Lovelace, Delos (1932) ‘King Kong’, US beautifully signed and inscribed first edition

Delos Wheeler Lovelace (1932) King Kong, US first edition, first print, first state, published by Grosset & Dunlap. Conceived by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper. Signed twice with passionate and lengthy inscriptions by acrtress Fay Wray and King Kong creator Marcel Delgado.

Signed and inscribed by actress Fay Wray: “Dear Stanley – With memories of / King Kong both / for you and – / Fay Wray.”; and signed and inscribed by Marcel Delgado: “From the Creator & Maker of ‘KING KONG’ to Stanley Simon, 147-42 77th Ave, Flushing New York 11367. Hollywood Calif. Feb 12 -70. Dear Stan: – I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the way you and hundreds of others have responded after seeing ‘King Kong.’ It makes me feel happy and honored to have been selected as the Creator, designer and maker of ‘Kong’ in combination with the efforts of all members of the Crew that made possible the Production of ‘King Kong.’ King Kong has already become a Classic and a Legend. Thanks to you and hundreds of others that through their interest and praise have made it possible [to] let King Kong live forever in the hearts of many. Thanks again and with luck and prosperity always. Sincerely, Marcel Delgado.”

Condition: a very good copy in like dust jacket. The book is square and tight with scattered light staining and finger-soiling to covers, corners a bit soft, pages clean throughout but for previous owner’s inscription on verso of front free endpaper which only pronounces the provenance. The original unrestored first issue dust jacket bears ‘by’ twice as called for. It shows minor chipping to the spine panel’s head, creasing along top edges, edgewear with corners and spine panel foot nicked, flap folds rubbed; the front and back panels are bright and colorful and the spine doesn’t show the usual fading.

King Kong introduced “one of the best-known characters ever produced by Hollywood cinema… Like James Bond, Scarlett O’Hara, Batman, and the Star Trek characters, King Kong has become a cultural phenomenon” (Erb, Tracking King Kong, 1, 22). The original RKO film, “one of the great mythopoeic works of the 20th century” (Clute & Nicholls, 668), went into production before a script was in place and was in production for over a year. Throughout co-director Merian C. Cooper urged his screenwriters, Ruth Rose and James A. Creelman, “to add more and more sensational plot elements and effects to the story, a directive that eventually led writer James A. Creelman to resign in protest.” After the sudden death of Edgar Wallace, “Cooper hired Delos W. Lovelace to write the novel version of King Kong. On the novel’s cover, Lovelace’s name was overshadowed by the phrase, “conceived by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper”. This first edition of Lovelace’s King Kong was published December 27, 1932, just over three months before the film made its premiere in March 1933 at the RKO Roxy and Radio City Music Hall, “then the largest movie house in the world” (Erb, 23-38).The stunning dust jacket was painted by prolific pulp and movie publicity artist Glenn Cravath. Scenes from the movie, including the iconic image of Kong towering over the New York skyline with Fay Wray in his grip, illustrate the endpapers. Anatomy of Wonder II-681. Fantasy and Horror 5-190. Robinson, Science Fiction in the 20th Century, 187.

Without any doubt, a highly desirable landmark book which would not exist without the simultanous film development. Graced with the nicest inscriptions we have ever seen. The nice dust jacket in its original untouched state makes this book a must have for any serious collector.