Douglas McPhail Extremely Rare Early Autographed Letter Suicide '44 Babes Arms

Description

Here is an extremely rare very early vintage original autographed 5" by 7" photo of Douglas McPhail (1914-1944), from 1941; part of an estate collection of movie star letters from 1941. Comes with original mailing envelope and photo that was mailed with the letter.
Although his career was short-lived, McPhail was fortunate enough to have appeared in some of the finest musicals and operettas of the late 30s. Jeanette MacDonald took an early interest in this handsome baritone, when he performed in the chorus of San Francisco and other of her pictures. The studio signed him on at nineteen as the back-up for Nelson Eddy in The Girl of the Golden West (1938), although McPhail did not get screen time. His career flared briefly in 1939 and 1940, when he appeared with MacDonald, Judy Garland, Eleanor Powell and future wife Betty Jaynes in a series of musical pictures. Although the studio groomed him as the next Nelson Eddy, it failed to recognize the changing interests of the moviegoing public, who tired of his style of singing. His marriage failed, and he took to drink. Roles dried up, and after an earlier suicide attempt, McPhail succeeded in poisoning himself on December 6, 1944. Extremely rare.
Will ship worldwide. I always combine shipping on multiple orders.
Filmography:
1942Born to Sing
Murray Saunders
1940Little Nellie Kelly
Dennis Fogarty
1940Broadway Melody of 1940
Masked Singer (uncredited)
1939Babes in Arms
Don Brice
1939Honolulu
Bing Crosby Impersonator (uncredited)
1938Sweethearts
Harvey
1938The Crowd Roars
Reporter (uncredited)
1938The Toy Wife
Leon - the Second Brother (uncredited)
1938Yellow Jack
Joey - Patient (uncredited)
1938Test Pilot
Pilot Singing in Cafe (uncredited)
1937The Last Gangster
Reporter (uncredited)
1937Maytime
Minor Role (uncredited)
1936Born to Dance
Solo Bit in 'Entrance of Lucy James' Number (uncredited)
1936San Francisco
Tenor in 'La Traviata' (voice, uncredited)