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ORIGINAL SHOW-BUSINESS PHOTO ARCHIVE FROM THE JACK SOBEL / HOWARD STORM FAMILY ESTATE
Interesting group of vintage entertainment photographs and original mailing envelope with direct provenance to the family of Hollywood director Howard Storm.
The lot includes:
* Vintage theatrical publicity photo montage believed to be George Rose, personally inscribed:
“To Jack, Best wishes, George Rose”
* Vintage photograph identified in the accompanying material as Eddy / Eddie Kaplan
* Original mailing envelope addressed to Mr. Jack Sobel
* Envelope mailed from A. Peller in Glendale, California
* Material later preserved in the personal estate of Howard Storm
JACK SOBEL / HOWARD STORM CONNECTION
The recipient, Jack Sobel, was the father of Hollywood director Howard Storm, who was born Howard Sobel.
Jack Sobel was himself a longtime show-business professional. He worked as a burlesque comic and later became involved in the talent and booking side of the entertainment industry.
Howard Storm went on to become a prolific television and film director, comedian and actor. His directing credits included numerous classic television series such as:
* Mork & Mindy
* Laverne & Shirley
* Taxi
* Rhoda
* ALF
* Full House
* Head of the Class
Storm also directed the feature film Once Bitten, starring Jim Carrey.
This group was obtained directly from the Howard Storm estate and appears to have been preserved within the Sobel/Storm family for decades.
GEORGE ROSE SIGNED PHOTO
The theatrical montage appears to be personally inscribed:
“To Jack, Best wishes, George Rose”
The photographs bear the London reproduction mark:
S. Georges Photographic Reproductions
London, S.W.11
George Rose was a distinguished British stage and screen actor who later became a major Broadway performer and two-time Tony Award winner.
His career included notable stage and screen work and appearances in productions such as:
* A Man for All Seasons
* The Pirates of Penzance
* My Fair Lady
* The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The inscription to Jack Sobel is particularly interesting given Sobel’s own long career in entertainment.
EDDIE / EDDY KAPLAN
The second photograph is identified in the accompanying material as Eddy / Eddie Kaplan.
Research indicates that an Eddie Kaplan was a longtime theatrical and burlesque booking agent, active in the same entertainment world in which Jack Sobel worked.
Kaplan was associated with burlesque booking and was known for arranging performers and engagements, including work connected with Minsky’s burlesque shows.
While the photograph is believed to depict this Eddie Kaplan, the identity has not been independently authenticated and is therefore presented as an attribution rather than a definitive identification.
The possible professional connection is nevertheless compelling:
Jack Sobel — burlesque comic / talent industry professional
Eddie Kaplan — burlesque booking agent
Howard Storm — Jack Sobel’s son
It is entirely plausible that Sobel and Kaplan knew one another professionally, although no claim is made that Kaplan personally represented Sobel without further documentation.
