Jun 20, 2024 10:00 EST
Stage & Screen
537
An extremely rare 1961 concert set list and autograph letter from The King
ELVIS PRESLEY
Manuscript set list and autograph letter signed. Elvis Presley's handwritten setlist for the Pearl Harbor Benefit in Hawaii on March 25th, 1961. The set list is written on a sheet of Hilton Hawaiian Village stationery, with 15 songs numbered and titled in Elvis' hand; on the verso is a scarce autograph letter signed in full "Elvis Presley," about 26 lines in blue ink written to "Gary," this being Elvis' friend and Memphis fan club president Gary Pepper. 10 1/2 x 7 1/4 inches (26.5 x 18.5 cm). Usual folds and minor handling creases, accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from Gotta Have Rock and Roll.
Autograph letters from Elvis are of great rarity. This letter was written to Gary Pepper, Elvis' friend and president of the Memphis-based Elvis Tankers Fan Club, shortly after Elvis performed at the Pearl Harbor Benefit for the U.S.S. Arizona on March 25th, 1961. The set list was penned on the stationery of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki where Elvis stayed and includes fifteen songs including most of Elvis' early hits. The show opener was "Heartbreak Hotel" followed by "All Shook Up." Elvis made a notation to "introduce the band" following "Love Me," later plays "Don't Be Cruel," and closes with his famous "Hound Dog." In the letter, Elvis thanks Pepper for his telegram and notes that "The show went pretty good and it was good to be entertaining the folks again. The show was also for a good cause Gary and it was nice to be able to do my part." Elvis notes "I sang a couple of your favorites for the show. I thought you might get a kick out of having this from the show since you couldn't make it over for the show." Gary Pepper, who suffered from cerebral palsy and was wheelchair bound, had first met the Presleys when he sent clippings of the young star to Elvis' mother and later ran the largest Presley fan club in Memphis (Elvis bought Pepper a house and a car, employed his father at Graceland, and invited him to sit at the head table at his wedding to Priscilla Presley in 1966). Elvis continues the letter with a mention that he is filming in Hawaii and will finish the film, Blue Hawaii, in Hollywood in the coming weeks, and closes with "I will see you when I get back to Memphis. Your friend, Elvis Presley."
While Elvis setlists appear on the market with some regularity, autograph letters are scarce, and we trace very few at auction.
Sold for $12,160
Estimated at $7,000 - $10,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
ELVIS PRESLEY
Manuscript set list and autograph letter signed. Elvis Presley's handwritten setlist for the Pearl Harbor Benefit in Hawaii on March 25th, 1961. The set list is written on a sheet of Hilton Hawaiian Village stationery, with 15 songs numbered and titled in Elvis' hand; on the verso is a scarce autograph letter signed in full "Elvis Presley," about 26 lines in blue ink written to "Gary," this being Elvis' friend and Memphis fan club president Gary Pepper. 10 1/2 x 7 1/4 inches (26.5 x 18.5 cm). Usual folds and minor handling creases, accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from Gotta Have Rock and Roll.
Autograph letters from Elvis are of great rarity. This letter was written to Gary Pepper, Elvis' friend and president of the Memphis-based Elvis Tankers Fan Club, shortly after Elvis performed at the Pearl Harbor Benefit for the U.S.S. Arizona on March 25th, 1961. The set list was penned on the stationery of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki where Elvis stayed and includes fifteen songs including most of Elvis' early hits. The show opener was "Heartbreak Hotel" followed by "All Shook Up." Elvis made a notation to "introduce the band" following "Love Me," later plays "Don't Be Cruel," and closes with his famous "Hound Dog." In the letter, Elvis thanks Pepper for his telegram and notes that "The show went pretty good and it was good to be entertaining the folks again. The show was also for a good cause Gary and it was nice to be able to do my part." Elvis notes "I sang a couple of your favorites for the show. I thought you might get a kick out of having this from the show since you couldn't make it over for the show." Gary Pepper, who suffered from cerebral palsy and was wheelchair bound, had first met the Presleys when he sent clippings of the young star to Elvis' mother and later ran the largest Presley fan club in Memphis (Elvis bought Pepper a house and a car, employed his father at Graceland, and invited him to sit at the head table at his wedding to Priscilla Presley in 1966). Elvis continues the letter with a mention that he is filming in Hawaii and will finish the film, Blue Hawaii, in Hollywood in the coming weeks, and closes with "I will see you when I get back to Memphis. Your friend, Elvis Presley."
While Elvis setlists appear on the market with some regularity, autograph letters are scarce, and we trace very few at auction.
Auction: Stage & Screen, Jun 20, 2024
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Successful Stage & Screen Auction on June 20, 2024 Surpasses Expectations!
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Fans and Collectors Drove Strong Prices for Memorabilia, Autographs, Artwork & Photographs of the Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's fourth Stage & Screen auction on June 20, 2024 attracted determined competition from collectors and fans around the world resulting in a sale total that surpassed expectations. Held in collaboration with the Entertainment Community Fund, these popular auctions offer artwork, memorabilia, props, autographs and photographs celebrating the performing arts of Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance.
Recognizing the importance of the performing arts to the fabric of New York, Doyle is proud to donate 10% of our profit from this auction to the Entertainment Community Fund.
Sale highlights include the 1953-54 Tony Award for Best Musical presented to Charles Lederer and Luther Davis for Kismet that achieved $15,360, far surpassing its $3,000-5,000 estimate. A writer associated with the Algonquin Round Table, Charles Lederer (1910-1976) was raised in Hollywood's inner circle and worked as a journalist for Hearst Newspapers before turning his talents to Broadway. Kismet won three Tony Awards that year and ran for a successful 583 performances.
The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund)
Featured in the sale was a group of celebrity memorabilia presented by the Entertainment Community Fund. While a portion of proceeds from every item in the auction benefited the Fund, 100% of the hammer price of these lots goes entirely to the Entertainment Community Fund.
Highlighting the group was the heavily annotated master script for the 1972 first Broadway production of Pippin that soared past its $800-1,200 estimate to realize $6,080. The winner of five Tony Awards, Pippin opened at the Imperial Theater on Broadway on October 23, 1972 and ran for nearly two thousand performances before closing in June 1977. The show was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse with stage direction by Kathryn Doby who also served as Dance Captain and performed as a Player in the show.
Founded in 1882, the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization for performing arts and entertainment professionals. The Fund helps address the specific needs of those in the industry, with a unique understanding of the challenges involved in a life in the arts. For further information on the Entertainment Community Fund, visit EntertainmentCommunity.org
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
For information, please contact
Memorabilia: Peter Costanzo, 212-427-4141, ext 248, Peter.Costanzo@Doyle.com
Artwork: Milan Tessler, 212-427-4141, ext 266, paintings@Doyle.com
