Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1929) ‘Tarzan and the Golden Lion’, beautifully signed and inscribed photoplay edition

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1929) ‘Tarzan and the Golden Lion’, Photoplay Edition, published by Grossett & Dunlap. Third printing of this edition. Signed and inscribed by Edgar Rice Burroughs on the ffep: “To / Baron L Evans / The man in the jacket / is supposed to be my / Son-in-law, James / H. Pierce – also / opposite pg 176 / Sincerely / Edgar Rice Burroughs / 8.22.29.” 

Publisher’s full orange cloth, front board and spine stamped in black, with photographic frontispiece and three photographic illustrations inserted throughout. Four color pictorial dust jacket.  listing 25 Burroughs titles in the advertising pages at the end of the book. In a supplied first issue dust jacket with an oval photo of Burroughs and 16 Burroughs titles listed on the back. The inside of dust jacket lists 18 Burroughs titles. (Zeuschner, p.353, 8). From the Albert E. Willis Collection of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

 Condition: very good in like dust jacket. Book tight and square, strong hinges, pages slightly toned but clean and without any mark. Spine headcap chipped, some wear to joints, corners slightly worn. Dust jacket bright and colorful, spine toned, closed tear to front joint, chipping to the back panel and spine affecting the letter “N” of Tarzan. A very good copy in a very good dust jacket.

The Photoplay Edition of Tarzan and the Golden Lion was printed to take advantage of the March 1927 release of the silent film of the same title starring James Pierce, who later became Erb’s son-in-law, playing Tarzan. Starring also a young Boris Karloff.

Burroughs was very generous in inscribing his books. In spite of that inscribed copies of this Photoplay Edition are among the hardest to find. There were reportedly 20-25 copies inscribed by him and member of the cast and crew. These include among the others: James H. Pierce, J. P. McGowan, the director; Joseph P. Kennedy (father of JFK and RFK), who was a financial backer, shifting some of his money from the illicit liquor trade into film distribution; Boris Karloff, who played Ozawa; D’Arcy Corrigan, who played Weesimbo; publishers Alexander Grosset and George Dunlap. These copies were given by Erb as a present to people who worked into the production. Other than those, this is the only inscribed copy we have ever seen.