[Rarebooks] FS: First Edition of OUR TOWN Inscribed by Thornton Wilder to Director Billy Wilder

[Charles Agvent]

WILDER, Thornton. OUR TOWN Inscribed to Billy Wilder. New York: 
Coward-McCann, Inc., (1938). First Edition. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize 
for Drama and a touchstone of American theater. After reading this play, 
Albert Einstein wrote a letter to Wilder comparing OUR TOWN to Homer's 
ODYSSEY and Shakespeare's HAMLET, stating: "That an American of the 
present day can create with such delicacy and detachment touches the 
soul like a miracle." This is a wonderful Association Copy between two 
giants of American culture who happened to share the same last name. 
INSCRIBED and SIGNED by the author in the year of publication on the 
title page to Hollywood director Billy Wilder: "For Billy/from 
Thornton/relative by/choice/Hollywood/Aug. 1938." Though it appears 
Billy Wilder (born Samuel Wilder) and Thornton Wilder never worked 
together, there is an interesting anecdote from very early in Billy's 
career. After leaving Berlin and arriving in Hollywood in 1934 with 
little money, he sent to his family in Europe clippings about Thornton 
Wilder's THE BRIDGE OVER SAN LUIS REY telling them that he had changed 
his first name to "Thornton." His mother learned the truth when she 
bought the book and saw the author's picture. According to a much later 
interview with Billy Wilder, she took it well and responded that she 
never liked that other fellow Wilder's stuff very much. Billy and 
Thornton would first meet shortly before inscribing this book on 7 July 
1938 when they would have lunch together leaving Billy impressed by the 
"Aryan quality of Thornton's humor" (SLIDE, Anthony: "IT'S THE PICTURES 
THAT GOT SMALL": CHARLES BRACKETT ON BILLY WILDER AND HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN 
AGE, page 120). Later that year in December they would dine again, this 
time in Boston with Alexander Woolcott, where Billy would see Thornton's 
THE MERCHANT OF YONKERS. His feelings about Thornton's humor changed: "a 
distressing play to me, all fake naivete, too, too great a desire to be 
funny" (ibid, page 128). Small Hollywood bookstore label pasted to rear 
pastedown; some sunning to edges of cloth. About Fine in a Near Fine 
dustwrapper with light chipping to the spine tips.

Billy Wilder was an Austrian-born American film director and 
screenwriter whose career spanned more than five decades. He had his 
first hit when he co-wrote the screenplay for the romantic comedy 
NINOTCHKA, starring Greta Garbo. He won two Academy Awards for THE LOST 
WEEKEND (for Director and Screenplay), one for SUNSET BOULEVARD 
(Screenplay), and an unprecedented three for THE APARTMENT (Best 
Picture, Director, and Screenplay). He also received nominations for 
DOUBLE INDEMNITY, STALAG 17, WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, SOME LIKE IT 
HOT, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH, and others. (#019979)        $6,500

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/019979/thornton-wilder/our-town-inscribed-to-billy-wilder

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