MOONRISE

New York: The Viking Press, 1946., 1946. First edition. First edition. Two volumes, both first editions. One of each of the two variant bindings and jackets for this title. Basis for the 1948 Oscar-nominated film noir directed by Frank Borzage and starring Dane Clark, Gail Russell, and Ethel Barrymore. First volume: Binding is Variant A (no known priority), with red cloth and yellow letter stamping. Dust jacket is Variant A (no known priority) with no face in the front panel illustration, slightly short, yellow lettering to the spine, four book advertisements and a Viking Press imprint on the rear flap, and the "Printed in the USA" notation at the bottom rear panel. Near Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket. Second volume: Binding is Variant B, with green cloth and yellow titles. Jacket is Variant B with a large face in the front panel illustration, yellow lettering to the spine, no Viking Press imprint on the front flap, and the "Printed in the USA" notation at the bottom rear flap. Near Fine in an about Near Fine dust jacket. Both volumes housed in a custom green quarter leather and cloth clamshell box with titles stamped in gilt on the spine. In a small Virginia town, the son of a hanged criminal accidentally kills another man in a fight, and hides the crime from deeply prejudiced townspeople.