20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1917. Special Submarine Edition". Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xiv, 386 p. 20 cm. Frontispiece and 3 other b&w plates. "Illustrated with scenes from the photo-play produced and copyrighted by the Universal Film Company." Green cloth with black and grey. Mylar-covered pictorial dustjacket. Light wear to jacket. Ink inscription on front free endpaper.

Universal's version of "20,000 Leagues," starring Allan Holubar as Nemo and Dan Hanlor as Arronax, was the first elaborate and realistic production of a Verne science fiction novel. Released in 1916, it was one of the first instances of movie cameras descending beneath the waves. The film was an overwhelming popular success, the theme enhanced by the public's concern with submarine warfare during World War I. But modern viewers would be surprised to see that the film combined "20,000 Leagues" with "The Mysterious Island," with a surreal script and romantic subplots. This photoplay book with scenes from the movie contains a special foreword by Stanly H. Twist and was widely distributed by Grosset & Dunlap. It is only the text of "20,000 Leagues" with no attempt to repeat the bizarre Hollywood experience.

Former owner Bernard A. Seufert was a sci fi collector in Rochester, NY who worked for Eastman Kodak.

Taves & Michaluk V006.