Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Photoplay Edition, 1932

Stevenson, Robert Louis. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, [1932]. First Grosset & Dunlap Edition. 8ov. Presented rebound in ¼ navy leather and red cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine and a matching archival red slipcase. 

Presented is the first Grosset & Dunlap edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, published in 1932. The book is presented rebound in ¼ navy leather and red cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine and a matching archival red slipcase. 

First published in 1886, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Inspired by both a murder trial and a subsequent nightmare, Stevenson wrote this novel as an examination of the duality of human nature and the inner struggle between good and evil. The tale is about a London legal practitioner named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and the murderous criminal Edward Hyde. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is considered to be a defining book of the gothic horror genre. 

The book was initially sold as a paperback for one shilling in the U.K. These books were called "shilling shockers" or “penny dreadfuls.” The first American edition was published on January 5, 1886, four days before the U.K. edition published by Longmans. Scribner's published 3,000 copies, only 1,250 of them bound in cloth. Initially, stores did not stock it until a favorable review appeared in The Times in January of 1886. Within the next six months, close to 40 thousand copies were sold.

A wildly captivating story, there have been numerous adaptations of the novella, including over 120 stage and film versions alone. In 1931, Paramount Pictures produced an adaptation directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Fredric March as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Miriam Hopkins as Ivy Pearson, and Rose Hobart as Muriel Carew. Inspired by the movie’s success, a popular American publisher of reprints and photoplay editions, Grosset & Dunlap, decided to issue a reprint of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for their readers.  This volume is the first Grosset & Dunlay photoplay edition, illustrated with seven scenes from the 1931 film. 

CONDITION: 

Very good condition. 8vo. Presented rebound in ¼ navy leather and redcloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine and a matching archival red slipcase. Interior pages are clean, with only light toning. Illustrated with seven film stills. 

Book Dimensions: 7 5/8"H x 5 1/2"W x 1 5/8"D. Slipcase Dimensions: 8 1/8"H x 5 5/8"W x 2"D.