Sometimes I will buy a vintage autograph collection that includes a lot of names that I don’t recognize.  One of my favorite rabbit-hole past-times is sometimes having to decipher and then research why this person is famous.  Occasionally I will strike gold with somebody who’s way more famous or obscure (even better for me) than I imagined and/or they are associated with a glamorous, beefcake, arty or horrific image. 

As you can see from this photo, I struck gold with Edwin Pawley and imagery.  

His uncredited role in “Murders in the Zoo” (1933) as the man who had his mouth sewn shut by a cruel and jealous zookeeper begat this image which is hard to forget!  

Which of course led me down the path of having to watch the movie.  A pre-code horror film labeled as “astonishingly grisly” was 100% enjoyable for me to watch.  With an “Island of Doctor Moreau” poster imagery and animal horror ambience, Gail Patrick, Charlie Ruggles and the handsome and much-discussed (is he or isn’t he) Randolph Scott – it had many elements to keep me interested.   

So much so that I went down ANOTHER rabbit hole on leading lady Kathleen Burke and before “Murders in the Zoo” she was Lola the Panther Woman in “Island of Lost Souls” (LOVE!) AND the original “Island of Doctor Moreau” (what a trio of goodies).   

Based on finding an Edward Pawley autograph in a large collection and doing some research, it has been decided that I simply must add her rare autograph to my collection.   

I’m still searching.  “My name is Bobby and I’m an autograph addict”.