Mary Miles Minter - 2 holograph items, 9 related items

Even if you never saw her movies in the silent film era, MMM has been the subject of many Unsolved Crime TV shows because she may or may not have murdered the director William Desmond Taylor. Or maybe her jealous mother did it. Who knows? Maybe you can tell whether she did it by analyzing her handwriting!

Mary Miles Minter - 2 holograph items, 9 related items

 Early in 1984 I briefly worked for Mary Miles Minter and also visited socially on more than one occasion. She also met my then-husband Dale Hartman, a painter. The actress was over 80 at the time and would die in August of the same year.

This auction is for two holographic documents from the hand of Mary Miles Minter (also known as Mrs. O'Hildebrandt) less than 6 months before her death in August of 1984, along with 8 related items.

Please feel free to ask any questions.

Complimentary shipping is included in the auction.

1. Gift card written by MMM which says, "Easter love to a precious and superby (sic) gifted family. Dale, whose portraits' eyes seize you and reveal the soul within, for better or worse, but the rendition rings true. To Pat, an elfin, unique spirit her dear self and for Sinden of the beauti- (sic) name, adored for her smart self by both parents. From their "Mrs. O'"

2. Map drawn by MMM with her name, address and phone number. I have no memory of what this was for - perhaps I did an errand for her at 1528 Arizona Ave, or maybe it was something else entirely.

3. 2100- word unpublished memoir of my relationship with MMM, which some may find surprising. Does NOT include the rights to this copyrighted material.

4. A poem dictated to me by MMM, as I typed it up for her. I used this original to make an enlarged photocopy for her. She said she had written this poem in her youth; I have no opinion on the veracity of that claim.

5. Newspaper clipping from the Corsair, April 26, 1985 about the screening of two of her films at Santa Monica College, and a visit the film professor made to MMM shortly before her death, when he showed these films to her.

6. Newspaper clipping from 1981, about the burglary of MMM's house and the assault which put her in the hospital

7. My Rolodex card

8. Pages torn out of Hollywood Babylon, the chapter called "Panic at Paramount" regarding the murder of William Desmond Taylor

9. A magazine article about Samson de Brier, an unusual fellow who appeared in Kenneth Anger films and was kind of a legendary character in his own right. This is included because I read somewhere else that he worshipped Mary Miles Minter and collected memorabilia related to her. I don't know this for sure and can't remember what the source of the information was, but it might be interesting to a MMM collector.

10. Typed paragraph quoting from a 1972 interview with Jack Nicholson in Playboy which mentions Samson de Brier, although spelling his name incorrectly.

11. Copy of 24 page article by Aydelott Ames, from Film Review, titled "The Mary Miles Minter Tragedy" 

Just as a matter of interest, this is one of the Dale Hartman paintings admired by MMM. The painting isn't included in the auction.

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