Raymond Chandler: Manuscripts & Paper Collectibles (13 results)

Single lobby card for the 1942 film. Based on Raymond Chandler's 1942 novel "The High Window," here re-imagined as the seventh and final entry in Twentieth Century-Fox's series of films featuring detective Michael Shayne, created by Brett Halliday. 14 x 11 inches. Very Good plus, with two pinholes to the center of the card, a tiny closed tear to the top edge, and a small chip to the lower left corner. Grant, p. 651. Spicer, p, 420.

Vintage "A Big Hand to Warners for 'The Big Sleep'" gatefold brochure from the Mystery Writers of America (MWA). In recognition of the 1946 film noir, based on the 1939 hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, the MWA brochure, found here, bestows honorary memberships to Executive Producer Jack L. Warner and actors Bogart and Bacall, and features five short essays lionizing the film and the novel by Clayton Rawson, Ken Crossen, Edward D. Radin, Dorothy Hughes, and Hugh Pentecost in the fold-out. Hard-boiled private eye Philip Marlowe investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding a wealthy young woman's gambling debts. Although the film was completed in 1945, the final version was significantly re-scripted and re-cut to play to the public's fascination with newly married couple Bacall and Bogart, who first appeared two years previously, in Howard Hawks' "To Have and Have Not." 7.25 x 10 inches four panel gatefold on orange paper. Very Good, split along the center seam, with a small chip to the bottom right of the front panel, and a faint vertical crease throughout. National Film Registry. Ebert I. Godard, Histoire(s) du cinema. Grant US. Penzler, 101 Greatest Films of Mystery and Suspense. Selby Masterworks. Selby US. Silver and Ward US. Spicer US.

Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. Universal City, CA, July 26, 1947. 4to. 1 page. "Referring to that certain agreement between you and us dated April 10, 1947 relating to the story entitled 'Playback'.your failure to complete and deliver a first draft screenplay on or prior to May 1, 1947 shall not be deemed to be a material breach of you obligations."; Signed by Chandler in the "Approved and Accepted" section at end. Also signed by two representatives of Universal Pictures. "Playback" was never produced by Universal-International. Chandler's last novel, not published until 1958, was based on this script. Signed by Author(s).

letter. Condition: near fine. Typed letter to Chandler's agent H. N. Swanson with handwritten additions by Chandler, on his stationary, and dated June 23rd.1953. Near fine condition.

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. Hollywood, January 2, 1946, 4to. 1 1/2 pages (2 separate sheets, rectos only); To agent Irwin Allen, at the Orsatti Agency in Hollywood: "Following our several telephone conversations and correspondence in reference to the creation of a new radio show to be called 'The Adventures of Philip Marlowe,' we are giving you a certain authorization as herein specifically stated."; Authorization by Chandler for a radio show embodying the character Philip Marlowe. Stating that interest in such a show has been expressed by Philip Morris Cigarettes and Proctor and Gamble. The cast would include Humphrey Bogart in the title role of Philip Marlowe. Royalty rights for Chandler would be $750 per broadcast for the first 39 weeks and a weekly royalty thereafter in a sum not less than $1000.00 per week. Signed by Chandler in the "Approvel by" section at end. Also signed by literary agent H.N. Swanson. The series "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe," based upon Chandler's character, began on CBS in 1949. Geralf Mohr was cast as Philip Marlowe. The producer-director was Norman Macdonnell. Signed by Author(s).

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. ("Ray") in black fountain pen ink on his Raymond Chandler, 6005 de la Costa, La Jolla, California letterhead, May 17, 1947. 8 1/2" x 11"; 1 page (recto only). Very good. 20 lines, single space. To literary agent Edgar N. Carter H.N. Swanson, Inc. 8523 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood 46, Calif. Chandler rejects the request of the author of a script entitled: "So You Want To Be A Detective", to use the name Philip Marlowe. He goes on to comment on his revisions of another contract. Chandler cast a sharp analytical eye over his contracts and often made revisions. In part: ". . . I wouldn't let the man us the name of 'Philip Marlowe', even if he could spell it correctly. I will sign no papers and no release. Why should I, what is there in it for me? . . .". Signed by Author(s).

