THE FOOL." Written by Channing Pollock. [Cover title]
by Pollock, Channing
- Used
- Paperback
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
[New York, 1922.] Quarto-sized pamphlet measuring 31 x 24 cm (approx. 12 x 9.5 in.). Unpaginated. [28] pages. Original printed wraps (rear wrapper printed identically to the front); verso of each wrap also printed. Good plus. Short (2 cm) tear to fore-edge of front wrap, a few other tiny tears, crease to lower corner of front wrap, minor wear to spine, some faint scuffs to wraps. Leaves are mildly age-toned but clean. Tiny tear to fore-edge throughout. FIRST EDITION. An attractive promotional piece for Channing Pollock's Broadway play, "The Fool," staged at Selwyn's Times Square Theatre. On the verso of the front wrap is a portrait of Channing with a brief sketch of his career. On pages [2-3] is an essay by Pollock under the caption: "Something Worth Reading. Channing Pollock's Own Story of His Struggle for the Success of `The Fool.' Reprinted from The New York Times of Sunday, November 19th, 1922." This is followed by a full-page composite portrait of the Selwyns and their staff, a quote from the play (p. [4]), and a reproduction of a poster or playbill cover for the Selwyn production (p. [5]). Most of the pamphlet (pp. [6-25]) is occupied with an attractive photo essay featuring images of the stage production with captions discussing the characters and plot. This is followed by two pages of letters to Pollock and a full-page ad for the Selwyn Theatres. On the verso of the rear wrap is an ad for Brentano's forthcoming publication of "The Fool," which was the first edition of the play in book form. "The Fool" was a surprise Broadway hit and the basis for a later film and novel by the same name. The success of the play was due largely to Pollock's sheer determination. He had struggled mightily to find a producer for "The Fool" and received a break when Archibald Selwyn agreed to stage the play. However, "when it opened to generally unfavorable notices, Selwyn was ready to close it, but Pollock, who owned 25 percent of the work, would not let him. Pollock began a primitive publicity campaign, writing letters, making speeches, and printing advertisements with favorable remarks from the few notables who had liked the play. The publicity turned business around. According to Pollock, `Before the end of the season, seven companies were touring . . . reaching audiences of not less than 85,000 people each week, or close to five million theatregoers in a single season." --Bordman & Hischak, "Oxford Companion to American Theatre," pp. 235-236, noting that the Times Square Theatre production ran to 360 performances. "The Fool" was made into a motion picture in 1925 and, in the same year, Pollock published a novel based on the play. Rare. Not in OCLC or NUC.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Eilenberger Rare Books, LLC (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 0000726
- Title
- THE FOOL." Written by Channing Pollock. [Cover title]
- Author
- Pollock, Channing
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Binding
- Paperback
- Place of Publication
- [New York]
- Date Published
- [1922]
Terms of Sale
Eilenberger Rare Books, LLC
We offer a full refund, including the purchase price and the original shipping cost, in the event an item is not as described in the listing, provided that we receive the returned item within 30 days after delivery. We will refund the purchase price, but not the shipping, for any other reason, within ten (10) days of delivery, provided we are given prior notification of the return (please email or phone) and all items are returned in the condition in which they were received.
About the Seller
Eilenberger Rare Books, LLC
Biblio member since 2008
Durham, North Carolina
About Eilenberger Rare Books, LLC
An online shop focusing on Americana, particularly books pertaining to the South, and offering rare, scholarly, and antique books on a variety of other subjects. Proprietor David J. Eilenberger worked for over five years at respected firms in the A.B.A.A. before establishing the company in 2010. In addition to books, we are interested in acquiring broadsides, ephemera, 19th-century photographs, and manuscripts. Member Independent Online Booksellers Association since 2017.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....