" BRITANNIA MEWS" SCREENPLAY BY....
Lardner, Ring, Jr. [adap]:
[Beverly Hills]: Twentieth Century-Fox, 30 August 1948. [2],132 leaves plus lettered inserts. Quarto. Mimeographed typescript, printed on rectos only. Bradbound in printed studio wrappers. Alternate U.S. title ("The Forbidden Street") handlettered on upper wrapper and spine, checkout slip clipped from prelim, but a very good or better copy. Denoted a "Final Draft" of this adaptation to the screen by Lardner of Margery Sharp's novel. The film was released the following May, starring Dana Andrews, Maureen O'Hara and Sybil Thorndike under the direction of Jean Negulesco. Lardner was likely at work on this script in the months preceding his call, on 30 October 1947, to testify before the HUAC. He had been discharged by 20th Century-Fox just days before his appearance, and like many of the other uncooperative witnesses associated as the Hollywood Ten, he was sentenced to a term in prison. Given his status as the most highly paid studio writer in Hollywood prior to his dismissal, it seems clear that Fox had little desire to set aside their investment in this film's script as easily as they set aside the man, as it continued to bear his name.
(Item ID: WRCLIT59794) $950.00