20th Century Classics

The Small Bachelor – P.G. Wodehouse – New Edition 1970 – Fine Copy

This is an old one, first published in 1927. This is the first printing of a new issue by Barrie & Jenkins, London in 1970. Octavo, 204 pages, a very good copy in a complete dust jacket

Complex Wodehouse carry-on. George Finch artist who desires New York socialite Molly Wellington, cannot paint .. a hopeless artists. Her mother prefers the advances of Lord Hunstanton. Many characters contribute to George’s success or lack of … including a poetic policeman, an ex-convict valet, a fortune teller, Fanny the pickpocket etc.

Read carefully or your laughing will cause injury!

$40.00

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Period of Adjustment – Tennessee Williams – First UK Edition 1960.

A first UK edition published by Secker and Warburg, London in 1960.

Subtitled … High Point over a Cavern. Described as a “Serious Comedy” … and it is … there is a strong message and quite a few laughs.

Octavo, 95 pages all in super condition.

Set on Christmas Eve it’s a tale about two couples who have been married a few years and are facing the tensions that can arise …

Made into a Hollywood Movie in 1962 for which star Jane Fonda was nominated for a Golden Globe.

A good Christmas Eve read … it will not be on the telly … it’s not reality

$35.00

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Garden District – Two Plays .. Something Unspoken and Suddenly Last Summer – Tennessee Williams – First Edition 1959

A first UK edition published by Secker and Warburg, London in 1959.

Octavo, 72 pages, very good condition.

Two plays … a short one Something Unspoken a type often referred to as a curtain-raiser; and the longer Suddenly Last Summer.

Both had just been performed in England at the London Arts Theatre to much acclaim

Entertaining and still challenging from T.W. …

$30.00

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The Third Man (Graham Greene – Anton Karas) – The Harry Lime Theme

Sheet Music published by Chappell & Co, London in 1950 (Catalogue number 39386). Published co-incidental with the BBC adaptation.

A classic with special appeal for a particular generation. The theme for the film noir The Third Man … written by Graham Greene directed by Carol Reed. Here adopted by the BBC for their rendition of the classic post war drama.

Four pages of music score, in 79 bars .. with the beautiful slower section and crescendo.

Whilst filming on location in Vienna, Carol, Orson Welles etc were out on the town and in a wine cellar heard Anton Karas play his zither. Reed was captivated and contracted Karas to play the soundtrack. This act of genius helped to assuage what is widely regarded as the longest speechless ending in film history … check it out, again.

Dan da dan .. dan da dan de dan ..

Get out the schnapps and tune up the zither

$25.00

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The Knightly Quest (A Novella and Twelve Short Stories) – Tennessee Williams -1968

A first UK edition of this collection published by Secker and Warburg, London in 1968. A novella and twelve short stories. Three of the short stories had appeared in “One Arm” published in 1959 – see our copy.

Octavo, 253 pages, the novella “the Knightly Quest”, a parody of espionage thrillers comprises eighty odd pages. The short stories common with the earlier edition are .. The Poet; Chronicle of a Demise and Desire and the Black Masseur.

The new short stories are … Hard Candy; Rubio y Morena; The mattress by the Tomato Patch; The Vine; The Mysteries of the Joy Rio; Mama’s Old Stucco House; Man Bring This up Road; The Kingdom of Earth and “Grand”. The first tow are variations on the same theme, with the same setting but with very different results … interesting.

His shorter stories and one a little longer

$40.00

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One Arm and Other Stories (A Collection of Eleven Short Stories) – Tennessee Williams – First of Type New Directions – 1959

A first trade edition published by special publisher New Directions of New York in 1959.

Octavo, 211 pages comprising eleven short stories. Dust jacket by the super designer Alvin Lustig although not one he had put a lot of thought into!. One page had thinned through to a hole … looks like a printing flaw. Otherwise a very good copy of a scarce work.

By this time Williams was already a successful dramatist but his short stories had only ever been published in a limited private form.

The stories are – One Arm; The Malediction; The Poet; Chronicle of a Demise; Desire and the Black Masseur; Portrait of a Girl in Glass; The Important Thing; The Angel in the Alcove; The Field of Blue Children; The Night of the Iguana and The Yellow Bird. As you can see some of these short stories are inspiration for his later plays, some are about characters in them and some are completely independent works.

A broad short read introduction to Tennessee Williams. .

$40.00

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The Small Bachelor – P.G. Wodehouse – New Edition 1970 – Fine Copy

Period of Adjustment – Tennessee Williams – First UK Edition 1960.

Garden District – Two Plays .. Something Unspoken and Suddenly Last Summer – Tennessee Williams – First Edition 1959

The Third Man (Graham Greene – Anton Karas) – The Harry Lime Theme

The Knightly Quest (A Novella and Twelve Short Stories) – Tennessee Williams -1968

One Arm and Other Stories (A Collection of Eleven Short Stories) – Tennessee Williams – First of Type New Directions – 1959

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