Books

New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company,, 1931. Inscribed to his favourite hatmaker First edition, first printing, inscribed by Runyon five days before publication, "To Fred Kelly, who makes good kellys, from Damon Runyon, August 15, 1931". Fred Kelly was a well-known haberdasher near Times Square. According to their shop boy Martin Rackin, Runyon bought a new hat there every Saturday, and – always a gentleman of the working class – gave the adolescent Rackin five dollars a week to stay in school rather than work full time. The kelly of the inscription is a wide-brimmed fedora, wider even than the ones preferred by Runyon, who was so galericulate that the following Runyonesque anecdote about him must be true: "About noon one spring day, Runyon kisses his showgirl sweetheart goodbye and leaves his West 57th Street apartment. He strolls toward Lindy's Broadway Deli for his breakfast-luncheon and six cups of coffee. On the way, he meets a guy who tells him he has never seen Damon…

Guys and Dolls is a collection of short stories by Damon Runyon. The stories have been the basis for stage and film adaptations, including the well-known Broadway musical and film 'Guys and Dolls'.