FILM

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Ornate letterhead printed in red and black, with engraving of a rising sun ('The Mark of Excellence'). Addressed to 'Messrs. Marcus Adams Ltd. | Child Photographers, | 43, Dover Street, | W.1.' The letter begins: 'I have in hand the production of a film somewhat of a national character, including all the episodes in the reigns of our Royal Family, from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee onwards, and I thought it would be a very nice idea to finish the film with a short length of little Princess Elizabeth.

Good firm inscription on 19.5 x 16 cm letterhead. In good condition, lightly aged and creased, with slight rust staining to top left-hand corner from paperclip. Inscription reads: 'Sincere best wishes | Don Ameche'.

Album page, 17 x 11cm, good condition.

[1] + 62pp., folio. On rectos only. Bound with metal studs into yellow card covers, with the spine reinforced with cloth tape. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Loosely inserted is a five-page carbon typescript describing 'Approximate number of costumes necessary'. Also inserted is a typed page beginning with an 'Extract from letter from Sir Donald Wolfit: 8.7.58. | At the moment it looks like an opening date in the second half of September out of London for six or seven weeks first. Mr. Laurence Irving will be in touch with you in the near future for a preliminary discussion'.

The present item is anonymous, but is certainly an early draft of 'The Suffrage Girl', the play written by film pioneer Percy Nash while an executive at Selfridge's department store in London, and performed by the store's employees in 1911 at the Court Theatre. (For more information see E. D. Rappaport's 'Shopping for Pleasure: Women in the Making of London's West End' (Princeton, 2001), as well as S.

Brook's 1949 production of 'Dark of the Moon' was praised by the critics, and favourably compared with a rival production of 'Oaklahoma!' 'I'm not sure', Brook wrote, 'whether it's a good thing to be original in the theatre. The critics slated my Romeo and Juliet for being too original, but they applaud the quality in Dark of the Moon.' J. C. Trewin, in his 1971 biography of Brook, states that the play had attracted Brook's attention 'when he saw pictures in an American magazine and observed with rapture that there were witches in the cast.

168pp., 4to. Pages typed in black and red (by Active Secretarial Bureau, Wardour Street) on versos only. Bound in grey card wraps, with red tape spine. Typed title on cover, with circular red label of 'British and Continental Plays Ltd'. The main characters include the unnamed members of a continental royal family, together with 'Baroness Sibyl Konigsmark' and 'Section-Leader Grumb', and the scene is set at an Old Castle and Summer Palace, and 'Late in June of the year 1941. Three o'clock p.m.' and periods shortly following.

126pp., 4to. (Act 1 has 55pp. and Act 3 has 71pp.) Each act bound in grey card covers. Worn and aged, with the remains of the purple ribbon used to bind the leaves into their covers. A heavily reworked typescript. As is customary, the typed text of the play is on the rectos only, but leaves with additional typed and manuscript (presumably autograph) text have been inserted. Numerous manuscript additions and deletions to the text on the rectos, with additional typed passages on pieces of paper laid down onto the facing versos, which also carry further manuscript changes.

[1] + 115 + [1]pp., 8vo. Printed on rectos only. Bound by two metal studs in yellow card covers. In fair condition, with moderate signs of age and wear. Apparent ownership inscription ('Vickers Staniforth') at head of title page, beside a number '3' in red ink. Never produced and unpublished. 'The Vicar's Wife' was Bennett's first film script, and was written for Ned Sherrin, who was working at the time for Columbia Pictures. According to Kara McKechnie ('Alan Bennett', MUP, 2007), it 'pre-dates his first stage play by a few years, and is simultaneous with 'On the Margin' for television'.

Good firm inscription on 18 x 16 cm leaf of blue paper removed from album. Reads: 'To Ann | with very Best wishes | from | Sabu | THE THIEF OF | BAGHDAD | 1939'. The recipient was the daughter of a cameraman at Twickenham Film Studios.

Good firm inscription on 18 x 16 cm leaf removed from an album. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'To Ann, oh Ann | whose father was a cameraman. | Best Wishes | John Justin.' Docketed at foot: '"Thief of Baghdad" June - ? 1939.'

On 18 x 16 cm leaf removed from an album. In good condition, lightly-aged. Headed '"Carnival" July 1945' and with the following signatures: 'Stanley Haynes (Director) | Guy Green . (Camera) | Sally Gray | Stanley Holloway (actor) | Catherine Lacey | Michael Clarke | Hazel Court. | Michael Wilding | Jean Kent | <?> (stills)'. The recipient was the daughter of a cameraman at Twickenham Film Studios.

