Rare vintage inscribed black fine-tip pen signature on a roughly 4x5-inch portion of a tan album page, acquired in-person by inveterate collector Edward Gelman in 1976. In fine condition, with heavy creasing to the right side. Priced accordingly. Note that the image of the star shown alongside the scan of the autograph here is not included. Great African-American character actor Richard Ward began his career on the vaudeville stage, as part of the tap-dance act called Dot, Flo and Dick. In adulthood, he was a prizefighter and then a detective before turning to acting. Equally adept at drama and comedy, he was unforgettable as Steve Martin's adoptive father in The Jerk (1980) as as a long-time prisoner in Brubaker (1980).

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