Books

Williams, Tennessee. THE GLASS MENAGERIE. New York: New Directions, (1949). First Edition, thus, with four photographic images from the 1950 film directed by Irving Rapper and featuring film stars Kirk Douglas, Jane Wyman, Gertrude Lawrence, and Arthur Kennedy. Originally published by Random House in 1945, this is the first 1949 New Directions printing but with a twist. Instead of images from the original play, as is usually found, this binding-up instead provides four compelling images from the film. Furthermore, the book comes with its original motion picture edition wraparound band. The movie edition is rare, even rarer in this superb condition, and an exceedingly rare survival with the original band. Also included are the playwright's notes from his 1945 stage version, and new introductory essay by Williams titled "The Catastrophe of Success." A Fine copy in original publisher's cloth in a very lightly used Near Fine (price-clipped) original dust jacket designed by Alvin Lustig which has a small, closed tear toward the top edge. The wraparound band is complete and also in Fine condition. THE GLASS MENAGERIE, a tale of an aging Southern Belle and her shy crippled daughter was the first of Tennessee Williams's plays to be filmed and faithfully portrays the tragic atmosphere of the play (although the film was given a more hopeful ending than the play. An unapologetically charismatic copy.

The Glass Menagerie is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. It is one of his most well-known works and considered a classic of the 20th-century theater.