The three inscriptions are all on one side of an 18 x 16 cm leaf taken from an album. In good condition, lightly-aged. Given during the shooting of the RKO film 'The Saint in London' (1939), which Sanders starred in and Carstairs directed. Sanders writes, at the head of the page, 'To Anne | I want to see you in about 8 years time! | George Sanders | April 1939.' Beneath this is: 'Anne - let's make it seven! | John Paddy Carstairs: | '39.' And beneath Carstairs' inscription: 'Six years. X. | Tony Keys'. The recipient was the daughter off a cameraman at Twickenham Film Studios.

Two pages, 8vo, good condition. His correspondence reports a "chapter of misfortune" only to be capped by Belfrage's information about his father's cancer, brother's ulcer [Cedric Belfrage, alleged Soviet spy] and son's sending hom from school because of an outbreak of "infantile paralysis2. "All this made me forget to draw your attention to a broadcast discussion on the film industry which I chaoired at Cardiff last Saturday.

Stapled printed pamphlet. 11 + [1]pp., 16mo. In good condition, on lightly aged paper with rusted staples. A page of officers, headed by the Archbishop of Westminster as President, and Rt Rev. Abbot Upson as Vice-President, is followed by Burke's five-page report, and then three pages of balance sheets for the organisation, 'Focus', general funds, 'Penny-a-Day' Fund, and 'Fatima' Fund. No other copy traced, either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC.

A black and white print, 24 x 19 cm. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Shows Loder in top hat and nineteenth-century frock coat, with cane. Inscribed: 'To Mrs. Wright | With sincere good wishes | from | John Loder.' In pencil on reverse: 'Capt. William | Java Head | J. K. 67 | For Mrs Wright | Stills'. Stamped on reverse: 'CYRIL LEESTON | LONDON | TELEPHONE 3884 PADDINGTON'. This image is not in the National Portrait Gallery collection, nor is any other by Leeston.

The two prints are in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. The 'Sing As We Go' (1934) photograph is 24 x 19.5 cm. In pencil on the reverse: 'Gracie Fields | S.G.P 4 | "Sing as we go" 1935 [sic] A.T.P. Studios' and is stamped 'CYRIL LEESTON | LONDON | TELEPHONE 3884 PADDINGTON'. It is a head and shoulders shot of Fields, leaning slightly forwards as she looks straight into the camera, smiling. The 'Look Up And Laugh' (1935) photograph is 25.5 x 19.5 cm. It has in pencil on reverse: 'LL | P.24 | Gracie Fields in "Look up & Laugh" | A.T.P. Studios 1935'.

Three black and white prints, ranging in size from 12 x 17 cm to 10 x 7.5 cm. The contact sheet is 12.5 x 13 cm. The four items in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. One of the three pictures shows a smiling Baron outdoors with a young blonde boy (his son?), who is holding a camera tripd; another shows him standing with his arm on the shoulder of another man (his brother?), both on skis in the snow; and the third shows him in a heavy wool coat, on the steps of a European building, with a man in Slavic costume. The last is inscribed on the reverse: 'May 1940 | <?>.

Printed on one side of a piece of 29 x 22.5 cm yellow newspaper stock. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with a 1 cm closed tear to the margin. Distinctively laid out, within a decorative border, with three vignette silhouettes of men in evening dress. Under the heading 'Double attraction', announces that 'The Excelsior Cinema Cuddapah. | Takes Pride in Presenting from Sunday 10-5-31. | Under the kind patranage [sic] of | A. G. Blake Esq., I.C.S., | Collector and District Magistrate, Cuddapah. | A Grand Show of an Assembly of | Nation Builders of India & England.

Printed in black and red on one side of a piece of 37.5 x 26 cm wove paper, with Charles Martin 'Extra Strong' watermark. Text enclosed in attractive decorative border. At foot: 'God Save the King. | At a Piano ... ... ... ... Miss Wynne Runting'.

