[‘Compo’ in ‘Last of the Summer Wine’.] Typed Letter Signed from the actor Bill Owen to the theatre historian W. Macqueen-Pope, asking for advice on a script he wishes to write about Dan Leno.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) 1p, 16mo. Signed ‘Bill Owen’. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Hailing him as ‘the greatest living authority on British Theatre’, he asks for advice. ‘My job is acting, and it has always been an ambition of mine to portray the life of Dan Leno, either on film or TV. The “powers that be” have shown a certain interest in the idea, and in order to get things moving I want to present them with a full working script or even a synopsis as soon as possible.’ He asks him ‘what reading matter I might find useful for historical detail of this wonderful artiste’.