No Binding. Condition: Fine. CHANDLER, RAYMOND. (1888-1959). Writer of crime fiction, and creator of the hardboiled detective Phillip Marlowe; best known for his: The Big Sleep (1939), The High Window (1942), and The Lady in The Lake (1943). Uncommon Typed Letter Signed, ''Ray,'' On his name imprinted 49 Carlton Hill, London, N.W. 8, Mai 4407 letterhead. One full page, quarto. February 21, 1956. To ''H.N. Swanson, Esq., 8523 Sunset Boulevard West Hollywood 46, California.'' Chandler writes: ''Dear Swannie, Mystery Writers of America Inc is fussing about stories again, and I am enclosing their mimeograph, which means absolutely nothing. I hope you will not say so, but I don t like the Curtis Brown Organization very well. I fell that it is entirely too departmentalized, and that no one in it knows about books or writing, so I am thinking about making a change some time in May. In the meantime, carry on as usual. The above address will be good for a couple of months, and you can always reach me through my publisher, Hamish Hamilton. I expect to leave England some time in the first part of May, at least before the 20the which is the final date. But I don t know yet where I am going. I don t expect to return to the USA before early in October, if then. Best regards, Ray'' Raymond Chandler, best know as the creator of the hard boiled detective Phillip Marlowe, writes to his Hollywood agent H.N. Swanson. Swanson, who had begun his career as a junior producer before becoming a literary agent, had also represented F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway in Hollywood. Chandler, following the devastating death of his wife Cissy in 1954 had attempted suicide in 1955 and was, to the detriment of his writing, drinking heavily at this time. A notoriously slow writer who only completed seven novels and 17 short stories over his entire career, Chandler was by this time working on his final finished novel, Payback (1958). In this letter Chandler vents his frustration concerning difficulties with the Mystery Writers of America, a group that he would become president of in 1959 and which had given him awards in1946 and 1954, and his U.K. literary agents at Curtis Brown. Chandler would return to the United States much sooner than he expected; it would be his destination when he was forced to leave the United Kingdom in May, as he notes in this letter, because of tax problems. This letter will make a fine addition to any collection of mystery/crime writer fiction.

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. ("Ray") in blue fountain pen ink, on Raymond Chandler printed letterhead, mailing address: Box 128; 6005 Camino de la Costa, La Jolla, California. May 11, 1951. 1 page. 4to. To Mr. H. N. Swanson 8523 Sunset Boulevard Hollywood 46, Calif. Interesting letter from Chandler to his agent criticizing director Sol Seigel, with whom he failed to get along with and setting forth the terms under which he would work as a screenwriter (see Chandler's "Selected Letters" for the April 27, 1951, letter to Siegel, which may have precipitated their conflicts). Chandler (1888-1959), Chicago-born author of mystery novels, many set in Los Angeles: "The Big Sleep," 1939; "Farewell, My Lovely," 1940;"The Long Goodbye," 1954; etc. A number of his stories were filmed. Signed by Author(s).

Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. Los Angeles: E-K Corporation, 1972. Vintage original film screenplay, 11 x 8 1/2" (28 x 22 cm.), printed wrappers, brad bound, mimeograph, with many pages of revisions on colored paper. Near fine or better, signed by screenwriter Leigh Brackett on title page, which indicates it is a revised draft dated May 22, 1972. The Long Goodbye, an adaptation of the 1953 private eye novel by Raymond Chandler, is a brilliantly written screenplay by one of the all-time great screenwriters, Leigh Brackett (1915-1978), an authoress whose other screen credits include The Big Sleep (another Chandler adaptation), Rio Bravo, El Dorado and The Empire Strikes Back. Released in 1973, The Long Goodbye was the eighth feature film directed by Robert Altman, a filmmaker praised then and now as a master of genre deconstruction. Here, Altman is deconstructing the private eye genre. However, much of what film buffs admire about The Long Goodbye can be found, at least in blueprint form, in Ms. Brackett's screenplay which was initially drafted before Altman became attached to the project. Brackett's biggest contributions, insofar as they depart from Chandler's novel, are the screenplay's beginning and its end. The screenplay begins with private investigator Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) reclining in bed, awakened by his cat who wants to be fed. Searching for a cat food that Marlowe's cat will like well enough to eat is the story's first innovative beat; and the loss of Marlowe's finicky cat becomes a metaphor for all the losses and betrayals that will occur throughout the course of the tale. The Brackett screenplay's ending, in which Marlowe shoots the homicidal "best friend" who has used, deceived, and betrayed him, was an even more radical departure from Chandler's novel. Altman claimed Brackett's ending was the primary factor that convinced him to direct the movie, and stipulated in his contract with the studio that they would not be allowed to change it. The character of Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell), the affluent Jewish gangster who, in the screenplay's most shocking act of violence, smashes his girlfriend's face with a coke bottle, is another Brackett invention. The endless variations on the theme song "The Long Goodbye" which are heard throughout the movie, both on its soundtrack and from sources within the film (even a doorbell!) -- that, too, is in Brackett's screenplay. Nevertheless, since The Long Goodbye is a Robert Altman film, much of what is in the screenplay was revised or elaborated upon during the course of shooting. Taking a cue from Brackett's script notation that Marlowe "talks to himself all the time," Altman gave his star, Elliott Gould, a free hand to improvise throughout the production. Marlowe's recurring catchphrase "It's okay with me" was a Gould improvisation. The scene in the police station where Marlowe smears fingerprint ink on his face and imitates Al Jolson singing "Swanee" was another Gould improvisation. The rest of the cast, particularly Sterling Hayden as alcoholic writer Roger Wade, were also permitted to ad-lib, with equally impressive results. In the screenplay, Wade commits suicide by shooting himself, but in the movie -- perhaps its most moving sequence -- Wade commits suicide by walking at night into the raging Malibu surf, followed helplessly by Marlowe and Wade's wife Eileen (Nina van Pallandt), who are unable to save him. Some other differences: in the screenplay, Marlowe has two scantily clad female neighbors who practice yoga all the time; in the movie, there are five or six of them. In the movie, the favorite food of Marlowe's cat is "Coury Brand Cat Food"; in the screenplay, it is "Pussy Delight". Another sequence invented during shooting was the scene where gangster Marty Augustine and his thugs (including future governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) strip down to their underwear in a bizarre attempt to intimidate Marlowe. Omitted from the film is a screenplay sequence taking place in Marlowe's office. In the mo. Signed by Author(s).

First Draft script for the 1973 film, written nine months before the production began. From the estate of film producer Elliott Kastner, whose best known credits include "The Missouri Breaks" (Arthur Penn, 1976), and "Heat" (Michael Mann, 1996). Based on Chandler's 1953 novel, the sixth and penultimate Philip Marlowe book. Screenwriter Leigh Brackett, who also co-wrote the screenplay for "The Big Sleep" (1946), updated not just the setting from the 1950s to the 1970s, but the attitudes, themes, and relationships as well. The result was less of a straight adaptation than it was a satire of the traditional detective story, a New Hollywood classic. Shot on location in Los Angeles, Malibu, Hollywood, and Mexico Black titled Studio Duplicating Service, Inc. wrappers. Title page present, dated September 1971, noted as First Draft, with credits for screenwriter Leigh Brackett. 109 leaves, with last page of text numbered 108. Mimeograph duplication, rectos only. Pages Near Fine, wrapper Near Fine, bound with two gold brads. Grant US. Silver Classic Noir. Spicer US.

