Steinbeck, John (1942) ‘The Moon is Down’, US signed and inscribed first edition – associastion copy inscribed to Hollywood legend Spencer Tracy

John Steinbeck (1942) ‘The Moon is Down‘, US first edition, first printing, published by Viking. Signed and inscribed by the author to Hollywood legend Spencer Tracy on the front free endpaper: “For Spencer Tracy | for the things that didn’t come off and the things that might | John Steinbeck”. This is the first state of the first impression with the period between talk and this in line eleven of page 112.

Provenance: from the estate of Spencer Tracy with hiss bookplate on the second endpaper, now unglued. With the 1942 film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1935 novel Tortilla Flat, Spencer Tracy and John Steinbeck would finally be linked creatively; Tracy had wanted to work on the 1940 adaptation of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath but had not been able to. Tortilla Flat provided that opportunity. The mutual admiration between two masters of their craft would carry on for the rest of their careers.

Condition: a fine copy with hardly any shelf wear. In a near fine dust jacket.

A beautiful association copy of the Nobel Prize winner’s rarely seen Moon is Down first edition.