Barry, Philip

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY [Inscribed by Cast, including Katharine Hepburn]

New York: Coward-Mccann, 1940 [1939]. First Book Edition, Early Printing. Octavo, 206 pages. In Very Good condition with Good plus dust jacket. Spine white with black titling. Dust jacket protected with a mylar covering. Price uncut: "$2.00." Dust jacket with some chipping and wear to extremities, primarily to head and tail of spine and to hinges; small foxing to interior. A small water stain to top edge of text block, not entering text block. Also included is a Joseph Cotten calling card, loose within.

Early Printing, with "$2.00" price on front flap but "1939, 1940" on copyright page. A reference to the show going on the road appears on front flap.

Inscribed: "To Gorden Lewis all good wishes," signed by Katharine Hepburn [Tracy Lord], Joseph Cotten - [C. K. Dexter Haven], Van Heflin [Macaulay Connor], Frank Fenton [George Kittredge], Nicholas Joy [Seth Lord], Viola Roache, Dan Tobin [Alexander Lord], Dora Sayers [Tracy Lord (understudy)], Hope Bulkeley, Owen Coll [Thomas], Brent Sargent, Karl Nielsen [Stage Manager], Lenore Lonergan [Dinah Lord], Ruth Holden, Philip Foster [Edward], and Forrest Orr [William Tracy].

CL Consignment. Shelved in Case 3.

1351665

Shelved Dupont Bookstore

Price: $8,000

NOTES

From one of the Post-Broadway engagements featuring a majority of the original cast. The touring of the play caused MGM to postpone the release of the movie, so as to not compete.

Philip Barry wrote The Philadelphia Story specifically for Katharine Hepburn, who ended up not only starring in but also financially backing the play. Hepburn bought the film rights with money borrowed from Howard Hughes, and she then convinced MGM's Louis B. Mayer to buy them from her for only $250,000 in return for Hepburn having a significant amount of control.

Nominated for six Academy Awards and winning two, the film version is generally considered to be the greatest Romantic Comedy of all time and helped solidify Hepburn's place as the greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema.