Search Results: Playbills from Royal Books, Inc.

New York: Shubert Theatre, 1955. Original souvenir play program for the 1953 musical "Can-Can" composed by Cole Porter. This program likely from the mid-1950s touring company production of the play, starring Rita Dimitri, John Tyers, and Ronnie Cunningham. A self righteous judge threatens to shut down a Can-Can dance hall, but finds more trouble than he expected when he falls in love with the proprietor. Winner of two Tony awards. Basis for the 1960 film directed by Walter Lang and starring Shirley MacLaine, Frank Sinatra, and Maurice Chevalier. Twenty pages, saddle stapled, 9 x 11.75 inches. Very Good plus. Hirschhorn, p. 370.

New York: Morosco Theatre, 1949. Vintage playbill for the 1949 Broadway production. The play premiered on February 10, 1949 at the Morosco Theatre, closing on November 18, 1950 after 742 performances. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, a classic American drama and basis for a number of film and television versions featuring, among others, Fredric March, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Dustin Hoffman, and Brian Dennehy playing the role of failed salesman Willy Loman. 6.5 x 9 inches, side stapled. About Near Fine, with faint foxing on the wrapper binding.

New York: Henry Miller's Theatre, 1929. Original flyer for the 1929 play "Journey's End," which premiered at Henry Miller's Theatre on Broadway on March 22, 1929 and closed on May 17, 1930, for a total of 485 performances. The first US production of the play after its smash hit at at the Apollo Theatre in London, which starred a young Laurence Olivier and was directed by then-unknown director James Whale. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest plays ever written about World War I, following the plight of a British Army infantry company in 1918. Whale accompanied the play to America for the production advertised here, which by late 1929 was being performed by 14 companies in English and 17 in other languages, and he would go on to direct the 1930 film adaptation starring Colin Clive, David Manners, and Ian Maclaren. His film would be the first of numerous adaptations, including: "The Other Side" (1931), "Aces High" (1976), and "Journey's End" (2017). Whale would go on to even greater… Read More

New York: Headliners Talent Agency, 1978. Vintage program for the 1978 National Lampoon music and comedy roadshow. Six page, gate fold program, with show credits on verso of first leaf and recto of second, recto and verso of third leaf is a two page add for their forthcoming film "Animal House" (the verso being a full-color photo of the "Animal House" cast), and on verso of program (verso of second leaf), two, two-color ads, top for the 1977 National Lampoon comedy album "That's Not Funny, That's Sick," and bottom, a subscription coupon for the magazine. In 1977 National Lampoon magazine released their sketch comedy album "That's Not Funny, That's Sick," developed largely from sketches from the 1973-1974 "National Lampoon's Radio Hour," and began production on, what would be, their phenomenally successful, 1978 film, "National Lampoon's Animal House." In 1978 National Lampoon began touring their second music and comedy theatrical production (their first being the widely acclaimed "Lemmings" from… Read More

Miami Beach, FL: The Colony Theater, 1987. Original playbill for playwright John de Groot's 1987 one-man play, "Papa," based on the writings of Ernest Hemingway. The play premiered at the Colony Theater in 1987 in Southern Florida, and starred William Hindman, a veteran Miami-based actor, as Hemingway. Set in the 1950s in Hemingway's home in Cuba. 7 x 8.5 inches, saddle-stapled, 8 pages. Fine.

New York: Stella Holt-Roscius Productions, 1963. Draft script for the 1963 play. Laid in is a playbill for the show. With a single notation in manuscript pencil to the title page. Based on the 1948 novel of the same title by Hans Habe. To escape the injustices of Harlem, a black man enlists in the United States Army and is sent to occupied West Germany, where he impregnates and falls in love with a local girl. Without army consent, he marries her and deserts the army when he is to be sent back to America without her. He becomes the head of a gang of criminals and soon escapes to America with his bride, who leaves him because she only married him to get to America. Set in Germany. Black titled wrappers, with credits for screenwriter William Hairston. Title page present, dated October 28, 1963, with credits for playwright William Hairston, and author Hans Habe. 106 leaves, with last page of text numbered 18. Mechanical duplication. Pages Near Fine, wrapper Near Fine bound with two gold brads.

New York: Stella Holt-Roscius Productions, 1963. Draft script for the 1963 play. Laid in are a number of contemporary documents relating to the production, including playwright William Hairston's business card and resumé, a playbill for the show, two reviews by Maxine Keith and John Wingate, two advertisements for the show, and a photocopied article from the "New York Times" about the show. Based on the 1948 novel by Hans Habe. To escape the injustices of Harlem, a Black man enlists in the United States Army and is sent to occupied West Germany, where he impregnates and falls in love with a local woman. Without army consent, he marries her and deserts the army when he is to be sent back to America without her. He becomes the head of a gang of criminals and eventually escapes to America with his bride. Set in Germany. Black titled wrappers, with credits for playwright William Hairston. Title page present, dated October 28, 1963, with credits for playwright William Hairston, and novelist Hans… Read More