So where is Sam Spade when you need him anyway?
- By Bruce McKinney
Here's looking at you kid.
By Bruce McKinney
That's the question being by asked by the LA bibliophilic community these days. Long established eminent book and ephemera collector Dr. Gary Milan of Beverly Hills was recently the victim of a daytime break-in and theft of a large safe filled with a portion of his collection of important movie memorabilia. The 500 pound safe was stolen on October 19th between 2:30 and 3:00 in the afternoon from his estate. A police report has been filed and an investigation is underway. The authorities are looking for a truck full of movie lovers.
Dr. Milan has been building a collection of irreplaceable movie memorabilia for more than twenty years, much of it purchased at auction. Among the material taken are important items relating to the Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, and Stagecoach.
Here is a brief summary of the stolen material.
Scripts for The Maltese Falcon, multiple copies of scripts for Casablanca, a Stage
Coach script signed by Walter Wanger and John Ford with attached letter. Script for Citizen Kane;
Press books for Casablanca, Maltese Falcon and It Happened One Night;
John Huston's typed manuscript for the Maltese Falcon;
Original correspondence between John Huston and Warner Brothers regarding the
play "Everyone Comes to Rick's" which later was renamed Casablanca [1943];
A copy of the play "Everyone Comes to Rick's" [later renamed and became the basis of the movie Casablanca];
Michael Curtiz's nomination plaque for an Academy Award for best director for
Casablanca [1943];
Two archives [folders] of notes and information that were from the personal files
of Henry Blanke, who was associated with the productions of Casablanca and the
Maltese Falcon;
Multiple signed cast photos of the Maltese Falcon and Casablanca including
many photos signed Dudley Wilson as Casablanca Sam;
Other Academy Award nomination plaques;
Letter from Jack Warner to George James Hopkins congratulating him for his
work on Casablanca;
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So where is Sam Spade when you need him anyway?
- By Bruce McKinney
Heavy. What is it? The Stuff that dreams are made of.
A postcard with chess moves signed by Humphrey Bogart while he was playing
the chess game filmed in Casablanca;
The Academy Award [Oscar] for best art decoration awarded for My Fair Lady
[1964]; [gold plated and about 12" high]
A small portfolio case with multiple photos and autographs relating to
Casablanca, Maltese Falcon, Moonfleet, Northwest Passage, Citizen Kane and
others.
A 1961 letter from Ingrid Bergmann to Michael Custiz discussing Casablanca;
Fake studio-made passports for Ingrid Bergman and Michael Cortiz similar to the
French passports used in Casablanca;
A hard cover photo album of cast photos of Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon.
A 10" x 10" masonite board with thin metal serial No. tags "FNP" and "FNR" attached with tape. This has sentimental value.
4th edition of Shakespeare Folio bound in polished full calf, many pages
remargined. Title page may be missing.
A description of this material has been posted to the ABAA Stolen and Missing Archives. The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America created, in 2003, an online database of this type of material so that dealers, collectors and libraries could efficiently disseminate information about their losses and concerned potential buyers could determine if an item has been reported missing. This is a free service. Anyone interested in looking at the current listings in this archive can go to www.abaa.org/index.html where, midway down the page is The ABAA Stolen and Missing Books Database. To report stolen material contact Ken Sanders who chairs the ABAA Security Committee. Reach him at ken@dreamgarden.com.
Anyone with specific knowledge of the whereabouts of this missing material is encouraged to contact this email address.noquestionsasked@americanaexchange.com As Peter Lorre said in the Maltese Falcon, "I am prepared to pay five thousand dollars for the figure's return. Do you have it?"
And as Woody Allan has reminded us, "It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people. The good ones sleep better... while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more." Dr. Milan won't sleep well until his treasures come home. He's waiting for an email.
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