The astonishing collection of Roy Garrett, a Hollywood policeman who waived speeding tickets in return for a celebrity's autograph, is to be sold as part of Heritage Auctions' forthcoming Entertainment Memorabilia sale on July 24.
 Garrett was not one for sticking to the rules... |
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Garrett would cruise up and down Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard on his Harley Davidson, looking every bit like an extra from a movie himself. With the high concentration of celebrities living and filming in the area, it would only be a matter of time before he pulled over a star of the silver screen who had been flouting the laws of the road.
Not a stickler for the rules, and a massive movie fanatic, Garrett would request a signed photo of every famous character he chased down, in exchange for letting them off their impending speeding tickets. Of course, the offending parties were only too happy to oblige and ensured a regular supply of photographs made it into Garrett's personal rogue's gallery.
The star piece of his collection is an autographed Marilyn Monroe photograph, which is inscribed: "To Roy, love and kisses and thanks for keeping me out of the clink! Marilyn Monroe". A marvellous piece of Monroe memorabilia, which evokes her sparkling personality, it is estimated at $8,000+ in the sale, though bids are currently double that at $16,000.
Another gem from the line-up is Rat Pack crooner Dean Martin, whose fantastic signed black and white photograph reads: "To Roy, My new friend and pal, Dean Martin". It offers great value at just $500.
Featuring a complete who's who of Hollywood movie legends, Garrett's collection also includes Ginger Rogers, Rex Harrison, Greta Garbo, Errol Flynn and many more. Estimated to bring a total of $25,000, the fresh to the market collection is bound to excite autograph hunters with a single consignment like this not seen at any auction for years.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has an equally stunning collection of autographs currently on offer, each of which has been sourced with the utmost provenance. We have this superbly-presented autographed Marilyn Monroe cheque at fantastic value, while our James Dean signed photograph provides an increasingly rare opportunity to own the tragic star's autograph.
