"I am selling a personal item from James Dean," says the eBay seller of this remarkable piece of James Dean ephemera.
The seller continues: "He was known to write notes and phone numbers on the back of envelopes, papers, etc. This is a hand-written note with a models' name, Terry Ray, and a phone number. I did some research to find out who she is, and actually has an interesting story. She is the actress, "Ellen Drew", but was billed as "Terry Ray." While working at an ice cream parlor, customer William Demarest took notice of her and was instrumental in having her put under contract at Paramount Studios in 1936. Initially, billed as Terry Ray, she was groomed in starlet bits for two years until finally given a role she could sink her teeth into in the Bing Crosby musical, Sing You Sinners. Her hair was changed from brunette to auburn (sometimes blonde) and her moniker changed from Terry Ray to Ellen Drew. Brighter roles came her way with, If I were King, which clinched her celebrity, Women Without Names, and Buck Benny Rides Again. Married four times, including writer/producer Sy Bartlett, she left one son and several grandchildren when she passed away in 2003 at age 88 in Palm Desert, California. He also wrote down where she lived which was in North Hollywood, but he wrote, "North Hobbywood."
The seller adds, "It has a doodle which he was known for doing. If you look in other books you will see other doodles that look similar to the one here. It was written and drawn in pencil, and is in a protective plastic case. The history of the item is that when James Dean died, his best friend went to his house to collect as many valuables he could due to people already starting to steal from his house. That friend was Lew Bracker, and he is listed in many books, but also the first documentary about James Dean from 1956. There is an original letter included with this item from James Dean's friend, Joe Hyams, who explains the history and also wrote, "Little Boy Lost." It is an original letter, and is in a protective casing as well. The reason why this is special is due to it coming from Dean personally, but also the model, "Terry Ray", he briefly dated, was unknown at the time, and is not mentioned in any books, as no one ever knew about it. It is discovering a new story with James Dean, and having the proof to tell it."
Finally, the seller says, "I would like this to go to someone who will appreciate it as much as I have."
This item is going for big dollars. To bid, click on the link in the first sentence of this post.
