The Debonairs (FIRST EDITION; INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR)

New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House Publishers, 1975. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. 11" x 8.75" x 1.5. Illustrated; Margie Terracciano (Jacket Design). Inscribed by author. FIRST EDITION 1975, INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR. Inscription by author Don E. Stanke on the front pastedown endpaper reads, "To John Hill, Thank you for being you, my friend and confidante! Forever, Don Stanke, Christmas, 1975". A 3"x5" color photograph is laid in, presumed to be Don E. Stanke with either his friend to whom the book was inscribed, (John Hill), or possibly co-author James Robert Parish (yet identities are not specifically known/confirmed). Hardcover. Bound in black and quarter gray linen cloth with a blind debossed image of a hat with the logo of Arlington House Publishers on the cover. Black lettering on the spine. Leaves are an off-white paper color. Heavily illustrated with over 300 black and white photographs throughout. Dustjacket is in gray, black and white color themes, and contains multiple black and white photographs on the front and back covers. Contains biographical information on eight great actors from the 1930's, specifically: George Brent, Melvyn Douglas, Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, Ray Milland, Robert Montgomery, David Niven and William Powell. The book's dedication page honors Herbert Marshall (1890-1963) and Adolphe Menjou (1890-1963), "who were debonair gentlemen on and off the screen". Indexed. 511 pp.<br><br>FROM THE DUST JACKET: "To begin with, he had a mustache. Even if he didn't, he could have worn one with panache. He carried his cigarettes (regents, or some brand made especially for him) in a platinum case. If he smoked a pipe, he managed to avoid littering the landscape with ashes and dottle, and had no need for the usual paraphernalia of cleaners, tampers, and a messy tobacco pouch. Things came easy to him, money, adventure, women. But he did make things easier for lady luck, thanks to his incguity and wit. He enjoyed his success in opulent surroundings, wearing tasteful, expensive, perfect clothing like a second skin. He was the Debonair - a rather specialized model from the Thirties, now obsolete. You can still see the likes of him in old movies, which is where entertainment historians James Robert Parish and Don E. Stanke caught him Their charming new book, The Debonairs, probes eight leading men of the Thirties who most perfectly defined the Debonair manner, morality and method. Their careers, films, lives and personalities emerge in vivid detail."<br><br>ABOUT THE AUTHORS:<br><br>James Robert Parish, over the 1970's established himself as the foremost chronicler of Hollywood's Golden Era. Painstaking in research, meticulous to the last small detail, Mr. Paris manages to combine deep film scholarship with a bright style that makes reading irresistible. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, he is a member of the New York Bar. Mr. Parish is the author of Hollywood's Great Love Teams, The RKO Gals, The Fox Girls, The Paramount Pritties, The Tough Guys, Hollywood Character Actors, and nine other valuable film works.<br><br>Don E. Stanke of San Francisco has interviewed more than 40 film and stage personalities, and his articles about these luminaries have appeared in motion picture journals from coast to coast. He is co-author of The Glamour Girls, The Debonairs, the Swashbucklers, The All-Americans, and The Leading Ladies, and has contributed to The Real Stars #2, The Tough Guys, and Hollywood Players: The Thirties.<br><br>CONDITION: This copy is in near fine condition, with some light rubbing to the covers and corners are ever-so-lightly bumped. The dustjacket is also in near fine condition, with some rubbing on the covers, light chipping and wear along the corners and edges, and some light age toning on the inside and inner flaps. Endpapers bear very light discoloration and faint age toning around the page edges. Other than the inscription on the front pastedown endpaper, this copy is completely free from marginalia, annotation or creasing. Quite a lovely copy, perfect for any classic film enthusiast, movie star fan, or biography lover. <br><br>Additional photos available upon request. At over 3 lbs., due to this book's size and weight, additional postage may be needed. Full refund if not satisfied.