[8] + 344 + [7]pp., 12mo, and four pages of plates (vol.2, no.2). Fourteen issues, loose, with volume 1 (issues 1-9) continuously paginated to 244; and volume 2 (issues 1-5) paginated to 90; with the volume's separate prelims (8pp.) and index (7pp.) ready for binding up. Two identical fliers for the society (giving its 'Purpose') loosely inserted. The collection is in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, but with rusted staples to all volumes. Hunnings and Gillett are named as editors of the first four volumes, thereafter Hunnings alone.

In very good condition, on brown spool 16.5 cm (6 1/2 inches) in diameter. In 17.5 cm square cardboard box, with title label on spine reading: 'M.30504 TOUCHDOWN MICKEY | FILM PRINTED IN ENGLAND', and broken blue label: 'GUARANT BAND | PATHESCOPE LTD.' The film was originally released by Disney on 15 October 1932 and runs to 6 mins 25 seconds. Mickey Mouse leads his team Mickey's Manglers to victory over the Alley Cats, as Goofy bungles through as sportscaster.

The collection is in fair condition, on aged and worn paper. The six items are from the Wynne-Rushton papers. The first four relate to the 1948 Moroccan film 'Kenzi', for which Wynne-Rushton was working as English distributor, produced by the Société marocaine de Production cinématographique, produced by Brandel's company Eden Film Productions, with French actress Simone Berriau (1896-1984) as art director, and featuring a young Habib Reda (1932-1974). ONE: ALS from Brandel ('Joe') to 'Dear Gerald'. 2pp., 8vo. Slight staining to second page.

Thre leaves, last leaf blan, folion, fold marks, small closed tear on middle fold, mainly good condition. The agreement covers "Improvements in and relating to Colour Photography and Colour Cinematography" a Patent Application #5271/28 20th Febryaury 1928. Signed C.A. Bolton and Anthony Bernardi, with the Company Common Seal of Raycol, witnessed by two directors and a secretary.

1p., 4to. On creased and lightly-aged paper, with wear and chipping to edges. She thanks him for his letter 'and for your offer of original potrait drawings by yourself', in which she was 'greatly interested'. She explains that there is a limitation of space, 'and as a general rule we are exhibiting portraits only when we can associate with them some other relic or possession of the writer concerned'. In response to 'our appeal' she has received 'souvenirs of past writers, and I am concentrating on these. This being so, I feel I must very reluctantly decline your interesting offer'.

In pencil on one side of a 6 x 9 cm white card, laid down on a 10.5 x 13.5 cm leaf of grey paper, removed from an album, with the date 'December 1944'. Lohr's note reads: 'with all good | wishes dear | Miss Stone | Marie Löhr'.

11 + [1] pp., foolscap 8vo. Figure and two tables in text. Stapled into brown printed wraps. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Uncommon: OCLC WorldCat lists copies at the British Library, Library of Congress, Hanover and the German National Library. From the Pat Hawker archive.

Six addressed to 'Edward'; five to 'Teddy'; one to 'Eddy; one to 'Edouard'; one to 'Cher amis' and one to 'Dear Roger'. Totalling 22pp., 4to; 11pp., 8vo; 2pp., 12mo. Ten of the fifteen letters are dated, the other six having only month and year. With copies of two typed letters to Ceccaldi from Edward, one from 1973 in English (1p., 4to), and the other from 1980 in French (2pp., 8vo), the latter accompanied by a synopsis of Ceccaldi's 'The Flight of Icarus', with a foreword by him, and a biography (the three items totalling 4pp., 8vo); also manuscript notes (1p, 8vo; 3pp., 12mo).

1p., 4to. In fair condition, aged and lightly-creased. The letterhead includes fourteen endorsements from newspapers in the left-hand margin, with Pike described as 'Author of the Birdland Books. | 100,000 copies sold.' Although bearing a genuine signature, the letter may be a circular. Pike is enclosing 'a copy of my Lecture Prospectus for next season' (not present). He goes on to discuss his 'new Lecture entitled: - "BIRDLAND CAMEOS"', before concluding: 'If your Society should decide to engage me, I can promise them a thoroughly interesting evening.'

One page, obl. 12mo, good condition. He appreicates being told about the Georges Neveux play on the radio [French playwright], but "unluckily" he missed it. "I had a very pleasant surprise in Italy. As I was entering my room at the hotel a door next door to it opened and Neveux was staying there. I had a long talk with him and he said that some french p[roducers (friends of his) who are interested in the story, might like to have a talk about the possibilities of an English collaboration and they might come to London with Georges. Of course I haven't heard from him since [...]".