The offered 6-page contract is signed by Lucille Ball for her role on the November 5, 1944, episode of the radio show Old Gold Comedy Theatre entitle Ball of Fire. (Photo at right shows Lucille Ball performing the episode live with Gary Cooper as her co-star and show host Harold Lloyd.) The contract is an agreement between the young starlet and "Lennen & Mitchell, Inc.," the advertising agency that represented F. Lorillard Tobacco Company, makers of Old Gold cigarettes. Oddly, the contract appears to have been saved from some sort of fire. Perhaps someone charged with destroying old paperwork noticed the famous signature and decided to keep it. Other slightly burned documents from Lucy's career have surfaced in recent years. What was salvaged is an interesting document from the golden age of Hollywood, with a flourishing, period full signature from one of the most important figures in American comedy, Lucille Ball.
The episode that aired that night was a half-hour adaptation of the 1941 screwball comedy Ball of Fire, which starred Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Ironically, Lucy was up for the role in 1941, but lost out to the bigger name, Stanwyck, who had just starred with Cooper in Meet John Doe. (How could they NOT cast her in "BALL of Fire!?!") She was able to finally do the role of "Sugarpuss O'Shea" with Cooper reprising his film role on the radio show.
The contract is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Becket Authentic. The contract pages measure roughly 8 1/2 x 11 and present with burned edges on all sides--the burned edge on the final page stops just short of touching Lucy's signature. Very Good condition.