March 1990
Photo and decorated fan letter, March 1990.
Where It All Began
Picture it: Hollywood, California, sometime in 1997. I'm a tourist on my first trip to the iconic Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. Me and my boyfriend take a detour into a little autograph and memorabilia store called STARWORLD. Although they have an impressive array of signed, framed photos on the walls, my eye is drawn to a little box on the floor marked “Clearance.” I crouch down and leaf through the glossy 8 by 10s in the box, seeing a bunch of has-beens, never was-es and forgotten child actors from the ’70s and ’80s. Near the bottom, however, I spy a diamond in the rough—an autograph from my favorite “dumb blonde” of Hollywood’s Golden Era, Joyce Compton. In the photo, she is wearing a chiffon dress with a spray of fake lilacs on the bodice, a lacy negligee partically obscured by sheer layers of gown fabric. Joyce’s curly handwriting matches her blonde hair, and it matched the images I recalled from old movies—cute and bubbly. Priced at seven dollars, it became my first ...
These are really cool shots, where did you find this stuff? I can't wait to read her book, I haven't ordered it yet, but I will soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Brandon. I got these from a friend of Joyce's who corresponded with her in the last 15 or so years of her life.
ReplyDeleteIf you're thinking about ordering Joyce's book on Amazon.com, do me a favor and click the link on the left side of the page. Thanks!