Lot 629: Francis Faragoh Portrait by John Decker

Gouache, charcoal and ink portrait of the American screenwriter Francis Faragoh by John Decker (American, 1895 - 1947). Signed and dated lower left "John Decker 1931". Unframed. Paper measures - 22" H x 14" W. Biography (Courtesy of Stephen C. Jordan, Esq) - John Decker was a painter, caricaturist, and sculptor. Born in Germany, he immigrated to America in 1922 and worked as a caricaturist for the New York Evening World in New York. In 1928 Decker left New York for Hollywood, where he befriended-- and drew-- numerous celebrities. Provenance: estate of Francis Edward Faragoh (1898-1966), American screenwriter. Faragoh was born in Hungary and immigrated to America in the early 1900s, eventually moving to Hollywood, where he wrote for twenty films between 1929 and 1947. In 1931 he was nominated for the Academy Award for best writing, adaptation for "Little Caesar."

Overall toning. Water stain to lower right corner.