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John Williams Autograph - The Hollywood Bowl


rdeanstarr

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Hi...I'm new to the group, but have love John Williams' work since I was a kid. My favorite film is RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, and I have a couple of items in my personal collection that I really treasure.  One is a RAIDERS one-sheet movie poster, folded, that I've been getting signatures on since 2007. The other is an original script. 

 

I'd like to get Mr. Williams to sign them, but have had no luck the past two days hanging out at the Hollywood Bowl. Does anyone have any suggestions, or can help me out?  I'm just a fan, not a dealer and they'll probably have to pry them from my cold, dead hands some day :) 

 

At any rate, if anyone can help out, I'd owe you one.  Thanks in advance!

rdeanstarr@gmail.com

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Hi rdeanstarr,

 

It's near impossible to get an autograph unless you manage to intercept Mr. Williams' personal entourage in his car from the event. 

There's a few other threads on here which probably explain the process better, but there are addresses such as his agency which fan mail can be sent to with no guarantees of a response, or at best a pre-signed photo.

 

At this stage your likelihood of meeting Williams is slim, and getting an autograph is just as slim. 

 

You have to know someone close to Williams or Williams himself!

 

 

Sorry for the pessimism!

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7 hours ago, Arpy said:

Hi rdeanstarr,

 

It's near impossible to get an autograph unless you manage to intercept Mr. Williams' personal entourage in his car from the event. 

There's a few other threads on here which probably explain the process better, but there are addresses such as his agency which fan mail can be sent to with no guarantees of a response, or at best a pre-signed photo.

 

At this stage your likelihood of meeting Williams is slim, and getting an autograph is just as slim. 

 

You have to know someone close to Williams or Williams himself!

 

 

Sorry for the pessimism!

 

Just note, "It's near impossible to get an autograph unless you manage to intercept Mr. Williams' personal entourage in his car from the event." this approach is not well received and you might earn the ire of your hero rather than someone who is accommodating so don't even think of this approach. 

 

@rdeanstarr, Your best chance and the most respectful way to do it is either at an official signing which won't happen with JW or going through his manager writing a kind letter and keeping the autograph request at one item, waiting a year or two and it *might* happen.  A "couple" of items is greedy and less likely to happen because now it appears you are selling them.  It has gotten harder and harder over the years to the point that now it is near impossible.  Even people who know him would not ask on your behalf because this topic comes up too often that it is very rarely entertained. 

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If some jackasses can stalk John Williams to his house where he wears layers in southern California in the summer and play Star Wars on the trumpet and get him to come out, I'm pretty sure it's possible to get his autograph.

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3 hours ago, karelm said:

 

Just note, "It's near impossible to get an autograph unless you manage to intercept Mr. Williams' personal entourage in his car from the event." this approach is not well received and you might earn the ire of your hero rather than someone who is accommodating so don't even think of this approach. 

I doubt I'll be doing that.  Having said that, I was at the Hollywood Bowl in 2007 and he stopped by the artist entrance and signed for a few people prior to the concert.  I was not collecting on my two pieces at that point, so I just shook his hand and that was that.  Apparently, things have changed, and not for the better.

3 hours ago, karelm said:

 

@rdeanstarr, Your best chance and the most respectful way to do it is either at an official signing which won't happen with JW or going through his manager writing a kind letter and keeping the autograph request at one item, waiting a year or two and it *might* happen.  A "couple" of items is greedy and less likely to happen because now it appears you are selling them.  It has gotten harder and harder over the years to the point that now it is near impossible.  Even people who know him would not ask on your behalf because this topic comes up too often that it is very rarely entertained. 

The two items are not the kind that dealers would have, and I am not a dealer.  One is a multi-signed Coolwaters poster for RAIDERS that I have been collecting signatures on for more than 10 years now.  The other is an original script for RAIDERS. This is my favorite film of all time, otherwise I wouldn't be bothering with this. 

But thank you for the input.  I appreciate it!

1 hour ago, Jay said:

It's not possible

Well, I saw him do it there in 2007.  Even if that is irrelevant today, there are many videos on YouTube of him signing for dealers just in the past year alone.  So it very well may be impossible at the Bowl now, but I'm sure I'll find a way to make it happen elsewhere, sooner or later. 

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53 minutes ago, rdeanstarr said:

One is a multi-signed Coolwaters poster for RAIDERS that I have been collecting signatures on for more than 10 years now. 

Whose signatures do you have so far?

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3 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Whose signatures do you have so far?

Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Dennis Muren, Paul Freeman, Steranko, Deborah Nadoolman-Landis, Marty Cassella (Steven Spielberg's credited assistant on RAIDERS and a personal friend), Vic Armstrong.  In the next two weeks, PROBABLY (haven't decided yet) going to send the poster and original script to the U.K. for Rocky Taylor, Robert Watts, Wolf Kahler, and Wendy Leech.  I still need to confirm that where I'm sending it is trustworthy, given the value of the poster and script.  Also will likely be adding John Rhys-Davies sometime in 2018.

 

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I had a lot of luck to be brought backstage at his Philly concert by a friend, and got to take a picture with him - but he was on his way out so I wasn't going to bother him with an autograph!

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