HARRY H. CORBETT OBE (1925–1982) – ORIGINAL VINTAGE AUTOGRAPH – STEPTOE AND SON

An excellent original vintage autograph of celebrated British actor Harry H. Corbett, forever associated with the role of Harold Steptoe in the classic BBC television comedy Steptoe and Son.

The salmon/pink paper slip bears a huge, extremely bold “Harry H Corbett” signature in blue ink, dramatically filling virtually the entire surviving piece with tall initial strokes and an extensive flowing flourish.

Before achieving nationwide television fame, Corbett established himself as a serious stage performer and worked with Joan Littlewood's influential Theatre Workshop at Stratford East. By the end of the 1950s he was regarded as a particularly promising dramatic actor.

Corbett's defining role came as Harold Steptoe, opposite Wilfrid Brambell as Albert Steptoe, in Steptoe and Son. The enormously successful BBC sitcom originally ran from 1962–1965 and returned from 1970–1974.

The popularity of the programme also resulted in two cinema films, Steptoe and Son (1972) and Steptoe and Son Ride Again (1973), with Corbett again playing Harold.

Corbett also had a substantial film career outside Steptoe, including:

The Bargee (1964)

Carry On Screaming! (1966) – as Detective Sergeant Sidney Bung

The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971)

Jabberwocky (1977)

Corbett was appointed OBE in 1976 for services to drama.

An interesting detail concerns the actor's distinctive professional name. Corbett adopted the middle initial “H” to distinguish himself from the other well-known entertainer Harry Corbett, creator of Sooty. Harry H. Corbett famously joked that the H stood for “hennyfink”, a comic pronunciation of “anything”.

Corbett died in 1982 at the comparatively young age of 57.

A particularly striking original autograph of one of the defining personalities of classic British television comedy, with very strong collecting associations through Steptoe and Son, Carry On Screaming! and 1960s/70s BBC television.

Condition as photos. All items can be returned for a full refund if found to be not as described.

PLEASE NOTE: I may have photographed this item on its original album page. If so, the item will be neatly removed from the page and sent without the album page it was mounted on. 


    • PROVENANCE:

    From a large collection of Autographs (c500 +) in two albums that were personally obtained by Mr Bernard Sullivan (Apr 1920 - Feb 2017), renowned Senior Toastmaster for the Society of London Toastmasters. Due to the nature of his job, whenever an opportunity arose for an autograph, Sullivan would grab whatever was to hand - a ticket, a menu, back of his notes, etc to capture his prey.

    Over his long distinguished career, he worked with many people from around the world including Royalty, Heads of States, Archbishops, HM Judges, Stars of Stage and Screen , Politicians and Sportsmen, many becoming like old friends. During his 58 years as a Toastmaster, he gradually built up a large, impressive collection of autographs, which were all personally collected by him. He cherished them and proudly showed them off to friends and family. 

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