No Binding. Condition: Fine. ("Ray"), on light blue personal 6925 Neptune Place letterhead, La Jolla, June 3, 1957. 4to. 2 pages (on separate leaves, stapled together). To Edgar N. Carter at N.H. Swanson Company in West Hollywood: "Would it make any difference to a TV deal if I agreed to write the dialogue? (not the story -- only, I suppose, what you could call a polish job). Of course the writer would loathe me. I must make it clear that any work I should do would on be done in any TV studio since it might be from Tahiti or Tasmania. I understand that changes might be made because some actor might say, "This line just isn't me," or some director might, like George Marshall, have an itching pencil. I ought to have something to say about who is to play the part. I think the actor is more important than the summer radio shot. I think you have the job of convincing these lauatics that if a show is to last, it must cost not too much and must have some sort of special quality. Marlowe is a character of some nobility, of scorching wit, sad but not defeated, lonely but never really sure of himself. It is impossible to think that such a man would not have a sex life, but so many writers of this sort of story have made it too blatant and too vulgar. Marlowe would get almost any woman into bed with him by a certain obscure technique which depends almost entirely on making a woman feel that you respect her. Some of this has to go into Philip Marlowe, if his is to be any good. If it is not possible to achieve this, I think we should forget the whole thing. After all, a great many writers have been trying to steal him from me for 15 years and they have never done it yet". Signed by Author(s).

Final Draft script for the 1951 film, dated October 18, 1950. Although the front wrapper and the first distribution page identify the script as Part I, the script presented here is the complete Final Draft divided into four parts (Parts I-IV), each with its own distribution page. Laid in are twelve call sheets, dating from October 31, 1950 through December 23, 1950, with all but one heavily annotated in manuscript pencil. Based on Patricia Highsmith's 1950 novel. A Hitchcock classic, following a psychotic socialite and tennis pro who meet on a train and promptly form a partnership to "exchange murders." The plan seems infallible until one person shirks his end of the deal. Shot on location in New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Connecticut. Blue titled wrappers, noted as FINAL on the front wrapper, rubber-stamped copy No. 115, dated OCT. 18, 1950. Four distribution pages present, one for each Part, with the first receipt removed, all others intact. 158 leaves, with last page of text numbered 153. Mimeograph duplication, rectos only, with blue revision pages throughout, dated variously between 10/30/50 and 11/20/50. Pages Near Fine, wrapper Very Good plus, with edgewear and a closed tear to the center left front wrapper, bound with two gold brads. Call sheets: 8.5 x 11 inches. Near Fine overall. Grant US. Selby Masterwork. Silver Classic Noir. Spicer US.

Kein Einband. Condition: Wie neu. Ohne Schutzumschlag. 1. Auflage. Superb original picture postcard written and sent by Chandler from Palms Springs to his publisher Hamish Hamilton in London. Postmarked Palm Springs: 24th December 1957. A "Giant Post Card" with "Greetings from Palm Springs" printed on the front over a picture of Palm Springs Plaza sent by Chandler to his publisher "Jamie" (Hamish Hamilton) in London. In fine condition apart from some slight creasing and two punch holes, only affecting the letters "ut" in "but" and the first "l" in "alcoholic" in the second last line. This gem is as good as it gets: Address ("Hamish Hamilton, Esq., / 90(50?) Great Russell St., / London, W.C. 1, / England.") and text written entirely in Chandler's hand. The text reads as follows: "Dear Jamie: Here are so few of these oversized nonsenses that I may have sent you this one before. But don't kick me, I'm old and weak. Thanks for letter which I shall answer very soon. Went to a party last night at a home which is the ideal setting for the 8 million dollar girl Marlowe is going to be married to in my next after the one I am finishing up. They'll have a hell of a time squabbling. The party was elaborate but the same old thing. Elaborate catering and decorations, but the same loud empty alcoholic voices. Love to all. Ray." Note that "Jamie" is how friends called Hamish (Hamilton). At the time and as mentioned in the text, Chandler was putting the finishing touches on his novel Playback, which ends with Linda Loring ("the 8 million dollar girl" of The Long Good-Bye fame) calling Marlowe and asking him to marry her. This is the first time Chandler mentions marriage and the setting for the beginning of his last novel The Poodle Springs Story. This is one of the very, very rare instances that you will find and be able to buy Marlowe's name in Chandler's handwriting, since the few other examples (in the Notebooks) are forever confined to museums or other institutions. Also, we know of no other text of this length and content entirely in Chandler's hand. Practically all of his correspondence was typed. This item part of our Catalogue 9, which you can view at ygrbooks. Signatur des Verfassers.