Theater; that was in November. In February, I got Joseph
Cotten’s outside the Coronado, he was in a play also and with him was Agnes Morehead, Thomas
Mitchell and Patricia Medina; I didn’t get theirs. in 1965, Ronald Reagan was with Congressman, John B.
Anderson for a Republican Rally at Boylan High School; a friend of mine and I went and I got Reagan’s
autograph. Over the years, I have gotten others; Randy Hundley, a catcher for the Chicago Cubs(1973);
Hank Aaron, 1977, at the grand opening of a bank here in Rockford; I also shook his hand and took my
daughter’s picture standing next to him. Also I have Roger Whitaker, Robert Wagner, Jill St. John, Mickey
Rooney, Lee Greenwood, Dean Jones. There are some actors or celebrities that besides an autograph
or both which includes a picture like Aaron, Hundley, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Wagner and St. John,
Rooney, Whitaker and though no autograph, I got a picture of Bob Newhart, Fergie Jenkins(pitcher -
Chicago Cubs and David Ladd(son of Alan Ladd).This is what I have now and would try to answer any
questions you might have. I remember where I got them all and that Peter Graves(brother to Jim Arness)
bought me a beer.”
6. Georgette Braun | April 13th, 2009 at 7:49 am
More from Tom Hallden:
, I have
a Jo Ann Castle - 1966 program; she was on the Lawrence Welk show and
was here in Rockford. Also, Clayton Moore(The Lone Ranger - 1957) when
he was at Beyer Stadium; also, on the bill was “Lassie”. There is also
Janet Lynn(Rockford girl who excelled in ice skating). In certain parades,
there has been Rosie Greer(football player) and Richard Kiel(played Jaws
in a James bond movie).Also, years ago, the Horace Heidt show and the
Hollywood Animal Stars(animals who were in certain movies, up to that
time)
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