American Comedy History James Belushi Signed Artist Management Contract 1984

James Belushi

Manuscripts & Autographs

Belushi, James. Signed artist-management contract dated November 20, 1984, documents the professional representation system through which an actor’s employment, negotiations, and career interests were administered within the entertainment industry. Belushi, the younger brother of comedian John Belushi, was establishing an independent career in television and film during the early 1980s. The agreement records that career through its underlying business structure, demonstrating the process by which management authority was granted for a defined period and providing primary-source evidence for the study of performers’ labor, talent representation, and the contractual organization of Hollywood careers. John Belushi died in 1982, confirming that the contracting actor was James Belushi rather than his late brother.

Belushi, James. Artist management contract. November 20, 1984. Three pages, printed or typed recto and verso; dimensions, management company, place of execution, compensation terms, and additional signatories not supplied. The agreement appoints professional management for a period of one year and bears a bold black-ink signature attributed to Belushi. The original description transcribes the autograph as “John Belushi,” but that reading is incompatible with the document’s date and should not be retained without examination of the original signature. Through its fixed term and formal execution, the contract shows the mechanism by which a performer entered a continuing relationship with a representative rather than arranging a single appearance or production.

The 1984 date places the agreement during Belushi’s early screen career, after his work with Chicago’s Second City and during the period in which he was developing a broader presence in American film and television. Unlike publicity photographs or conventional autograph material, the contract preserves his career within the administrative framework that supported auditions, employment negotiations, and professional planning. No tears, staining, losses, or other defects are identified; three-page document and black-ink signature remain clean and clearly legible, near fine. Substantive entertainment-business record illustrating the contractual infrastructure behind James Belushi’s emergence as a professional comedic actor.

Item #7961

Price: $75.00