London After Midnight by Marie Coolidge Rask, Photoplay Edition, 1928

Rask, Marie Coolidge. London After Midnight. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1928. Photoplay Edition. Illustrated. Rebound in 1/4 green leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt stamps and titles to spine, presented with new matching green slipcase. 

Presented is a photoplay first edition of London After Midnight by Marie Coolidge Rask. This printing was published by Grosset & Dunlap, in New York, in 1928. The book has been beautifully rebound in striking ¼ green leather and cloth boards, with raised bands and gilt stamps and tiles to the spine, and a matching green archival slipcase. The book is illustrated with eight stills from the original silent film. 

One of the most collectible Grosset & Dunlap photoplay editions, this book was a novelization of the 1927 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer mystery horror film of the same title, co-produced and directed by Tod Browning. The movie starred Lon Chaney in a dual role of Scotland Yard Inspector and vampire; this was his only movie role as a vampire. Due to the success of the film, Marie Coolidge Rask penned the novelization of the movie. Rask worked from Tod Browning’s screenplay as well as the original source material,  Browning’s short story "The Hypnotist.” The book was published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1928 and included eight stills from the silent film. 

The last known copy of the film was destroyed in the 1965 MGM vault fire, along with hundreds of other rare early films, making it one of the most sought-after “lost” silent films. Copies of the film have never surfaced. This 1928 book is therefore important and collectible, as it is one of the few remaining records of the film’s content and storyline.

Alexander Grosset and George T. Dunlap first met while working for the American Publishers Corporation. In 1898, Grosset & Dunlap formed a new partnership with the goal to shift the focus of the publishing industry from expensive books for the few to inexpensive books for the masses. In order to avoid paying royalties and other publishing fees, Grosset & Dunlap started reprinting books that were already in print. With these profits, the partners purchased paperbound books in bulk to rebind them in cloth and resell. As the company grew, Grosset & Dunlap were able to purchase reprint rights from publishers before publication, including reprint rights from Edward Stratemeyer for the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Though it was primarily a reprint house, some notable first editions were published by Grosset & Dunlap, including King Kong, the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, and Fran Striker’s Lone Ranger series. 

CONDITION: 

Very good condition. Octavo. Beautifully rebound in striking ¼ green leather and cloth boards, with raised bands and gilt stamps and tiles to the spine, and a matching green archival slipcase. Interior pages are healthy, with only light time toning. The book is illustrated with eight stills from the original silent film. 

Book Dimensions: 7 3/4"H x 5 3/8"W x 1 5/8"D. Slipcase Dimensions: 8 1/8"H x 5 5/8"W x 2"D.