KEY LARGO: A PLAY IN A PROLOGUE AND TWO ACTS
New York: Random House, 1939. First Edition. A sharp copy of Anderson's hard-hitting play, centered around a disillusioned veteran who arrives on the island of Key Largo, FL in order to visit the family of a man who died under his command during World War II; what unfolds is a deeply tense series of events during a hurricane, where they are unsuspectingly trapped in a motel with a group of gangsters. The Broadway play version, starring Paul Muni, was a huge success, running for 105 performances at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre between November 27, 1939 and February 24, 1940. Basis for John Huston's Oscar-winning 1948 film noir, starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, and Lionel Barrymore. The Dark Page, Vol.1, pp.8-9; Hubin (Supplement to Crime Fiction, 1749-1980), p.3. Item #6496
First Printing. Octavo; dark grey cloth, with titles stamped in maroon on spine and front cover; dark grey topstain; dustjacket; [vi],125,[1]pp. Fine in a bright, very Near Fine dustjacket, unclipped (priced $2.50), with some trivial wear to extremities, and the red spine lettering gently faded to a dark orange. As with nearly every example we have handled, the dustjacket measures ca.1/8" taller than the book.
Price: $1,000.00