A QUIZ - BRANDO SIGNATURE - ANSWER REVEALED

magikbilly

Hi All,

here is a quiz. This slip of paper sports an ink signature "Regards, Marlon Brando". It is dated in another hand "1949" in pencil. The salutation is correct for the period, as is the form and pen. Is this an obviously genuine Brando, or a reasonably clever forgery? Or is it a secretarial? Why?



Best,
Billy

wjd283

Fake.
Because it says "Marlon BoauSo"

magikbilly

Without giving it away, realize that this is how Brando formed his letters - it is not misspelled.

Billy

magikbilly

BUMPED

duner

I'll bite...my bet is it's more likely legit than a clever forgery or a secretary signature. someone "who's" clever is more likely to forge something in a way to create the greatest return on his effort. I'd also imagine the date in another's handwriting is probably the original owner's memorialization to remember when he got it.
Finaly, why sign on a random sheet of paper in an unkempt fashion? next to a 3x5 card, what would bring a lesser return? alternatively, a nicely forged 8x10 or even typed letter would bring exponentially more.

magikbilly

<< <i>I'll bite...my bet is it's more likely legit than a clever forgery or a secretary signature. someone "who's" clever is more likely to forge something in a way to create the greatest return on his effort. I'd also imagine the date in another's handwriting is probably the original owner's memorialization to remember when he got it.
Finaly, why sign on a random sheet of paper in an unkempt fashion? next to a 3x5 card, what would bring a lesser return? alternatively, a nicely forged 8x10 or even typed letter would bring exponentially more. >>



Hi Duner,
thanks for playing along
This signature is indeed a forgery. It was deliberately done on a page ripped from a period playbill and dated "1949" so a collector would connect it with the play "Streetcar Named Desire" from 1947/48 and thus enhance the value. The pencil notation in another hand is to create the exact impression you got. If he was really clever the forger would have signed the cover of a Barndo playbill or inside by his name - that where this type of item is usually signed. The slip was chosen over a typed letter as those are almost always secretarials, and his signature from this period in usually only seen in authentic form on contracts, and the odd letter or lewd note. Signed photos and the like, while they do exist, are always supect - Brando signed VERY little. But you are right - for this reason a genuine signed photo is worth many times more. He despised signing passionately. The other big problem is the drawn look to it with abrubt stops and starts which show well with this ink, and some problems with the baseline (the imaginary line under all signatures). And finally, it bears much more resemblance to the secretarials of the period than any original - a mistake made by the forger. However, the salutation "Regards" is correct - he did sign this way, and it is quite clever. Not really visible in the scan - but the ink is too "strong", hasn't really sunk in and it is glossy - not impossible but unusual. And, the nib is "odd".

Best,
Magikbilly

markglicker

Good fake.

magikbilly

Hi,

Yes, not bad - but still drawn looking and the ink is so fresh in hand. Also, it is actually a forgery of a secretarial, which is the give away IMHO.

Best,
Billy

DirtyHarry

Too bad...what a dude. Great movie. He coulda been a contender.

magikbilly

TTT for ..uh..the new guy asking questions