The script for a TV movie about the life of Mickey Mantle we wrote about earlier this year is now on the auction block.
Originally acquired by autograph dealer Les Wolff from Mantle’s sister-in-law, the script includes several hand-written notes from the late Hall of Famer. It’s one of several items sourced to the family that are now at Goldin Auctions.
In the early 1990’s Patchett-Kaufman Entertainment developed a television movie for CBS about Mantle’s early life. The script was written by Emmy winner Tom Patchett with Mantle’s cooperation. Patchett, who wrote for the Bob Newhart Show and co-created ALF, among other credits, visited Mantle and the two traveled to various places in Oklahoma for research purposes. A first draft of the untitled script was completed late in 1990 and it’s Mantle’s copy that is now up for auction.
MThe script features a Patchett-Kaufman Entertainment three-hole punch cover. Each cover appears to have some water damage from nearly three decades of storage held together with two brass fasteners. There are 111 total pages and Mantle’s ball point pen notes appear on several of them. In one part of the script that covers him learning to switch hit, he adds an apparent dialogue suggestion that reads “Someday you’ll be glad!”
Other notes provide insight on the ages of Mantle’s siblings and other script suggestions.
The handwriting comes with a full LOA from PSA/DNA and the lot also comes with a copy of the letter from Mary Mantle, wife of Mantle’s brother Roy, who originally received the items.
The current high bid on the script as of Monday evening was $2,100.
In addition to the script, the auction also includes several signed Mantle items that were given to his brother and contain personal notes.
The auction also includes a 1953 wristwatch that was presented to Mantle from LOOK magazine for his All-American honor. The 14k Gold SEMA watch was awarded to Mantle in 1953 and was given to a close friend who lived just a few houses down from his boyhood home on Maple Street in Commerce Oklahoma. Mantle references this friend a few times as Hardrock in his book “The Mick”.
The watch was passed down the family for the past seven decades and the details are accounted in a notarized provenance that’s included with the watch, which has its original band and parts. The 14k reverse of the watch is engraved “Mickey Mantle 1953 Look All Star Team”.
Bidding for the watch is currently at $3,500.
The auction, which includes over 2,800 items, is set to close Saturday, December 7.